During the past three months, educators nationwide have participated in the Software & Information Industry Association's (SIIA) Education Division's Vision K-20 Pilot Survey. Focusing on goals outlined in the Vision roadmap, the survey addressed topics such as 21st Century tools, accessibility, differentiated learning, assessment tools, and enterprise support.

According to Karen Billings, Vice President for the Education Division of SIIA: "The Vision K-20 initiative calls for a coalition of stakeholders, including educators, business executives, policymakers, and academic leaders, to recognize the need to prepare our students for global competition." In addition, "The Vision K-20 plan promotes the combination of proven, well-implemented and well-supported technologies with solid educational approaches that will sharpen America's innovative edge and increase the opportunity for every person to fulfill their promise through education," Billings continued.

Regarding specific goals: the Vision K-20 initiative states that every K-20 institution can and should embrace technology in order to achieve the following: help schools meet the needs of all students; support accountability and inform instruction; deepen learning and student motivation; facilitate communication, connectivity, and collaboration in learning environments; manage the education enterprise effectively and economically; enable students to learn from any place at any time; and nurture creativity and self-expression amongst student and educators alike.

Highlights from the Vision K-20 Pilot Survey results, which will be expanded upon during the NECC press conference, include the following:

-- The greatest progress has been made in the areas of enterprise support and 21st Century tools.

-- The least progress has been made in the use of digital assessment tools.

-- In general, institutions within the K-12 sector lag behind postsecondary institutions in their overall average measures of progress.

-- The smallest institutions (encompassing less than 450 students) are considerably behind those at larger institutions in implementing the Vision goals.

The full set of Vision Pilot Survey results will first be made available to survey participants, SIIA members, members of the press, and partner organizations. The information disseminated will enable participants to compare results of this study to similar, recent surveys by other educational institutions.

To learn more about this initiative and/or the recent results, please visit

To attend the NECC press conference surrounding the announcement of the survey results, please contact (703.927.2022) for press credentialing and invitations.

PRESS CONFERENCE DETAILS:

What: Announcement of SIIA's Vision K-20 Pilot Survey Results by Dr. Karen Billings, Vice President, SIIA Education Division

When: Sunday, June 29, 2008, 4pm-5:30pm

Where: Grand Hyatt Hotel, 600 East Market Street, San Antonio, Texas, Bonham A Room, Level Three

About SIIA

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry. SIIA provides global services in government relations, business development, corporate education and intellectual property protection for more than 550 leading software and information companies. For further information, visit .

About SIIA's Education Division

SIIA's Education Division serves and represents more than 150 member companies that provide software, digital content and other technologies that address educational needs. The Division shapes and supports the industry by providing leadership, advocacy, business development opportunities and critical market information. SIIA provides a neutral business forum for its members to understand business models, technological advancements, market trends, and best practices. With the leadership of the Division Board and collaborative efforts with educators and other stakeholders, the Division undertakes initiatives to enhance the use of educational technology and the success of SIIA members.