Simba Information: ESSA, National Ed Tech Plan, Fed Budget Agreement Signal Changing Landscape in Education

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Dec 18, 2015, 02:42 ET

STAMFORD, Conn., Dec. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- When President Obama on Dec. 10 signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act, it was only the first in a rapid progression of events that could herald changes in U.S. public schools and the $8.56 billion instructional materials industry that serves the school market.

The president is expected to sign the federal appropriations bill for fiscal 2016, including increases in spending for education programs.

The U.S. Department of Education released its newest iteration of its National Educational Technology Plan.

Meanwhile, state boards of education continue to back away from Common Core State Standards and implement state college- and career-ready standards. West Virginia in December was the most recent to do so.

"This flurry of end-of-year activity portends a dynamic education market in 2016," said Kathy Mickey, senior analyst and managing editor of the Education Group at Simba Information, which provides market and business intelligence on the school and higher education instructional materials markets.

"How the implementation of ESSA unfolds and what the return of much decision-making to the states means in practical terms most likely will bring change to all parts of the education landscape from the development of curriculum to sequencing of math courses to test prep (will there be more or less?) to the need for retraining of teachers," Mickey said. "Federal encouragement of open education resources adds another dimension creating a demand for innovative approaches by the industry."

The Education Group at Simba has provided the market intelligence the instructional materials industry has relied on for almost 50 years since the Educational Marketer newsletter first was published in August 1968. As the industry adjusts to the implications of the most recent federal initiatives, Simba will continue to provide the actionable and up-to-date market analysis that the industry has relied on through EM and its sister bi-monthly newsletter Electronic Education Report, the new quarterly Ed Tech Startup Dashboard, as well as the Simba roster of topical industry reports.

About Simba Information
Simba Information is widely recognized as the leading authority for market intelligence in the media and publishing industry. Simba's extensive information network delivers top quality, independent perspective on the people, events and alliances shaping the media and information industry. Simba publishes newsletters and research reports that provide key decision-makers at more than 15,000 client companies around the globe with timely news, analysis, exclusive statistics and proprietary industry forecasts. For more information, please visit http://www.simbainformation.com.

Contact:
Kathy Mickey
Managing Editor/Senior Analyst, Education Group
Simba Information
203-325-8193 x7410
[email protected]

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