Capitalizing on the Moment: How Local Education Leaders Can Contribute to State Digital Equity Planning Efforts

Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages (CC-BY-NC 4.0)

UPDATE, 6/15/2023: State digital equity plans are required to undergo a 30-day public comment period. See states that have announced their public comment periods here.

All states have received funds from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), as authorized under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to begin developing their state digital equity plans throughout 2023. A recent Office of Educational Technology (OET) blog showcased examples of how leaders are collaborating across agencies at the state level to include the voices, needs, and assets of the education sector in the digital equity plans.

As part of their planning efforts, many states have also announced opportunities where local communities can contribute, opening the door for sustained dialogue on digital equity. Given their experiences navigating the pandemic, identifying barriers and strategies, developing trusted relationships in communities, and building digital skills, education leaders can leverage these opportunities to provide essential perspectives on how to meet the needs of “covered populations.”

Below, we list (with relevant links) states that have announced or will soon announce opportunities for the public to engage. This list will be updated regularly as information from additional states become public.

• Alabama
• Alaska (Listening Sessions and Asset Inventory Survey)
• California (Meetings & Workshops, Digital Equity Survey, and Ecosystem Mapping Tool)
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan (Listening Tour, Partnership Roundtable, and Digital Inclusion Survey)
• Minnesota
• Missouri (Outreach Tour & Stakeholder Call, Survey, and Digital Asset Map)
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Jersey
• New Mexico (Regional Meetings & Survey and Summit)
• New York (Events & Survey and Education Subcommittee Meeting)
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington (Listening Sessions and Workshops/Regional Support Teams)
• West Virginia (Listening Sessions and Feedback Form & Asset Inventory)
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

Local education leaders can also consider the following as they engage with the planning process:

• Reflect on barriers and strategies included in OET’s Advancing Digital Equity for All resource and how they relate to the communities your organization or agency serves. ​
• Use the NTIA Internet for All Map to find out about your state’s NTIA federal programs officer and the state broadband office.
• Keep up to speed on stakeholder engagement efforts announced by your state broadband office or digital equity planners (e.g., surveys, community meetings, town halls, focus groups).
• Consider your organization’s or agency’s specific contributions in helping identify effective digital inclusion strategies (e.g. sharing data, facilitating local engagement, participating in state working groups, supporting implementation, etc.) and how to communicate this value-add through a unified voice.
• Check with your state education agency or other relevant state-level contacts to see if they are already supporting digital equity planning. Discuss how you can best support ongoing efforts.​
• Digital equity plans are required to undergo a 30-day public comment period. When announced, consider participating to further communicate about learners’ needs. See states that have announced their public comment periods here.
• By May 1, respond to NTIA’s Request for Comment on the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant and Competitive Digital Equity Grant programs, including questions focused on supporting learners.