A NII compliant network must provide a technology independent bearer service and the minimum set of application level services listed such as e-mail, fax, remote log-in, database browsing, digital object storage, and financial transaction services.
Though the federal government can, through the National Institute of Standards and Technology and other agencies, participate more effectively in the standards setting processes establishing standards for an open data network will be a challenge. The networks that will underlie the NII are extremely large. Neither a small group nor the government has a mandate or the control to set standards.
The Department of Education should provide policy guidance and leadership in areas like interoperability standards, professional development standards, equitable access, sharing information between states, and acceptable policies and practices.
As the Secretary of the Department of Education Richard Riley must work with the government to help establish standards for K-12 schools using the NII for educational puposes. Yet cuts in funding make it difficult to get many schools set up with a connection to the NII, let alone to establish standards for use in schools.
The federal government has an important role to set up national standards. National standards could serve a number of important standards within the NII context. To promote a teaching profession experienced in the effective use of technology, national teacher certification standards and credentialing requirements should be expanded to include applications of educational technology.
