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William & Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation

Support, Tools and Structures

We develop, implement and evaluate tools, frameworks and instruments to inform and support research, policy, and practice. From supporting the development of technology infrastructure to creating resources to capture, disseminate and scale innovative practices, we help build capacity across schools, districts and education systems.

Technology Infrastructure and Broadband

NC School Connectivity Initiative

The Friday Institute’s Technology Infrastructure Lab team has partnered with the NC Department of Public Instruction to analyze school connectivity data. The School Connectivity Initiative gives sufficient and reliable internet access to every public school classroom across North Carolina.

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NC School Connectivity Analysis

Our Technology Infrastructure Lab analyzed internet usage of all 115 school districts and over 100 charter schools in the state.

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North Carolina Rural Student Home Internet Access Pilot Program

The Technology Infrastructure Lab had a lead role in a pilot program to test emerging wireless technologies, funded by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the North Carolina Department of Information Technology’s Broadband Infrastructure Office, to address the homework gap in North Carolina.

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Two participants sit at a table in a room filled with people at various tables. They are talking to each other over laptops and papers at their table.

NCDPI K-12 Cybersecurity Program

The Friday Institute’s role in the K-12 Cybersecurity Program is to create, maintain and manage tools that inform and automate cybersecurity functions for North Carolina public schools, provide strategy and expertise, and train and disseminate information to help schools connect to the internet efficiently and securely. 

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100% of districts in North Carolina 
have unlimited broadband access in classrooms with the help of the Technology Infrastructure Lab.

Instruments and Tools

Student Attitudes Toward STEM (S-STEM) Surveys

The Upper Elementary (4-5th) and Middle/High School (6-12th) S-STEM Surveys are intended to measure changes in students’ confidence and efficacy in STEM subjects, 21st century learning skills, and interest in STEM careers. The surveys are available to help program coordinators make decisions about possible improvements to their program.

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Instructional Design Principles for Remote Teaching and Learning

Instructional Principles for Remote Teaching & Learning are designed to provide guidance for student learning across North Carolina when state, national, or international crises impede students from learning in their regular school setting.

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The North Carolina Digital Learning Plan

The Digital Learning Plan was published in 2015 and prepared by the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation for the North Carolina State Board of Education and the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). The plan outlined a set of goals and recommendations for the state-level leadership, action steps for carrying out those recommendations and metrics that would indicate those actions have been successful.

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Teacher Efficacy and Attitudes Toward STEM Surveys (T-STEM)

The T-STEM surveys are intended to measure changes in STEM educators’ confidence and efficacy toward STEM; their attitudes toward 21st century learning and teacher leadership; the frequency with which they use some instructional practices related to STEM; and the frequency of student technology use. The surveys are available to help program coordinators make decisions about possible improvements to their program.

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Quality Review Tools for Digital Learning Resources

The Quality Review Checklist and Rubric presented here are designed to supplement the report Selecting Digital Education Content: A Guide for North Carolina Schools and Districts. Based on a review of the existing literature and feedback and support from district leaders across the state, the checklist and rubric identify four domains and twelve key indicators for assessing the quality of digital learning resources.

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