Achievement Through Technology and Innovation Act (ATTAIN) Introduced in the Senate

The stimulus is not the only thing happening in DC these days. I am pleased to report that the Achievement Through Technology and Innovation Act was introduced in the Senate last week by a bi-partistan group of senators: Senator Bingaman (D-NM), Senator Burr (R-NC), Senator Kennedy (D-MA), Senator Hatch (R-UT) and Senator Murray (D-WA). The bill was introduced earlier this year in the House also with bi-partisan support by Representatives Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Hinojosa (D-TX), Biggert (R-IL) and Kind (D-WI).

The ATTAIN Act (S 818, and H.R. 558) was developed in close collaboration by ISTE, the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) and the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA). The ATTAIN act is our recommendation for updating the Enhancing Education Through Technology program (EETT) for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (also referred to as No Child Left Behind - NCLB). This proposal was included in the House and Senate education committee's draft reauthorization packages that were released during the last Congress.

At this point we do not see ESEA reauthorization moving anytime soon, but having the ATTAIN Act introduced early, with strong bi-partisan support including Senator Kennedy the Chair of the Senate education committee we are positioned well as the debate continues.