July 2008 — Case Studies
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High Schools : Alabama : ACCESS to Opportunity
Tarrant City Schools has taken ACCESS a step further, using the program as motivation for adopting a 1-to-1 laptop initiative. "The initiative will afford more students the opportunity to take ACCESS courses," says the district's superintendent, Marti Rizzuto.
Perry County's Heard says that online courses have brought his rural students into contact with peers who come from other regions in the state as well as from different circumstances. This interaction has shown his kids that they are no different from students anywhere else. "They realize they ask the same questions as students in affluent areas of the state," he says. "This has been a motivating factor, and has allowed them to gain con- fidence in themselves and in their abilities."
Heard adds that the program has enabled students to envision and work toward a future they may not have considered possible before. "My students are receiving more individualized instruction, are taking ownership of their work and are tailoring courses to career choices," Heard says. "ACCESS allows you to grow, mature academically, and become a responsible student."
Melinda Maddox is director of technology initiatives for the Alabama Department of Education.
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