November 2001 — Features

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Lessons Learned: An Inside Look at Four of the Top Technology School Districts in the Nation

By Dr. Philip J. Bossert

The idea behind the program was to provide laptops to any interested middle school student, regardless of economic status. To make this dream a reality, the district created a nonprofit organization called The Schoolbook Foundation to subsidize needy families. With this assistance, more than half of the county's students who come from families that qualify for free and reduced-price lunch programs have received laptop computers. An independent study indicated measurable improvements in academic achievement since this program's inception. Results showed that students in the laptop program who qualified for free or reduced lunches, outperformed nonlaptop students who did not receive lunch subsidies.

Beaufort used a multiphase approach in implementing the new technology. Every school had to conduct a needs assessment for teachers' technology literacy. A plan had to be developed and approved by the district before being permitted to move to Phase II, staff development. During Phase II, teachers began thinking about instructional applications for how the technology would be used. Technology funding was not granted until Phase III, when schools determined how the technology would be used for instructional purposes. "Our community has continued to support our budget so we can provide new monies to update all of the infrastructure, hardware and software as determined by the individual school improvement councils," says Ballowe.

For more information on the Ohana Foundation, visit www.ohanalearning.org/indexpc.html

Ohana Foundation's 12 recipients of the first Technology in Education Leadership Awards:

Anaconda School District - Anaconda, Mont.*
Anchorage School District - Anchorage, Alaska
Beaufort County School District - Beaufort, S.C.*
Central Columbia School District - Bloomsburg, Pa.*
Henry County School District - Collinsville, Va.
Little Falls School District - Little Falls, Minn.
Malvern Special School District - Malvern, Ark.
Nixa R-II School District - Nixa, Mont.
Opelika School District-Opelika, Ala.
Red Hook School District-Red Hook, N.Y.
Shoreline School District-Shoreline, Wash.
Wilson County School District-Wilson, N.C.*

* Indicates top winners.