For More Information Contact: Amy Carr
Phone: 512/328-7007 ext. 120
E-mail:
For Release: January 20, 2000

Note: The following press release was originally released by the Texas Education Agency and is reprinted with permission. Publishers Resource Group, Inc., is participating in the the Ed. Tech. PILOTS project as a subcontractor.

TEA Announces High-Tech Education Project Designed to Improve Student Learning
Pilot Program Will Use Laptops, Internet to Boost Instruction

AUSTIN-The Texas Education Agency announced today that it has selected 13 school districts and 21 technology and curriculum companies to conduct innovative pilot programs that use existing and cutting-edge technology in an effort to boost student learning.

The pilot projects will use a variety of technologies, such as laptop computers, the Internet and other innovative technologies. The pilots will begin installation of hardware and software in February 2000 and the study will continue through the 2000-2001 school year. The districts selected for this project vary in size, location and socioeconomic conditions. The campuses and districts selected are: Bedichek Middle School in the Austin Independent School District; Vivian Field Middle School in Carrollton Farmers Branch ISD; Ross Elementary School in Clear Creek ISD; Environmental Science Academy in Dallas ISD; Highland Park Elementary in Amarillo's Highland Park ISD; Hillsboro Junior High in Hillsboro ISD; L.B.J. Middle School in Johnson City ISD; Lake Worth High School in Lake Worth ISD; Coleman High School in Midland ISD; Austin Middle School in Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD; Rhodes Academy in San Antonio ISD; Springwoods High School in Spring Branch ISD; and Tuloso-Midway Elementary School in Corpus Christi's Tuloso-Midway ISD.

Applications received from 90 districts were subject to an exhaustive review to identify these 13 sites. The selection process included a peer review by educators from across the state and review by Agency staff and a contractor, MGT of America. Earlier this year the Agency contracted with MGT of America, Inc. to help the Agency design, implement and evaluate the pilot programs. THE Institute and Publishers Resource Group serve as subcontractors to MGT.

More than 30 high-tech and curriculum companies were interested in providing resources for the pilots. The 13 pilot sites selected hardware, software and digital curriculum content from the following companies: The American Education Corporation, Apple Computer, bigchalk.com; Bricolage Interactive Design, Casio, Decision Development Corporation, Dell Computer, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, HyperGraphics, Intelligent Peripheral Devices, Knowledge Adventure, Lexia Learning Systems, The Lightspan Partnership, Microsoft, netLibrary, NovaNET Learning, Prentice Hall, Riverdeep, SoftBook Press, Vocabulary Enterprises and WorldView Software.

Robert Leos, senior director of Textbook Administration said, "We hope this project will shed light on the most effective methods of teaching students through the use of technology. Currently, printed textbooks are used in the classroom for eight years. A great deal can change in an eight-year time period. One thing we hope this project will help us determine is how to effectively deliver textbook updates electronically." Other aspects to be considered by the pilots are likely to include instructional effectiveness, a cost analysis, implications for staff development and the accessibility of electronic textbooks for students with disabilities.

Anita Givens, senior director of Educational Technology said, "Many districts in Texas are using various technologies, software and digital curriculum content to enhance teaching and learning. We are excited about the opportunity through these pilots to explore the conditions that are essential to make the use of technology truly effective. Some of the pilots will also include programs that incorporate access to content through technology outside the traditional school day. The Long-Range Plan for Technology 1996-2010 outlines recommendations that all work collectively to realize the potential technology brings to education."

A January 1999 Agency publication called Report on the Computer Network Study Project found that according to research data and practitioners, technology use has had a significant positive impact on teaching, student performance, attitudes and behaviors and on administration but further studies are needed. The selection of districts and their corporate partners and the implementation of the pilot program follow recommendations made in the computer network study project. A full copy of that report, which was delivered to the Texas Legislature in February 1999, is available online at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/Textbooks.

Progress of the Ed Tech PILOT Project will be made available on the web at www.tea.state.tx.us/technology/pilots and at www.mgtamer.com/tea/. A report on the Ed Tech PILOT Project will be delivered to the Texas Legislature in 2001.

The following is a brief description of each pilot project.

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Clear Creek ISD Ross Elementary
Ross Elementary will examine the effectiveness of using technology provided by the Lightspan Partnership, Inc. to deliver substantial curriculum content to third-grade students. Lightspan playstation consoles will allow students to take content beyond the classroom and into the home. The project will include staff development to ensure staff has the skills and knowledge needed to deliver curriculum content through technology. Access to the World Wide Web will allow teachers to make lessons more stimulating, interactive and individualized.

Highland Park ISD (Amarillo)Highland Park Elementary
In partnership with Intelligent Peripheral Devices Inc., Highland Park ISD will extend and enhance the existing academic program while upgrading students' technology and keyboarding skills. This program will target Highland Park Elementary students in the fourth grade, giving particular attention to the at-risk students. Increasing the academic skill of all students through technology is the project's main goal. The lessons will use a variety of curricula aligned to TAAS/TEKS objectives. Special emphasis will be placed on reading and language arts. The project will include parents in the learning process to promote family support for academic achievement.

Tuloso-Midway ISD Tuloso-Midway Elementary School
Tuloso-Midway ISD in partnership with Lightspan Inc. will offer an after-school program for second, third and fourth grade students during an extended day, extended year program. Lightspan will provide the equipment, software and training for this interactive, curriculum-based CD-ROM program that encompasses Language Arts, Science, Social Studies and Mathematics. The curriculum is supported by Internet-based resources, which provide comprehensive daily learning experiences, classroom activities, curriculum-enhancement tools and communication with other Lightspan schools. Students will also be able to use the Lightspan program at home. In addition, an off-campus program will be established in a federal housing project and in a community hall located in an economically disadvantaged neighborhood.

Austin ISD Bedichek Middle School
A team of teachers in Austin ISD, in partnership with American Education Corporation, Apple Computer, Intelligent Peripheral Devices and Lexia Learning Systems will work collaboratively on interdisciplinary units of instruction for students who are currently enrolled in the sixth grade at Bedichek Middle School. The pilot project will explore the impact of integrating technology across the four core subject areas of mathematics, science, social studies and language arts as well as special education and English as a Second Language through the 2000-2001 school year. The pilot will investigate the impact that technology integration has on students' academic performance and attitudes toward courses that put them on the track toward college. Technology training and support in the evenings for parents of the target student population is an important facet of this project.

Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Vivian Field Middle School
Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD will collaborate with Glencoe/McGraw Hill Company and Decision Development Corporation to provide anytime, anywhere learning opportunities for sixth-grade students at Vivian Field Middle School. Digital textbook materials, interactive software, and supplemental software in Mathematics, Science and Social Studies will be used in the project. The interactive nature of online learning coupled with the availability of learning resources that are both current and relevant will enhance instruction and learning. Content will be delivered in the areas of mathematics, science and social studies using laptop computers already in place at the campus. The project will provide diverse staff development options consistent with "just in time" learning.

Dallas ISD Environmental Science Academy
Dallas ISD will partner with Bricolage Interactive Design, Dell Computers, and SoftBook Press to implement an interactive, inquiry-based online curriculum project. The Environmental Science Academy will target seventh-grade students and their teachers to participate in an Internet-based environmental education program, called eeZone. A major objective of this pilot is to determine the effectiveness of using various technologies to deliver substantial curriculum content to students. Students will use spreadsheets, databases, 3-D virtual reality models, or geographic information system (GIS) data maps as they define a problem and develop solutions. Professional development will be delivered to an interdisciplinary team of teachers through a combination of service trainers, online tutorials and distance learning via videoconferencing. Teachers will also use a SoftBook Reader (an electronic book programmed to receive electronic texts via the Internet) to receive regularly updated training and support materials from eeZone.

Hillsboro ISD Hillsboro Junior High School
LAPLink (Laptops and People Linked) will demonstrate that through the use of technology, it's not so much "what you know" but "knowing the link." LAPLink will target seventh-grade students in the core subject areas of language arts and science and will support the Integrated Technology Applications approach. Students will be able to check out laptops provided by the district in partnership with Earthwalk Communications, Inc. and use the school's remote access to the Internet and other HJHS network resources. Students will also have the opportunity to attend two science/technology camps (2000 and 2001). Learning will be enhanced by the partnership with Knowledge Adventure by creating a remedial custom learning path based on what the student has or has not mastered. During the second year of the project, students will present their portfolio projects and conduct student-led community-based technology training.

Johnson City ISD L.B.J. Middle School
L.B.J. Middle School will offer students access to several selected computerized curriculums before, during and after school through a structured goal-oriented program. NetLibrary Company, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Publishing Company and Decision Development Corporation will provide curriculum in science, social studies and mathematics. Students will use laptop computers that are already in place at the campus. Much of the curriculum will be offered on the school's web page to allow anyone with Internet access to use the information. The targeted at-risk population includes special education, minority, and low socioeconomic students. The L.B.J. teaching staff will complete 100 hours of technology training centered on the examples and suggestions from the CEO Forum's Star Chart.

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD Austin Middle School
The Austin Middle School (AMS) TEKS 2000 project will give students experience in selecting the appropriate technology tools and in applying those technologies to their work. This experience will help them perform complex, authentic tasks that will provide experiences, which will prepare them for the world outside of school. Curriculum content will be delivered in science, language arts, social studies, and mathematics. Softbook Press will provide curriculum in the four content areas through the use of electronic books. Bricolage Interactive Design will also provide content. Laptops provided by the district will be used for data collection and analysis, multimedia presentation, research and Internet access. Students will have access to newspapers, periodicals, literature, textbooks and current magazines through the electronic books.

San Antonio ISD Rhodes Technology Academy
The Rhodes Technology Academy will construct a program for the process and product evaluation of innovative technologies in the critical academic areas of mathematics and reading/language arts with sixth and seventh-grade students. While laptops will be provided by the district, innovative content will be provided by Bricolage Interactive Design, Knowledge Adventure and NovaNet. SoftBook Press will provide SoftBook Readers. Additionally, bigchalk.com will provide comprehensive courseware for classroom use. The project will include the use of these resources with both regular and special populations and explore the means to use innovative technologies in concert with community partnerships to extend student learning beyond the normal school day so that it impacts the community at large.

Lake Worth ISD Lake Worth High School
The Lake Worth High School Laptops for Empowerment of All Pupils (LEAP) Project will facilitate anytime, anywhere learning by placing Apple laptop computers into the hands of tenth-grade students. The computers will be used in English and history classes during the course of the two-year project. Content from several companies will be used during and after school. Worldview materials will be used for History. NetLibrary will provide materials for English classes. NovaNet can be customized by the classroom teacher to meet the specific needs of the student. Apple Computer will provide the laptops and staff development for teachers.

Midland ISD Coleman High School
Students in grades nine through twelve at Coleman High School will have access to science, language arts, social studies and mathematics courseware delivered online through the NovaNET computer-based learning system. NovaNET offers an online library of interactive instructional courseware aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills that can be customized by the classroom teacher to meet the specific needs of the student. This pilot will supplement the existing academic program at Coleman High School, an alternative high school that serves at-risk students, and will also provide curriculum for special education and other special needs students. Extensive, ongoing professional development and support for educators will be provided by NovaNET.

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