June 1996 — Features
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Achieving Technological Equity and Equal Access to the Learning Tools of the 21st Century
Networking, both local and wide area, is also an item of equity concern, as we look at many schools and a limited budget. We do not believe every classroom must be wired for communications. Cellular communications will obviate some of the needed wiring, particularly when there is not continuing need for a network in a given space.
Addressing Inequities for Learning in the Home
We are trying to find relatively inexpensive technologies that we can let students take home. Older Apple II machines, for example, can be assigned for home use, for special projects or for students with special needs. Some manufacturers are making special purpose, low cost, limited-function computers (in the $200 - $400 range) that students can sign out without the worry of high replacement costs. We await lower-cost clones, particularly laptops that we can assign and reassign easily to students and staff.
We need manufacturers to "modularize" their computers so we can more simply replace certain components (CPUs, drives, CD-ROMs, monitors, etc.) without replacing everything.
We think that technology must eventually be seen as a utility or service for which districts might pay an annual fee to assure appropriate access for all students. That service could include needed replacements and repair, even the training and retraining of staff and students.
A Plan for Change and for Success
One of the most frequent questions we get from our schools is, "Where is our new technology?" Our response has been, "Where is your plan?" Fortunately we have a District-Wide Technology Plan which serves as a basis for each school's site plan.
Each school develops a plan in accordance with our board-adopted goals. All site planning ties back to the district's Strategic Plan, and that focuses everyone directly on increasing student achievement (which is a singularly important goal).
Our superintendent has stated our mission-building process in a pithy five-step way: "Dreaming It; Planning It; Doing It, Changing It and Proving It!" That last accountability component is critical, especially if we include "equity of access" among our requirements. If we can't show that improved student achievement is working, then our response is, "Why are we doing it?"
Another initiative that addresses the "tech-equity" issue for us is our "97 by Ô97 Project." As a part of our "High Five" of strategic planning, we are focusing intensively on five key learning areas. The top two are: higher student achievement for all students, and a higher graduation rate for all students. That latter goal has been re-stated as "97 by Ô97." We are working to improve our graduation rate to 97% by 1997. That's a truly ambitious goal as our current graduation rate is now about 82%.
