Fourteen school districts receive $2 million in technology grants for laptop projects

Fourteen school districts receive $2 million in technology grants for laptop projects

COLUMBIA – Fourteen school districts will receive $2 million for new
or continuing laptop projects from the South Carolina Department of
Education’s 2008-09 Enhancing Education Through Technology (E2T2)
competitive grants program.

The grants, announced by the Office of eLearning, are part of the
federal No Child Left Behind law’s support for school technology
efforts that address accountability, community involvement, web-based
learning and equity of access. Districts applying for funds had to
focus on these goals:
● Improve student achievement through use of technology;
● Assist every student to become technologically literate by the
end of eighth grade; and
● Encourage the effective integration of technology.

Districts were eligible for either new grants up to $200,000 or
continuation grants up to $80,000 for existing laptop programs.
Thirty-one proposals were submitted. Eight new grants and six
continuation grants are being awarded.

New Grants to School Districts

Barnwell 19 (estimated funds awarded: $200,000)
Macedonia Elementary School and Blackville-Hilda Junior High School
will get a technology coach to help students, parents and teachers use
laptop computers and technology skills as an effective tool for
learning.

Chester (estimated funds awarded: $182,285)
Chester Park Center of Literacy through Technology (COLT) fourth-grade
students will have access to laptop computers both at school and at
home. COLT is partnering with parents, the Chester County Sheriff’s
Office and the Learning Center to enrich the students’ learning
experiences while improving achievement.

Marion Two (estimated funds awarded: $200,000)
The Bulldogs Read Every Available Moment (BREAM) project is a
research-based, cross-curriculum initiative to improve English Language
Arts achievement and technology proficiency in grades 6-8, using laptops
and innovative curriculum design. It begins with a July BREAM camp for
students in grades 6 at Palmetto Middle School.

Marion Seven (estimated funds awarded: $200,000)
The Delivering Relevant Education and Achieving More (DREAM) Project
will improve middle school students’ abilities to access information
and be more engaged in learning, resulting in greater achievement in
English Language Arts and mathematics.

Bamberg One (estimated funds awarded: $200,000)
Bamberg Ehrhardt Middle School teachers and students will gain
increased access to technology and technology training and will provide
parents with computer literacy learning opportunities.

Dillon Three (estimated funds awarded: $200,000)
Eighth-grade students at Latta Middle School will participate in a
one-to-one laptop initiative called the Viking Laptop Academy.
Seventy-five students will receive a laptop to use at school and at home
to enhance traditional classroom instruction.

Hampton Two (estimated funds awarded: $176,951)
Gators Enhancing Technology While Moving Over Obstacles (GET) will
provide laptops and training to target teachers and students to improve
achievement through the use of technology. Parents will also have access
to laptops with this checkout program.

Laurens 56 (estimated funds awarded: $180,642)
The Practice Makes Permanence project aims to change science teaching,
learning, achievement and technology proficiency for sixth-graders at
Bell Street Middle School by using laptops and an innovative science
curriculum. The project begins in July with a three-day technology camp
for students and a week long training session for sixth-grade science
teachers.

Continuation Grants to School Districts

Dillon One (estimated funds awarded: $80,000)
The grade eight Techtonics II Project is a research-based initiative to
significantly alter science achievement and technology proficiency in
two school districts though the use of laptops and an innovative
curriculum. The project kickoff is a July ‘Tech-Knowledgey’ Boot
Camp for eighth-graders at Lake View High School and Southside Middle
School.

Lexington Four (estimated funds awarded: $80,000)
Using wireless technology, students will move toward technologically
proficiency by the end of eighth grade through the integration of the
South Carolina Curriculum Standards for Language Arts and the new
International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) draft, National
Educational Technology Standards (NETS).

Chesterfield (estimated funds awarded: $80,000)
Chesterfield County School District will continue to provide laptop
computers to all sixth- and seventh-graders, along with two coaches to
assist teachers and students in adapting classroom instruction and
student activities to make full and effective use of technology. The
continuation allows the program to expand to include students and
teachers in the eighth grade.

Horry (estimated funds awarded: $67,053)
Loris Middle School will continue to enhance the integration of
technology in science instruction, to increase technology proficiency of
teachers and students and to provide equitable student access to
technology at home and at school through a laptop checkout program.
Seventh-grade students will be engaged in learning experiences that are
authentic, inquiry-based and technology rich.

Georgetown (estimated funds awarded: $80,000)
The “Data + Assessment + Technology = Achievement” (DATA) Project
will allow Carvers Bay Middle School to continue to have a coach who
works with teachers and students on integrating technology with
instruction and on improving teachers’ and students’ technological
proficiency to raise academic achievement.

Florence Three (estimated funds awarded: $80,000)
Placing a technology coach at both Ronald E. McNair and J. Paul Truluck
middle schools provides support, guidance and teacher training to
enhance student learning and the acquisition of technology skills proven
successful in previous E2T2 initiatives.