Pennsylvania Schools Earn High Marks in National Report on School Technology
State's Investments Helping PA Students Build Math, Science Skills HARRISBURG, Pa., March 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A newly released national report that ranks Pennsylvania ninth in the nation for its use of technology in classrooms affirms that the commonwealth's strategic investments in education are paying off, Governor Edward G. Rendell said today.
The Technology Counts 2008 report released today gives Pennsylvania an overall grade of B-, compared to the average national grade of C+. The report, compiled by the nationally renowned Education Week magazine, assessed each state's policies and practices related to technology in schools. "One of my education priorities has been to ensure our students have access to the best tools to enhance their learning experience," Governor Rendell said. "This report shows Pennsylvania is not only on the right track, but is leading the pack in the effort to make our students among the most prepared and capable in the global workforce."
Education Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak said the challenge ahead is to make sure Pennsylvania continues to build on its efforts. "We have seen how technology can transform the learning environment, making students and teachers more engaged and motivated," Zahorchak said. "Now that we know the dividends that technology can reap, we owe it to our children and the commonwealth's future to continue our efforts to make technology as commonplace in classrooms as chalk and blackboards." The Technology Counts report graded the states on three criteria: -- Access to technology - A measure of the percentage of students with computer access and the ratio of students to computers. Pennsylvania grade: B -- Use of technology - An assessment of how well states integrate technology into their academic standards. Pennsylvania grade: B- National average grade: B-
Pennsylvania grade: B- National average grade: C Zahorchak said he was especially pleased by Pennsylvania's strong achievement gains in mathematics. The state ranked fifth nationally among 8th grade students and sixth in the nation among 4th grade students for math achievement gains from 2003 to 2007. Under Governor Rendell, Pennsylvania has several ongoing efforts to stress the importance of technology in learning, including a stronger focus on math and science, funding to bring high-speed Internet access to more schools and the rollout of the Classrooms for the Future initiative. Classrooms for the Future is a $200 million effort to provide laptop computers, high-speed Internet access, state-of-the-art software and intensive teacher training and support to high school classrooms across the state in the core subjects of English, math, science and social studies. The plan calls for every Pennsylvania public high school to be a participant in Classrooms for the Future by 2009. An independent study of the Classrooms for the Future initiative released last year found the program is improving the quality of high school instruction, resulting in stronger engagement by students and teachers and an intensified focus on critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Pennsylvania also is a recipient a $500,000 education grant from the National Governors Association that is enabling the commonwealth to develop Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Regional Networks. These networks will assist in increasing public understanding of, and support for, education redesign as an integral part of improving high school graduation rates and enhancing the state's innovation capacity. In 2004, Governor Rendell signed legislation establishing the E-Fund to help school districts without access to high-speed Internet purchase quality broadband access and service. E-Fund grants, funded by Pennsylvania's telecommunications industry, will be available until 2011 to help schools acquire telecommunications services, hardware, and technical assistance and provide distance education. For more information on these efforts and Pennsylvania's other education initiatives, visit www.pde.state.pa.us. The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit www.governor.state.pa.us. CONTACT: Michael Race (PDE)
CONTACT: Gary Miller of the Pennsylvania Office of the Governor, Web Site: http://www.governor.state.pa.us/
2008-03-27 16:06:17 0321777 PRNEWSWIRE
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