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| CoSN | |
|---|---|
| Name | CoSN |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Type | Nonprofit trade association |
| Focus | K–12 educational technology leadership |
CoSN is a nonprofit trade association serving K–12 district technology leaders in the United States. It operates as a membership organization that advances digital learning through policies, professional development, and advocacy. CoSN works with district administrators, chief technology officers, and industry partners to implement connectivity, cybersecurity, and digital equity strategies.
Founded in 1992, the organization emerged amid the rapid expansion of personal computing and the growth of Internet infrastructure during the early 1990s. Its formation paralleled initiatives such as the E-rate program and followed dialogues from conferences like National Educational Computing Conference and ISTE Conference attendees. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s CoSN engaged with agencies including the Federal Communications Commission, the U.S. Department of Education, and state-level departments such as the California Department of Education and the Texas Education Agency. During the broadband push of the 2010s, CoSN interfaced with projects tied to ConnectED and policy efforts influenced by legislators like Senator Patty Murray and Representative George Miller. The organization’s evolution reflects intersections with entities such as Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Education Week, and foundations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
CoSN’s mission centers on supporting district technology leaders with resources on infrastructure, data privacy, and leadership development. It provides guidance on procurement practices referencing standards from organizations like the International Organization for Standardization and works alongside research bodies including RAND Corporation and EDUCAUSE. CoSN’s advocacy has engaged with legal frameworks such as the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act and collaborates with certification bodies like CompTIA and vendor consortia represented by EDUCAUSE CIO communities. The association produces policy recommendations that resonate with priorities set by officials from Office of Educational Technology and collaborates with nonprofit partners such as Common Sense Media and Code.org.
Governance is overseen by a board of directors drawn from district leaders, technology officers, and corporate partners, often including former executives from districts like Los Angeles Unified School District and Chicago Public Schools. Leadership roles have connected with professionals who served in organizations such as American Association of School Administrators and National School Boards Association. Executive directors and chief executives often liaise with federal stakeholders including the White House technology offices and state superintendents like those from New York State Education Department. Advisory committees draw expertise from academic institutions like Harvard Graduate School of Education, Stanford Graduate School of Education, and Columbia University Teachers College.
CoSN runs certification and leadership development programs modeled after practices from Project Lead The Way and standards similar to ISTE Standards. Programs cover topics like digital equity, drawing on metrics used by Pew Research Center and implementation frameworks seen in Digital Promise projects. Security-focused initiatives reference guidance from National Institute of Standards and Technology and partner with vendors exemplified by Cisco Systems, Microsoft, and Google for Education. CoSN also curates toolkits for procurement and device management with input from organizations such as Common Core State Standards Initiative advocates and assessment partners like Pearson PLC.
Membership comprises district CTOs, superintendents from districts such as Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Boston Public Schools, and corporate partners including Apple Inc., Dell Technologies, and Amazon Web Services. Strategic partnerships extend to nonprofits like Girls Who Code, research organizations like SRI International, and philanthropic entities including Carnegie Corporation of New York. CoSN collaborates with state associations such as the California School Boards Association and national groups like Council of Chief State School Officers.
CoSN organizes annual conferences and regional events in venues historically used by organizations such as SXSWedu, ASCD Annual Conference, and ISTE Conference & Expo. Conferences feature panels with leaders from districts like Clark County School District and experts from think tanks including Brookings Institution and American Enterprise Institute. Events host sessions on interoperability referencing initiatives like IMS Global Learning Consortium and panels with contributors from companies such as Adobe Inc. and Lenovo.
CoSN has influenced district-level technology adoption, contributing to connectivity improvements paralleling outcomes reported by Federal Communications Commission broadband studies and evaluations by Education Week. Its guidance on privacy and cybersecurity aligns with recommendations from National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center and academic research from institutions like MIT Media Lab. Critics argue that partnerships with large vendors such as Microsoft and Google could create conflicts similar to critiques leveled at 1:1 laptop programs and raise concerns echoed in reports by Electronic Frontier Foundation and ACLU. Others note the challenge of equitable implementation in districts compared to models observed in Finland education system and pilot studies by RAND Corporation.
Category:Educational organizations in the United States