The reauthorized ESEA establishes the Enhancing Education Through Technology (Ed Tech) Program. The primary goal of the Ed Tech Program is to improve student academic achievement through the use of technology in schools. The second goal is to establish successful research-based instructional methods and effective integration of technology in the classroom through high quality professional development and curriculum development. And the third goal is to ensure that every student is technologically literate by the end of the eighth grade.

Under the ESEA Ed Tech Program, the U. S. Department of Education provides grants to state education agencies for distribution to eligible school divisions. States must distribute 50% of their allocation in the form of competitive grants to school divisions. In Virginia, this has resulted in the Formula Ed Tech Grants, and now the Competitive Consortia Ed Tech Grants.

To maximize the resources of the Commonwealth and the local school divisions, the Virginia Department of Education has awarded eight regional consortium grants. Approximately $5 million will be distributed each year for a five-year period in the form of competitive subgrants for professional development – learning how to use technology that helps to transform the teaching and learning environment. The competitive subgrant has two main purposes. The first purpose is to encourage the effective integration of technology resources and systems with the curriculum. The second purpose is to establish research-based instructional methods that can be widely implemented as best practices.

School divisions formed eight consortia across the state. The school divisions identified specific needs, goals and objectives for their regional consortium. Consortium technology programs of professional development and related activities will be implemented to address the needs.

Maps and directory identify the consortia formed in Virginia and the lead contacts for each consortium. Please refer to the Directories section for PDF copies of the consortia maps and directories.