Mission - Improving Student Achievement with Technology

For ten years, the U.S. Department of Education funded a nationwide initiative called the Regional Technology in Education Consortia (R*TEC). The R*TEC program was a grant program offered by the then-titled Office of Educational Research and Improvement. The program started in 1995 with the objective to help states, schools, districts, and other educational institutions implement advanced technologies to improve teaching and student achievement, and was primarily concerned with identifying, providing, and promoting professional development, technical assistance, and resources to support technology integration within the K-12 classroom.

The consortia were comprised of ten different geographic regions. Each R*TEC was responsible for providing guidance and support to its respective states, but many of the resources developed were available at a national level as well. As a group, the R*TECs compiled a treasure trove of resources and materials supporting the instructional integration of technology. Many of those resources are available through this site.

With the 2005 budget year, monies previously allocated for this program were diverted to a larger Department of Education initiative known as the Comprehensive Centers, reflecting the current administration’s focus on No Child Left Behind legislation. The goals of the Regional Comprehensive Centers are to provide frontline assistance to states and to help increase state capacity to assist districts and schools in meeting their student achievement goals. In addition to the Regional Technology in Education Consortia, the Comprehensive Centers under this program replaced the former Comprehensive Regional Assistance Centers, the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education, and the Regional Mathematics and Science Education Consortia.