Essayer OR - Gratuit

SCHOOLS PANDEMIC SPENDING BOOSTED TECH COMPANIES. DID IT HELP US STUDENTS?

AppleMagazine

|

October 13, 2023

As soon as the federal pandemic relief started arriving at America's schools, so did the relentless calls.

SCHOOLS PANDEMIC SPENDING BOOSTED TECH COMPANIES. DID IT HELP US STUDENTS?

Tech companies by the dozens wanted a chance to prove their software was what schools needed. Best of all, they often added, it wouldn't take a dime from district budgets: Schools could use their new federal money.

They did, and at a tremendous scale.

Analysis of public records found many of the largest school systems spent tens of millions of dollars in pandemic money on software and services from tech companies, including licenses for apps, games and tutoring websites.

Schools, however, have little or no evidence the programs helped students. Some of the new software was rarely used.

The full scope of spending is unknown because the aid came with few reporting requirements. Congress gave schools a record $190 billion but didn't require them to publicly report individual purchases.

The AP asked the nation's 30 largest school districts for contracts funded by federal pandemic aid. About half provided records illuminating an array of software and technology, collectively called "edtech." Others didn't respond or demanded fees for producing the records totaling thousands of dollars.

Clark County schools in the Las Vegas area, for one, signed contracts worth at least $70 million over two years with 12 education technology consultants and companies. They include Achieve3000 (for a suite of learning apps), Age of Learning (for math and reading acceleration), Paper (for virtual tutoring) and Renaissance Learning (for learning apps Freckle and MyON).

The pandemic sparked a boom for tech companies as schools went online. Revenue skyrocketed and investors poured billions into startups.

PLUS D'HISTOIRES DE AppleMagazine

AppleMagazine

AppleMagazine

ONGOING RAM SUPPLY AND COST CRISIS ISN'T AN ISSUE FOR APPLE'S IPHONE

Apple appears largely insulated from the global memory supply and pricing pressures that are beginning to affect much of the consumer electronics industry.

time to read

2 mins

January 30, 2026

AppleMagazine

AppleMagazine

EU REGULATIONS COST BILLIONS FOR AMERICAN TECH COMPANIES

European Union digital regulations are increasingly reshaping how American technology companies operate, with financial, operational, and strategic consequences that extend far beyond Europe's borders.

time to read

3 mins

January 30, 2026

AppleMagazine

AppleMagazine

AIR FRANCE EXPANDS IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT WITH APPLE TV PARTNERSHIP

Air France is upgrading its long-haul passenger experience through a new partnership with Apple TV, bringing a curated selection of original series, documentaries, and children's programming to its in-flight entertainment system.

time to read

2 mins

January 30, 2026

AppleMagazine

AppleMagazine

MEET SPROUT: THE HUMANOID ROBOT BETTING ON FRIENDLINESS OVER FEAR

Humanoid robots have spent years chasing power, speed, and industrial usefulness, often borrowing visual cues from science fiction that leave people uneasy rather than intrigued.

time to read

3 mins

January 30, 2026

AppleMagazine

AppleMagazine

APPLE WILL INTEGRATE GOOGLE GEMINI AI WITH SIRI IN FEBRUARY

Apple is preparing a significant update to Siri that will bring Google's Gemini models into the assistant's core intelligence layer.

time to read

3 mins

January 30, 2026

AppleMagazine

AppleMagazine

APPLE TV ORDERS SEASON 4 OF SHRINKING

Apple has renewed Shrinking for a fourth season, extending the comedy-drama beyond its originally envisioned three-season arc and signaling continued confidence in one of the platform's most consistent performers.

time to read

3 mins

January 30, 2026

AppleMagazine

AppleMagazine

TESLA STARTS ROBOTAXI RIDES WITHOUT SAFETY MONITORS IN AUSTIN

Tesla has taken a significant step toward fully autonomous ride-hailing by beginning limited Robotaxi operations in Austin, Texas without a human safety monitor in the vehicle.

time to read

3 mins

January 30, 2026

AppleMagazine

AppleMagazine

APPLE JUST UPDATED THE 12-YEAR-OLD IPHONE 5S TO SET A NEW RECORD

Apple has quietly set a new longevity benchmark in the smartphone industry by releasing iOS 12.5.8 for devices that most manufacturers would have abandoned years ago.

time to read

3 mins

January 30, 2026

AppleMagazine

AppleMagazine

ALIBABA'S QWEN-3 BECOMES ONE OF THE WORLD'S FIRST AI MODELS TO OPERATE IN ORBIT

Artificial intelligence has long depended on massive ground-based data centers, but that assumption is beginning to shift.

time to read

4 mins

January 30, 2026

AppleMagazine

AppleMagazine

OLED MONITOR SHIPMENTS SURGE IN 2025 AS THE MARKET ENTERS A NEW GROWTH PHASE

The OLED monitor market moved decisively out of its niche status in 2025, posting one of the fastest expansion rates seen in the display industry in recent years.

time to read

3 mins

January 30, 2026

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size