[House Hearing, 107 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION: A REVIEW OF FEDERAL, STATE, AND PRIVATE
SECTOR PROGRAMS
=======================================================================
HEARING
before the
SUBCOMMITTEE ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND THE INTERNET
of the
COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
MARCH 8, 2001
__________
Serial No. 107-18
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Energy and Commerce
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/
house
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
71-485 WASHINGTON : 2001
_______________________________________________________________________
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
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Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: (202) 512-1800 Fax: (202) 512-2250
Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-0001
------------------------------
COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE
W.J. ``BILLY'' TAUZIN, Louisiana, Chairman
MICHAEL BILIRAKIS, Florida JOHN D. DINGELL, Michigan
JOE BARTON, Texas HENRY A. WAXMAN, California
FRED UPTON, Michigan EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts
CLIFF STEARNS, Florida RALPH M. HALL, Texas
PAUL E. GILLMOR, Ohio RICK BOUCHER, Virginia
JAMES C. GREENWOOD, Pennsylvania EDOLPHUS TOWNS, New York
CHRISTOPHER COX, California FRANK PALLONE, Jr., New Jersey
NATHAN DEAL, Georgia SHERROD BROWN, Ohio
STEVE LARGENT, Oklahoma BART GORDON, Tennessee
RICHARD BURR, North Carolina PETER DEUTSCH, Florida
ED WHITFIELD, Kentucky BOBBY L. RUSH, Illinois
GREG GANSKE, Iowa ANNA G. ESHOO, California
CHARLIE NORWOOD, Georgia BART STUPAK, Michigan
BARBARA CUBIN, Wyoming ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York
JOHN SHIMKUS, Illinois TOM SAWYER, Ohio
HEATHER WILSON, New Mexico ALBERT R. WYNN, Maryland
JOHN B. SHADEGG, Arizona GENE GREEN, Texas
CHARLES ``CHIP'' PICKERING, KAREN McCARTHY, Missouri
Mississippi TED STRICKLAND, Ohio
VITO FOSSELLA, New York DIANA DeGETTE, Colorado
ROY BLUNT, Missouri THOMAS M. BARRETT, Wisconsin
TOM DAVIS, Virginia BILL LUTHER, Minnesota
ED BRYANT, Tennessee LOIS CAPPS, California
ROBERT L. EHRLICH, Jr., Maryland MICHAEL F. DOYLE, Pennsylvania
STEVE BUYER, Indiana CHRISTOPHER JOHN, Louisiana
GEORGE RADANOVICH, California JANE HARMAN, California
CHARLES F. BASS, New Hampshire
JOSEPH R. PITTS, Pennsylvania
MARY BONO, California
GREG WALDEN, Oregon
LEE TERRY, Nebraska
David V. Marventano, Staff Director
James D. Barnette, General Counsel
Reid P.F. Stuntz, Minority Staff Director and Chief Counsel
______
Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet
FRED UPTON, Michigan, Chairman
MICHAEL BILIRAKIS, Florida EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts
JOE BARTON, Texas BART GORDON, Tennessee
CLIFF STEARNS, Florida BOBBY L. RUSH, Illinois
Vice Chairman ANNA G. ESHOO, California
PAUL E. GILLMOR, Ohio ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York
CHRISTOPHER COX, California GENE GREEN, Texas
NATHAN DEAL, Georgia KAREN McCARTHY, Missouri
STEVE LARGENT, Oklahoma BILL LUTHER, Minnesota
BARBARA CUBIN, Wyoming BART STUPAK, Michigan
JOHN SHIMKUS, Illinois DIANA DeGETTE, Colorado
HEATHER WILSON, New Mexico JANE HARMAN, California
CHARLES ``CHIP'' PICKERING, RICK BOUCHER, Virginia
Mississippi SHERROD BROWN, Ohio
VITO FOSSELLA, New York TOM SAWYER, Ohio
TOM DAVIS, Virginia JOHN D. DINGELL, Michigan,
ROY BLUNT, Missouri (Ex Officio)
ROBERT L. EHRLICH, Jr., Maryland
LEE TERRY, Nebraska
W.J. ``BILLY'' TAUZIN, Louisiana
(Ex Officio)
(ii)
C O N T E N T S
__________
Page
Testimony of:
Domench, Daniel A., Division Superintendent, Fairfax County
Public Schools............................................. 28
Grad, Rae, Chairman, PowerUP: Bridging the Digital Divide.... 53
House, Jennifer, Vice President of Strategic Relations,
Classroom Connect, Inc..................................... 58
Koster, Emlyn H., President and CEO, Liberty Science Center,
Liberty State Park......................................... 64
Krisbergh, Hal, Chairman and CEO, Worldgate Communications,
WISH TV.................................................... 51
McDonald, Sister Dale, Director of Public Policy and
Educational Research, National Catholic Education
Association................................................ 32
McHale, Judith A., President and Chief Operating Officer,
Discovery Communications, Inc.............................. 36
Moore, Kate L., President, Schools and Libraries Division,
Universal Service Administration Company................... 16
Spencer, David A., President and CEO, Michigan Virtual
University................................................. 22
Material submitted for the record by:
Advanced TelCom Group, Inc., prepared statement of........... 83
Ruberg, David C., Chairman, President and CEO, Intermedia
Communications Ins., prepared statement of................. 83
Winstar, prepared statement of............................... 85
(iii)
TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION: A REVIEW OF FEDERAL, STATE, AND PRIVATE
SECTOR PROGRAMS
----------
THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2001
House of Representatives,
Committee on Energy and Commerce,
Subcommittee on Telecommunications
and the Internet,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in
room 2322, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Fred Upton
(chairman) presiding.
Members present: Representatives Upton, Gillmor, Shimkus,
Wilson, Davis, Terry, Tauzin (ex officio), Markey, Rush, Eshoo,
Engel, Green, McCarthy, Luther, and Sawyer.
Staff present: Will Norwind, majority counsel; Howard
Waltzman, majority counsel; Robert Simison, legislative clerk;
Cliff Riccio, legislative analyst; Andy Levin, minority
counsel; Brendon Kelsay, professional staff.
Mr. Upton. Good morning, everyone. We do like to start on
time, and I know Ranking Member Markey is on his way. We have
had a little competition here, who owes who for being late,
because we are now even.
I would like to just say a couple of things before I give
my opening statement. We are in session now. There are many of
us on a number of different subcommittees. I serve on five
subcommittees, and other hearings are going on in our Energy
and Commerce Committee as well, so members will be coming in
and out. And we are also expecting a number of votes both this
morning and this afternoon, so there will be plenty of time for
coffee breaks, if you know what I mean. But we will get started
and see how long we can go before we come back.
As chairman of this subcommittee, I have shaped my agenda
on several broad themes, not the least of which is how
technology can improve people's lives. Just a few weeks ago, I
launched my own Leave No Child Off-Line tour in my District,
which included a teleconference with over 500 high school
students and 11 different schools, followed by a visit to a
public-private partnership between Cisco and one of my local
school districts.
Cisco Systems networking program does prepare students for
the 21st Century workplace, while serving as a valuable model
for e-learning. Many graduates of the program have gone on to
high-paying jobs in the technology field, and I can say without
a doubt technology is indeed improving these kids' lives.
The goal of today's hearing is to paint a broad picture of
what investments in technology and education are being made in
the United States on the Federal, State and local and private
sector levels. As such, this hearing is designated to get at
the facts about what a representative sampling of the programs
are, how the programs work, who benefits from the program, and
what levels of funding are associated with such programs.
I am particular proud that the State of Michigan is
represented here today. Governor Engler has made technology and
education a top priority, and his initiatives are a tremendous
value to the students and teachers of my State.
While today's witnesses are but a representative sample, it
is my hope that we will come away from this hearing with a
deeper understanding and appreciation of the value of
technology and education and the tremendous investments made at
all levels of government and the private sector through public-
private partnerships.
As Federal legislators, it is important to note that the E-
rate is but one, albeit significant, technology and education
program which falls within our committee's jurisdiction. There
are relatively smaller programs through NTIA like the TOPS
program, that also fall within our committee's jurisdiction,
not to mention programs through the Department of Commerce and
Department of Education within our committee's jurisdiction.
In addition, I want to recognize another Federal technology
and education issue within our committee's jurisdiction, the
Instructional Television Fixed Service, ITFS, which, I can
assure, while not within the scope of this hearing, is very
much in our subcommittee's radar screen as our nation grapples
with spectrum management issues.
In closing, I want to quote the inspirational Mario
Mariano, who said that ``with technology and education, we have
a remarkable opportunity to attack problems that have plagued
us for so long, but we must think in new ways, apply new
approaches, and do more to bring people and resources together
to advance a common purpose to help young people grow up with
hope, personal responsibility, and the opportunity to lead
meaningful and productive lives. We must ensure that these
young people avoid becoming the illiterate of the 21st Century,
not only unable to read or write which itself is a serious
challenge, but unable to learn in a fast-changing adoptive
world that requires nothing short of a fundamental change in
how we intervene, develop and educate young people.''
This is not news to our witnesses today, who have committed
so much to improving kids' lives through technology and
education, and I look forward to hearing from all of them. With
that, I recognize my good friend--and now even in the score--
the gentleman from Massachusetts, my friend, Ed Markey.
Mr. Markey. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, very much. You know,
whenever you are passing legislation for big, multinational
companies, that is your best opportunity to do something for
poor people, ordinary people, because they want this big thing
so badly.
And so when we were doing the Telecommunications Act back
5, 6 years ago, this presented itself as a tremendous
opportunity. In other words, the CEOs that sat at that table
were telling us that they were going to, if freed from
restrictions--cable, telephone, satellite, et cetera, down the
line--that they would so rapidly speed up the technology
revolution, that they would so rapidly expand the American
reach across the globe, that we would become Number One,
looking over our shoulders at Number Two and Three in the
world.
But, of course, if you are going to do that, then you have
to have a way of ensuring that you are going to give a
concomitant skill set to the young people in the country so
that they qualify for those jobs. Otherwise, we will be
besieged in this committee and across Congress with requests
for thousands of additional H1B visas each year to come into
our country to fill up these jobs because we do not have enough
Americans with the skill set.
So, in my District, in my hometown, which is largely
minority now--Walden, Massachusetts--we have 67 languages
spoken in my public school system. And, yet, in addition to
Social Security requests and veterans' requests, the largest
requests that I am now receiving from companies in my District
is for H1B visas to bring in trained people from the very same
countries that these children come from. But, of course, the
children come from the lower part of the socioeconomic spectrum
in those countries, and the H1B visa recipients come from the
higher economic spectrum. So, they are all from very smart
stock except, because of socioeconomic circumstances both there
and here, they were not being given a shot. And by the year
2030 in the United States, 50 percent of all children will be
minorities--50 percent will be minorities--minorities no more,
by the way.
And so if we want a trained workforce that is going to have
the capacity to have good jobs and good incomes so that we can
all retired on Medicare and Social Security without having out
benefits cut, we have to train these kids now.
And so the thought behind the E-rate was quite central, and
we built it into the 1994 Act out of this subcommittee. I built
in this discount rate, Jack Fields and I, a discount rate, we
called it. And then I called it the ``E-rate''. We call it the
``E-rate'' here on the committee. I was going to call it the
``ed-rate'', I thought that would go too far, Mr. Chairman, but
the E-rate. And it is really meant to say that in a post-GATT,
post-NAFTA world, that you have to ensure that the kids get the
skillset.
And so the formula is skewed in a way that benefits those
kids who are in the most need because, when the phone bills are
paid for, then those parents and those teachers in school
systems that otherwise were not moving, now have basically an
argument they can make to the rest of the school system--why
don't you move faster? Why don't you take advantage of this?
Where are the computers? Where is the teacher training? And so
you empower those parents, you empower those teachers.
Now, obviously, I was very disturbed that President Bush
was considering block granting the E-rate, putting it just back
into the general pool of money. Now, the reason I am concerned
about that, obviously, was all of the Governors and all of the
States over all those years had plenty of opportunity to help
this kids, but they weren't doing it. And so this was a special
program targeting them, using telecommunications policy.
So, I was heartened yesterday when I heard Secretary Page
say that they are now starting to move in a different
direction, and that is good news--excellent news--because I
think they are beginning to get educated about this program and
how successful it is.
It is an excellent program. It is telescoping the timeframe
that it is taking in order to ensure that every child,
regardless of income, regardless of race, regardless of the
language spoken by their parents in their homes, gains access
to this skillset.
And so that is part of the deal, in other words. We can't
move forward as a nation unless, as we are doing something for
big business, we are doing something for ordinary people at the
same time. Otherwise, it is not a policy because you are not
ensuring that the rest of the Nation is, in fact, able to take
advantage of it.
And so it is not just the bottom line of corporations that
really determines whether or not our policies here are
successful, but whether or not every American is a success. We
just don't one company's picture on the cover of Forbes or
Business Week and say that is a success, only when the picture
of the United States is on the cover of every magazine in the
world, knowing that all of our people have benefited, are we a
success.
So that is what the E-rate is all about, and it is one of
the great success stories of the 1990's, and when we look back
we are going to realize that it was one of the great engines
which gunned our people, making it possible for them as
families to begin to contemplate, not looking over their
shoulder in a rearview mirror at ancestors and their jobs which
are leaving their communities, but looking forward through the
eyes of their children in terms of the possibilities, the
opportunities that are going to be presented to them.
So this is a great hearing, Mr. Chairman, and I hope that
in the years ahead we can continue to bring in even more
witnesses to help demonstrate how successful this program has
been. I thank you for having it.
Mr. Upton. Thank you. Mr. Davis.
Mr. Davis. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, one of
the most important technology issues that have confronted the
Congress in the past few years have shared a core commonality.
The have illuminated the need for policymakers across the
Nation to rethink the role of education in an age where
information, how you access it, how you use it, and how you
disseminate it is the key to a driving economy.
Legislation we enacted last year to increase the number of
H1B visas, for instance, provided a short-term bandaid solution
for a long-term structural problem, and that is the need to
transform the outdated educational systems that keep all
learning within a classroom into an approach that promotes
learning and teaching both within and outside the physical
classroom through the use of technology.
I commend the chairman for giving us the opportunity today
to gain a more thorough understanding of the role of technology
in education and to find out what is already working across the
country to improve the knowledge and skillsets of our children.
I am especially pleased to welcome from my District, Daniel
Domenech, the Superintendent of the Fairfax County Public
School System, where 147 native languages are spoken in the
schools, and where my two younger children attend public
school. It has been my pleasure to know Superintendent Domenech
for a number of years now and, Mr. Chairman, may I say that I
can't think of a better choice for a witness who can really
help us understand what is possible when local communities band
together to improve the welfare of our children.
A native of Cuba who came to this country at the age of 9,
Superintendent Domenech has achieved a diverse career through
his teaching, work in minority communities in Queens, New York,
to his administrative roles in other multiethnic areas of New
York, and now in Northern Virginia, where one out of five
adults over the age of 25 was born in a foreign country.
He has achieved tremendous success with bringing technology
to the classroom through public-private partnerships in Fairfax
County, and I look forward to hearing his testimony today,
along with the other distinguished panelists.
Most of us agree that we have a duty to improve the ability
of future generations to compete and succeed in a global
economy. We do know that there is a scarcity of skilled
Americans who are able to fulfill the demands of a technology-
driven economy, and that obstacle is only growing exponentially
as our working population ages.
While we may not all agree on a single solution, our time
will be well spent today in hearing how newly implemented
programs are working toward eliminating that obstacle. Thank
you.
Mr. Upton. Thank you. Mr. Sawyer.
Ms. McCarthy. I believe Mr. Sawyer is acknowledging in the
order, although he does outrank me.
Mr. Upton. Ms. McCarthy.
Ms. McCarthy. Mr. Chairman, this is a spectacular panel,
and I am going to submit my remarks for the record because they
know a lot more than I do and I want to hear from them. So I
would like to yield back my time.
Mr. Upton. Mr. Sawyer.
Mr. Sawyer. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I have also
a longer opening statement that I am going to forego. Just let
me add to what Ed Markey had to say, however.
I really believe that it is arguable that the decision that
transformed the 20th Century was one that is comparable to some
of the decisions we have made in the last 5 years of the
century, and that was the recognition that the expansion of the
railroads west represented a growth in this country that needed
to be met with a concomitant elevation of the skills of this
nation all across the acquired skill spectrum.
The last time we really had to do that was then, we have
really made incremental since then, but today we face that very
same challenge that was met by Justin Morrow a century and a
half ago in the first enactments and the subsequent enactments
of the Land Grant Colleges Act which took the expansion of the
railroads west and set aside the dollars in order to transform
higher education and, in so doing, changed America in very
fundamental ways.
We face the challenge of engaging a similar opportunity in
ways that will call on a level of wisdom that many of us don't
really call on frequently enough. It will call on us to raise
our sights and alter our assumptions about where we are going.
And that, Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to insert my formal
statement in the record and to request unanimous consent to
insert Mr. Dingell's statement in the record since he is unable
to be here.
[The prepared statement of Hon. Tom Sawyer follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. TOM SAWYER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM THE STATE OF OHIO
Thank you Mr. Chairman and Mr. Markey for calling this very timely
and important hearing on Technology and Education. As a teacher and the
husband of a 30 year teaching veteran, I am keenly aware of the
educational challenges we face as a nation.
Everyone should have the opportunity to learn and thrive in our
community. We should make it our responsibility to ensure that everyone
is able to read and write to the best of their abilities. Yet, in the
information age, good reading and writing skills must be accompanied by
some technical skills. Without these, the haves and the have-nots will
be divided by more than just literacy, they will be divided by digital
literacy. These are the new basic skills, which are essential for
workers who want to take advantage of the rapid pace of change and
growing complexity of the global economy. These are the skills we need
to teach our community, and the places to teach these skills are in our
schools and community centers.
Successful First Step: E-Rate
The E-rate is a good first step in bridging the digital literacy
divide. There is currently a digital divide separating our community
along geographical, monetary and ethnic lines. Regardless of these
factors, every child in our country should have access to the Internet
and its resources. The E-rate program has helped more than 80,000
schools and libraries get on-line by providing telecommunications
services at a discounted rate.
This program is an excellent step toward bridging the digital
divide, but at it's current funding level, it is not enough. In it's
third year, funding requests for the program are estimated at $4.72
billion. However, the FCC has maintained its $2.25 billion ceiling for
funding commitments to the program. Until every school in the United
States has had an equal opportunity to receive these funds and is able
to provide their students with access to technology, the E-Rate's work
is not finished. I question whether the E-Rate should be combined with
the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund or block granted while it is
still being effectively used by our educators.
Another valuable resource for schools is the Technology Literacy
Challenge Fund. Written in Title III of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act, it provides formula allocations to states for the
purpose of improving technology access, education, professional
development, and instruction in elementary and secondary schools. Funds
are awarded to local educational agencies on a competitive basis within
each state. The Challenge Fund's FY2001 appropriation is $450 million.
Beyond E-Rate: The New Challenge
There are other important issues that must be addressed in order to
bridge the digital literacy divide and make technology an equitable and
useful tool for our educators. First, we need to find a way to provide
hardware for our classrooms. Second, we need to provide upkeep of the
technology in our schools, to ensure that our children are not learning
on out-dated and impractical technology. Third, we need to train our
teachers on the use of technology how to train our teachers on the use
of technology and how to integrate it into their curricula. Instead of
teaching our children how to use technology, we should teach our
children using technology.
Kent State Is Bridging This Divide
In my district, Kent State University is working to further bridge
this digital divide through its Research Center for Educational
Technology (RCET). RCET provides a network for pre-kindergarten through
college level educators and university researchers committed to
studying the impact of technology on learning.
One place that RCET conducts research is in the Ameritech
Classroom, located at Kent State University. The classroom serves as
the learning environment for a class of students and their teacher, who
conduct class in the classroom for half days over a six week period of
time. Teachers bring their own class and their own curriculum. The
Ameritech classroom provides assistance to the teachers, so that they
learn to integrate the classroom's technology into their curriculum.
RCET observes the children and the teachers, to study the impact of
technology on teaching and learning. To date, more than 70 teachers and
nearly 1000 students in grades K-9 have participated either directly in
the program, or indirectly through workshops and outreach programs.
Programs like RCET and the Ameritech classroom are researching ways
to effectively use technology as a tool to educate our children, while
the E-Rate is providing the funding source to bring telecommunications
into our classrooms. These programs are working to create an
educational environment where all children are able to become digitally
literate, but there is still more to be done. We need to take the next
step toward bridging the digital divide and find a way to fund the
necessary hardware for our classrooms, the upkeep for this hardware,
and the training of teachers in the use of technology.
Beyond K-12: Current Workforce Training
While we are considering possibilities for technology and
education, we should widen the scope of our initiatives to address
digital literacy within the current workforce.
One-Stop Career Centers provide valuable resources to workers in
search of a job. Yet, with the severe shortage of workers in the high-
tech sector and the increase in demand for H1-B visas, I question
whether we are doing enough to train our current work force in
technology.
I am interested to hear from our witnesses on how we can better
support technical training for our current workforce as well as our
future workforce. Through a thorough review of federal, state and
private sector practices toward education and technology, I hope that
we can find a solution to bridging the digital literacy divide.
Mr. Upton. Without objection, I would note that all members
of the subcommittee--I will make the unanimous consent request
that all members of the subcommittee, in fact, their entire
opening statements will be made part of the record and, at this
point, I will go to Mr. Shimkus.
Mr. Shimkus. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am going to be
following Congressman Markey with the running shoes on as we
have a hearing downstairs on the EU privacy laws, which is an
exciting issue. So, I apologize to the panel if they see me
coming back and forth.
The issue I want to focus on is how do we train the
teachers to be available to keep using this new medium. I got a
letter from one of my constituents on the tax proposals, and
marriage penalty, and reductions, and she is working two jobs,
trying to get three kids through college. She teaches night at
a local community college to make sure she has her
certification to keep qualified to teach. Anymore educational
requirements really comes out of her ability to meet the needs
of her family. It was a very sad and frustrating letter, and I
scribbled her a note, but that is my focus.
This new medium, how do we bridge that? We can have all the
technology in the world, but if we can't get it to the teacher
who can get trained without taking away from the other aspects
of their lives and fending for the needs of their family, then
it is really more personal than a lot of people like to
believe. So that is what I will be trying to address and see
how we can do that. If you can address that at some point, I
would appreciate that.
A great hearing, Mr. Chairman, and I look forward to being
a participant. I yield back my time.
Mr. Upton. Thank you. I recognize the chairman of the full
committee, Mr. Tauzin.
Chairman Tauzin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I wanted to make
a special visit to the subcommittee today to welcome this panel
and congratulate you on your focus, Mr. Chairman.
I think the concept of literally focusing in on how the new
technologies can make a difference in the lives and can educate
children to the potential of their lives is truly a good one,
and I want to wish you well on that.
I want to especially welcome WISH TV representatives here.
WorldGate Communications--Hal Krisbergh is here representing
them--began a pilot program in my home State as a result of a
high technology conference we had at LSU where we determined
that young children in my home State, primarily minority kids
and some rural parishes I represent, start school so
disadvantaged that they never catch up. And the concept of
using this new technology to bring the Internet not just to the
school, not just to the library, but right into their homes,
without the need of a computer, using equipment that Mr.
Krisbergh and his company produced that literally connects the
Internet to an analog television set by the cable--and, again,
his generosity, and the other cable companies, has created a
new pilot program in the State. LSU and my home university,
Nichols--we call Nichols ``Harvard on the Bayou'', you know--
worked on software programs that were demonstrated here in
Washington. I think 12 States or more now participate with
similar pilot programs, and it is just the beginning, just
scratches the surface of what can be done if we introduce this
technology at an early age to children who might never
otherwise experience it. And all of a sudden, they and their
families, their whole families--single moms in most cases--but
the other siblings and other relatives now have that as part of
their lives, and they are beginning to explore the possibility
of their young lives, possibility of lives that otherwise would
have been lost, I think, and that is a great focus.
Mr. Chairman, I think we, at this level, get all tied up in
which big companies will win what battles for a marketplace
under what policy we set, and we forget that the real focus
needs to be on the real faces out there, the children and the
lives of individuals in our society who are going to be either
improved or left behind because we either make this technology
meaningful in their lives, or we never do. And it is a right
focus. I commend you for it. I thank the witnesses, it is such
a broad array of witnesses that I think you will hear a lot
today about this potential, and about what is happening out
there in the marketplace, and what people are really doing to
make it meaningful.
And I thank you for sharing with us today, for bringing
your expertise to our consideration but, most important, Mr.
Chairman, you get it. I mean, you are onto it. This is where we
in Government ought to be focused as we make these big policy
decisions, where the rubber really hits the road with this
technology, and where children and real lives are affected.
Thanks again, my great wishes to your successful hearing. My
thanks to all you witnesses for coming today.
[The prepared statement of Hon. W.J. ``Billy'' Tauzin
follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. W.J. ``BILLY'' TAUZIN, CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE
ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE
Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this hearing today. The
confluence of technology and education is an exciting and important
trend in this country. Advances in technology have enhanced the
learning experience of many of our youth. Technology-based learning
tools can make the educational experience much more enriching for
children. And, as the Internet fosters a more knowledge-based economy,
a solid education is the key to advancement in the workplace.
I would like to welcome our guests today, particularly Hal
Krisbergh, Chairman and CEO of Worldgate. Through WISH TV, Worldgate
works with cable companies and schools to provide in-school and in-home
Internet access in disadvantaged communities. WISH TV enables users to
access the Internet and e-mail through their television sets and
existing cable connections. No computer is required. Currently, WISH TV
has pilot programs in eleven schools across three states, including at
Belle Rose Primary in Belle Rose, Louisiana.
Last fall, WISH TV also came to the Rayburn Building to demonstrate
its service. Several fourth-graders showed former FCC Chairman Bill
Kennard and I just how easy it is to use WISH TV's wireless keyboards
to access the Internet through regular television sets. WISH TV
provides disadvantaged communities with an opportunity to embrace the
Internet that they otherwise would not have. I am delighted that WISH
TV is helping enrich the minds of my constituents in Assumption Parish
and I look forward to the program being extended across the country.
Today's panel demonstrates the breadth of programs that exist to
bring technology into the classroom. We have representatives of
federal, state, and local initiatives; private efforts; and public/
private partnerships. It is important to understand that providing
Internet access to disadvantaged communities is not strictly dependent
upon federal support. The e-rate program has distributed more than $1
billion so that schools and libraries can receive discounts on
telecommunications services. But the e-rate program has also not even
distributed all of the money that has been promised to schools and
libraries. A GAO study in December found that, of the $3.7 billion that
had been committed to applicants in Years One and Two, at least $1.3
billion (35 percent) had not been paid out by August 2000, despite the
fact that the deadlines for use of the funds had to be extended several
times. I am not mentioning this issue to be overly critical of Kate
Moore or the Schools and Libraries Division. I am merely trying to
point out that state, local, and private efforts as well as public/
private partnerships are at least as responsible for the current
availability of Internet access in schools and libraries as federal
programs.
I plan to work with Jerry Weller again to phase out the schools and
libraries program. We will use one-third of the Spanish-American War
tax to fund the schools and libraries program for several more years--
putting the other two-thirds of that tax back into the pockets of
consumers. After several more years of funding, the schools and
libraries program will have achieved its goal: ensuring that our
nation's schools and libraries have access to advanced
telecommunications services.
Based upon the efforts that we will hear about today, I am
confident that we can finish the job of bringing the Internet into our
schools within the next several years. Before I leave Congress, I want
every child in Louisiana to have access to the Internet. I applaud our
witnesses for their efforts to make my goal a reality and I look
forward to hearing about their progress.
Mr. Upton. Mr. Terry.
Mr. Terry. I will waive.
Mr. Upton. Okay. Well, that is the--and let me just say
this again. For the subcommittee members that are not here,
their statements will be part of the record.
I just want to introduce the panel and, at that point, we
will break. The buzzers you hear mean that that is the second
bell for votes.
[Additional statements submitted for the record follow:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. STEVE LARGENT, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA
Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this morning's hearing to
examine the federal, state, and private sector investment in technology
and the impact it has made on our educational system.
Over the past three years, the Universal Service Administrative
Company (USAC) has committed over $5.8 billion dollars, collected from
telephone customers, to wire up our nation's schools and libraries to
the Internet. I think this is a significant accomplishment.
As I read over our witnesses testimony before this morning's
hearing, it was clear that technology is, and will continue to be, an
important component of our children's education.
However, one thing I did not discern from the testimony was the
verification that our children's test scores are going up for that $5.8
billion investment. My primary concern as a policy maker, and more
importantly as a father of four, is that our country's youth are
actually learning the skills to compete on a high level in the 21st
century.
This week, we've experience two tragic high school shootings. I'm
concerned that our kids are losing their sense of purpose, as well as
hope.
A couple of years ago, Tom Brokaw wrote a best a selling book
entitled, Our Greatest Generation. The book chronicled the lives of
average Americans who grew up during the depression, made huge
sacrifices for their country during World War II, raised their
families, and contributed to society. In short--they made a difference.
I'm worried that the sense of purpose and hope that was the
hallmark of our parent's and grandparent's generation is turning into a
sense of disillusion and entitlement in many of our children's
generation.
The use of technology is an important tool in our kid's education,
but we as parents, teachers, superintendents, and society as a whole,
need to find additional ways to instill a sense of purpose and hope, so
that our children will have a bright and prosperous future.
______
PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. BARBARA CUBIN , A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM THE STATE OF WYOMING
Thank you Mr. Chairman for holding this very important hearing.
I am proud today to relay to my colleagues on the Subcommittee a
success story from the most rural state in the union and how it has
become a model of 21st Century education.
The reason: it has embarked on a telecommunications breakthrough
that will not only benefit every public school student in the state,
but also every community in that state.
I, of course, am talking about Wyoming and the work that has been
done by Governor Jim Geringer and Judy Catchpole, Superintendent of
Public Instruction.
The Wyoming Equality Network is a statewide, high-speed data and
video network that connects all Wyoming public schools and gives
communities the capability for telemedicine, economic development and
community outreach applications as well as access to the Internet.
Wyoming is known as the Equality State. The initiative to ensure
access to education and advancements in telecommunications is based on
the principle of equality--equal access to education and information by
all of Wyoming's public school children.
Wyoming is an extremely rural state with only 480,000 residents
covering more than 98,000 square miles.
There are 49 school districts with 154 elementary schools, 63
junior high or middle schools, and 73 secondary schools.
To say the least, our elected officials had their work cut out for
them in attempting to construct a statewide intranet to provide data
access to every school building in the state and two-way interactive
videoto every high school in the state by this past summer.
I'm proud to announce that their hard work and dedication has paid
off.
Wyoming public schools are connected. It's a success story that
originates from local officials working in a cooperative effort to do
what's best for Wyoming's youth.
I am committed to doing everything I can on the federal level to
continue that success by encouraging the deployment of advanced
services to all reaches of Wyoming.
Again, Mr. Chairman, I'm very pleased that this subcommittee has
taken on this very important issue. I yield back my time.
______
PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. CHIP PICKEING, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
Mr. Chairman, I commend you for conducting this hearing today. This
Subcommittee is well aware of the many benefits of technology to
consumers and the economy, but has not focused on the benefits
technology can bring to the classroom.
I understand that education will be a focus for Chairman Upton and
I applaud that decision. Anything that this Subcommittee can do to
promote and expand some of the initiatives that are taking placing
around the nation is well worth our time.
In my home state of Mississippi, I am quite proud of what is
happening insofar as bringing technology into the classroom. I'd like
to take a few minutes to describe to my colleagues three of the
programs that have been implemented in Mississippi.
The Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children is located in Jackson,
and is at center stage when it comes to treating the medical needs of
Mississippi's children. The patients come from all of Mississippi's 82
counties and come as the victims of serious trauma or with life
threatening or chronic illnesses--cancer, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell
anemia, hemophilia, congenital heart defects and many others. While the
hospital and its professional staff are unique on their own, ``Connect-
2-Tomorrow'' puts the hospital into a league by itself.
Connect-2-Tomorrow is a program that placed Internet, email and
Internet video conferencing software into the hospital to allow the
patients the ability to remain connected to the outside world. Through
this initiative, patients are enabled to remain in contact with their
schools and teachers as well as family and friends. For patients at
such an early stage in life, a lengthy stay in the hospital can be
quite traumatic. This program allows children to remain active and
engaged in their schools as well as stay in touch with their peers.
Funded in part by a grant from NITA, it is an excellent example of
pairing federal funds with state funds to produce a worthy program.
Another Mississippi program that has great potential is ExplorNet,
which is also operating in several other states. ExplorNet establishes
a ``vocational-type'' program in high schools that trains students in
repairing, upgrading and building computers. At the completion of the
course, these high school students have real world experience and
skills valuable in the marketplace. Several schools in my district are
using this program and I will be visiting one in the next few weeks.
The last program I would like to mention is Mississippi EDNET which
was formed to promote education and research throughout Mississippi.
EDNET is a modern, cost effective distant learning system capable of
reaching and teaching Mississippians where they live and work. It
provides two channels of educational programs designed for use at home
or in the classroom free of charge.
Mr. Chairman, I think this programs and others we will hear about
today demonstrate the vast potential of technology in education.
Whether it is through ITFS, the internet, or video streaming,
technology can be a ``multiplier'' of resources to reach a broader
audience and give students a broader view of the world around us. Once
again, I appreciate your conducting this hearing and look forward to
working with you to improve the opportunities and technological
resources allocated for educational purposes.
______
PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. BOBBY L. RUSH, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM THE STATE OF ILLINOIS
Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this timely hearing on the
various programs and investments made in technology and education. I
would like to speak about one program that is near and dear to my
heart, the E-rate program. In the past few months we have heard many
proposals from the current Administration to abolish the E-rate program
or turn it into a block grant. As a staunch proponent of bridging the
digital divide between the haves and the have nots, I must speak out
against such action.
Since its inception, the E-rate program has wired thousands of
schools and libraries and committed over $5.8 billion dollars, funding
over 82,000 applications. The E-rate is reaching students in my
community and across the country. In a time where everything is
technology driven, we must prepare our students to be technology savvy
in order to compete in this global economy. The E-rate program is
accomplishing this task by successfully bringing technology to schools
and libraries across the country.
Mr. Chairman, we will later hear more about the E-rate from our
invited witness, Ms. Moore, so I will not beleaguer the point of why we
need this valuable federal program. However, preparing our students to
be competent technologically is not an easy feat and cannot be
accomplished by the E-rate alone. We need more State and Corporate
partnerships to help bridge the digital divide. With that said, I look
foward to hearing the testimony of our distinguished panelist on their
programs and how they are bridging the digital divide.
______
PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. ANNA ESHOO, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Mr. Chairman, thank you for your work and for calling this
important hearing.
I'm pleased that the President has expressed a commitment to
education and technology. But in his plan titled ``No Child Left
Behind'' I was concerned to read that the E-Rate could be consolidated
with other technology grant programs.
I know that many of us believed President Bush's proposal to
convert the E-Rate into a block grant program with other Department of
Education technology programs would be a grave mistake. But I was
pleased to hear that Secretary Paige calmed the concerns of many by
saying the E-Rate would not be consolidated into the Department of
Education.
The universal fund is an economic security issue as much as an
educational or telecommunications issue. By putting computers in the
classroom the E-rate is helping build the next generation of scientists
and mathematicians. In order for our children to succeed in the 21st
century they must be computer literate and we must work to give our
children access to the tools they need to learn and succeed.
Our goal must be for every child in America to bridge the digital
divide. Currently, the E-Rate programs serves all schools--public,
private and parochial. The program is targeted to poor schools and
rural schools. Each school gets to apply for the telecommunications
services they want and need.
In 1994, before we had the E-Rate, 3% of classrooms were wired,
while in 2000 72% of classrooms were wired. It is important that the E-
Rate be available to every school. If it changed to block grants,
private and parochial schools would have to negotiate with State
education agencies and worry about entanglements of federal
regulations. Five years ago, Congress voted overwhelmingly in favor of
the Telecom Act which included the establishment of the Universal
Service Fund for the Internet--which we call the E-rate. In the House
the vote was 414 to 16. In the Senate the vote was 91 to 5.
I hope the President and the Congress can stay as committed to the
E-Rate as we were in 1996. Today the stakes are high and I do not
intend our children to miss out on the global economy.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I appreciate you holding this very
informative hearing.
______
PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. ELIOT ENGEL, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this informational briefing on
public and private investments in education technology. We all know
that technology has become an integral part of our lives, and that
students must have access to information technology in order to
increase their achievement in school and to provide them with the
skills they need to succeed in the workplace.
Unfortunately, however, many American students do not have access
to computers and the Internet. There is a significant ``digital
divide'' separating American information ``haves'' and ``have nots.''
There is a persistent and growing discrepancy between the information
rich--who tend to be wealthier, more educated, and living in more
affluent suburbs--and the information poor--who tend to be poorer, less
educated, and living in rural areas or central cities.
The digital divide is quite evident in my Congressional District.
Many of the schools in the Bronx and Westchester are too old to be
wired, do not have adequate funds to buy computers, and are too
concerned with teaching children the basics in overcrowded, underfunded
schools. Seeking out companies to donate the necessary equipment to
bridge the digital divide is a burdensome task that is too infrequently
undertaken. As a result, many of the students in my district have no
experience working with computers or the Internet.
Despite these barriers, one middle school in my district has formed
a unique collaboration with both Manhattan College and Apple to provide
computers to every student in the school and created a supportive
learning environment for its students. The school, Middle School 368,
or the ``Information Technology School'' (In-Tech), provides every
child at the school an I-Mac lap-top computer to be used for
schoolwork, homework, research purposes and communicating with
teachers, via email, after school hours. The children are being taught
how to use the hardware and different software applications for both
basic school applications and 'real-world' applications used by graphic
designers and web designers. Manhattan College provides In-Tech with
support for an extended school day and an inspirational new math
program to encourage girls, who too often avoid math, to master the
subject matter. The school also offers a before school program where
girls and boys can play mathematical games and learn math in a fun,
stress-free manner. In-Tech's tremendous technology will be adapted for
the morning sessions so that the kids will have access to over 50 math-
geared Internet sites.
I am proud to highlight In-Tech as a wonderful example of how we
can use technology in the classrooms. I look forward to hearing from
the rest of the panel on other ways we can incorporate technology into
education.
______
PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. GENE GREEN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS
Mr. Chairman: I want to commend you for calling this hearing today
to provide the Subcommittee with a better picture of exactly what types
of technology assistance are available from both the public and private
sector to help bridge the Digital Divide.
Mr. Chairman, five years ago the Internet was just starting to
reveal its true potential.
Today, in the half decade since the passage of the
Telecommunications Act of 1996, we have a clearer understanding of how
to apply the benefits of the Internet to many of the social problems
facing this country.
In particular, the Internet offers the hope and promise of being a
significant educational tool.
Access to the Internet provides our children with boundless
information options. Our goal now needs to be how we can use that
information and raise the educational standards of our nation's
children.
The focus of today's hearing will be on examining all types of
federal, state, local, and private efforts to bring the Internet to
schools.
I want to make some brief comments concerning the positive effects
that the federal E-Rate program is having in my state and community.
The State of Texas has received over $26 million dollars in the
last two years via the E-Rate program.
The Houston Public Library system has benefitted from over $400,000
in E-Rate grants over the last three years.
And Houston area schools benefitted from over $9 million dollars of
funding from E-Rate in the most recent program year alone.
E-Rate is working.
I understand that President Bush would like to eliminate this
valuable education tool and block grant the money to the states, but my
local folks are telling me they like the program just the way it is.
Consolidating or eliminating this valuable educational tool would
be a disservice to the children of this country.
That is not to say the program cannot be fine tuned.
I am sure many of you are aware of the General Accounting Office
(GAO) report highlighting some difficulties being experienced by the
Universal Service Administrative Corporation (USAC) in getting the
Schools and Libraries Division up and running.
Of particular concern was the amount of obligated funds going
unspent because of the many problems schools and libraries encountered
when submitting the necessary paperwork acknowledging receipt of
service.
Without this paperwork indicating that they are receiving service
from their vendor, the USAC cannot release funds for reimbursement.
The Subcommittee is going to be hearing from Ms. Moore, President
of the Schools and Libraries Division who I hope will touch on measures
being undertaken by her organization to improve the disbursement rates.
Money obligated, but not spent, keeps children who need the
Internet for homework or school projects from accessing it.
Although I hope this program will eventually become a model of
efficiency, I have introduced The Children's Access to Technology Act
to ensure that no obligated funds go unspent.
My legislation creates a new fund for Title I schools using any
obligated funds that go unspent at the end of any E-Rate program year.
I understand funds are tight for this program, but we should use
every dollar given. We also should urge the FCC to increase overall
funding.
Again Mr. Chairman, I appreciate you calling this hearing today and
I hope we will get some new suggestions on ways to increase the flow of
technology to our children no matter what the source.
Thank you and I yield back the balance of my time.
______
PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. BILL LUTHER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM THE STATE OF MINNESOTA
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for recognizing me.
While some may think it a bit trite to say, I believe we all agree
that giving every school-aged child access to the Internet is a
challenge that Congress must meet. Given the importance of information
technology in the modern economy, it is crucial that all of our
children at a young age--whether they are rich or poor, urban or
rural--become acquainted with cyberspace and all of its resources. With
the rapid and astounding progression of the Internet, this need to
educate all of our children in such a fashion is only going to become
more critical in the future. Otherwise, we will be fostering an entire
generation of citizens who will be at a basic disadvantage in our
global economy.
Mr. Chairman, I look forward to hearing the testimony from our
witnesses today to see how effective federal programs are at meeting
the needs of a modern education. Thanks you, Mr. Chairman, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
______
PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN D. DINGELL, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this important hearing on the
subject of technology and education. First, I would like to extend my
appreciation to all the witnesses for appearing today, and extend a
special welcome to our distinguished guests from the Michigan Virtual
University, David Spenser and Jamey Fitzpatrick. I am pleased that you
could be here to share information about your important work with the
Committee.
Today's hearing focuses on what is perhaps the single most
important challenge of the Information Age. That is, how do we make
sure that every child across the nation has an equal opportunity to
access the latest technology in furthering his or her education.
Our new President campaigned on the slogan that ``no child will be
left behind'' when it comes to education. I was pleased to note in
recent press reports that Mr. Bush has reconsidered his earlier
proposal to move the e-rate program to the Department of Education,
presumably to be administered through block grants. I believe that move
would have been a disaster for schools and libraries everywhere, but
particularly those in the neediest areas of the country who have come
to rely so heavily on this program.
If the President really wants to leave no child behind, then I
believe it is absolutely essential that he and Congress work together
to make sure the ``digital divide'' is closed in education, and the
sooner the better.
Along those lines, a particularly distinguished and highly
respected leader in government service once said, and I quote, ``Some
say all you have to do is pull yourself up by the bootstraps, but there
are too many people who don't have boots, let alone straps.'' That
compelling observation was made in 1995 by now Secretary of State Colin
Powell. Powell also happens to be one of the founding members of
PowerUp, an organization represented by one of the witnesses before the
Committee today, whose explicit mission is to close the digital divide.
So it appears that at least the elder Powell would agree the
digital divide issue is an important one. In my view, it is self-
evident that all children today must have an equal opportunity to
access computers and other information technology if they have any hope
of being competitive in the job markets of tomorrow.
That is why Mr. Towns and I introduced the Digital Bridge Trust
Fund Act last Congress. It would have phased out the telephone excise
tax over a period of years, and in the interim used the money to build
a trust fund targeted at bridging the digital divide. The trust fund
would accomplish a number of things. It would help train new teachers
in the use of technology in the classroom. It would help low-income and
rural communities provide better access to computers and hands-on
training. And it would help strengthen NTIA's Technology Opportunities
Program, also known as the ``TOP'' program, which provides matching
funds to innovative community technology programs. Mr. Towns and I plan
to reintroduce this legislation in the near future, and I look forward
to working with Chairman Upton and other Members of the Committee on
this important legislation.
Among the programs the Committee will be discussing today is the e-
rate program. While the goals of the program are laudable, I have, in
the past, taken issue with the breadth of the FCC's authority in this
area. But in July of 1999, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the
legality of the FCC program as designed, and that decision was later
upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. With those decisions behind us, there
is no uncertainty as to the legitimacy of the e-rate program. And,
after an uncertain start, the FCC has--to its credit--modified the
program to ensure that the neediest schools and libraries have priority
in receiving e-rate funds.
However, there is still one area of particular concern that I think
should interest all Committee Members. The e-rate program is financed
by contributions made by all telecommunications carriers to the
Universal Service Fund. These companies are then permitted to collect
from customers what they have contributed to the fund. However, no
controls currently exist to make sure these companies do not collect
more from consumers than they are actually paying into the fund.
Given that some companies are charging as much as 8.5% of the
consumer's telephone bill for the e-rate, and the FCC, through the
USAC, only collects at a rate that is slightly more than 5%, we must
ask where the rest of the money is going. Clearly no company should be
cutting a fat hog on the e-rate program. If excess money is collected,
it should be refunded to customers in a timely manner.
Mr. Chairman, I certainly hope we can get to the bottom of this
billing and collection problem with due haste. Our constituents deserve
to know that their money is being properly spent. Thank you, Mr.
Chairman, and I yield back.
Mr. Upton. We welcome Ms. Kate Moore, President of Schools
and Libraries Division of the Universal Service Administrative
Company; Dr. David Spencer, President and CEO of Michigan
Virtual University; Dr. Dan Domenech, already defined as the
Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent; Sister Dale
McDonald, Director of Public Policy and Educational Research
from the National Catholic Education Association; Ms. Judith
McHale, President and COO of Discovery Communications; Mr. Hal
Krisbergh, Chairman and CEO of WorldGate Communications; Ms.
Rae Grad, Chairman of the PowerUP-Bridging the Digital Divide;
Ms. Jennifer House, Vice President of Strategic Relations for
Classroom Connect, and Dr. Emlyn Koster, President and CEO of
Liberty Science Center.
At this point, we will probably take about hopefully what
will only be about a 15-minute break for allowing members to go
and vote and return. Hopefully there will not be an immediate
vote following that. At that point, when we come back we will
start with your testimony and proceed as long as we can go.
[Brief recess]
Mr. Upton. We did have a couple of votes. I am told that we
have about an hour once this present vote expires and at that
point we are probably going to have six consecutive votes, so
we will probably break at that point for a little while.
Your statements are made part of the record in their
entirety, and what I would like to do is limit your oral
presentation to about 5 minutes. We have a little timer that
Will is going to operate--I can do it myself, but it is fun
little gadget here. When we first started, we had little
kitchen eggtimers, so we have moved on.
Ms. Moore, we will start with you, and you will see how
this thing works. There is a little yellow light that gives you
an advance that probably about 30 seconds later the 5 minutes
will expire, but if you would limit your remarks to about 5
minutes, that would be terrific.
STATEMENTS OF KATE L. MOORE, PRESIDENT, SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES
DIVISION, UNIVERSAL SERVICE ADMINISTRATION COMPANY; DAVID A.
SPENCER, PRESIDENT AND CEO, MICHIGAN VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY; DANIEL
A. DOMENCH, DIVISION SUPERINTENDENT, FAIRFAX COUNTY PUBLIC
SCHOOLS; SISTER DALE McDONALD, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC POLICY AND
EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH, NATIONAL CATHOLIC EDUCATION ASSOCIATION;
JUDITH A. McHALE, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER,
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; HAL KRISBERGH, CHAIRMAN AND
CEO, WORLDGATE COMMUNICATIONS, WISH TV; RAE GRAD, CHAIRMAN,
POWERUP: BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE; JENNIFER HOUSE, VICE
PRESIDENT OF STRATEGIC RELATIONS, CLASSROOM CONNECT, INC., AND
EMLYN H. KOSTER, PRESIDENT AND CEO, LIBERTY SCIENCE CENTER,
LIBERTY STATE PARK
Ms. Moore. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you and members
of the committee. I appreciate the opportunity to be here today
to describe the work of the Schools and Libraries Division of
the Universal Service Administrative Company, known as USAC, as
we administer the Schools and Libraries Universal Service
Support Mechanism, also know as the ``E-rate''.
The Schools and Libraries Program provides up to $2.25
billion annually in support of eligible schools and libraries
to help offset the cost of advanced telecommunications
services. Libraries, public schools, private schools,
kindergarten through high school are eligible for the program.
Over the first 3 years of the program, we have committed
$5.8 billion funding over 82,000 applications to organizations
in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and all United
States Territories.
The neediest schools and libraries have been served with
the majority of the funding going to them. More than 80 percent
of public schools, well over a third of Catholic schools, over
10 percent of other private schools, and more than half the
nation's libraries are participating in this program.
The commitments we have made to the eligible entities
receive discounts ranging from 20 to 90 percent on
telecommunications services or Internet Access as well as
internal connection projects, projects which help to wire a
network and facilitate the use in schools and libraries of
advanced telecommunications services, and that range of
discount--those range of discounts correspond to the income
level of students' families and whether that location is urban
or rural.
While it is schools and libraries who apply and receive
commitment of funds from the SLD, the actual cash disbursements
are made consistent with the Act to service providers. This
program is not a grant program, it is a discount program
covering telecommunications and related services.
I should note that USAC has no policy role. We simply
administer the Universal Service Fund in accordance with
regulations promulgated by the Federal Communications
Commission.
The administration of the program is based on three
principles--reliance on marketplace competition with the whole
theme of the Telecommunications Act dependence on local
decisionmaking, and requirement for local investment. Indeed,
to receive funding applicants must certify that they have
secured access not only to their share--that is, the
undiscounted portion of the bills that they get--but also to
other required resources, such as the computers, professional
training and software.
Internally, we operate with a commitment to integrity and
effective stewardship, excellence in client service, and cost-
effective administration. We take very seriously our
responsibility for program integrity and invest heavily in the
review and audit functions.
As for cost-effective administration, last year costs were
less than 2 percent of the program funds. For each year of the
program, we have received over 30,000 applications for funding,
most of them happily filed online. We are beginning now to
review the 37,000 applications received for the fourth year of
the program, where demand is estimated to be over $5.7 billion.
The FCC has established a priority system that we must
follow when demand exceeds available funds. The first priority
is to support telecommunications and Internet Access, and the
second priority is to support internal connections requests,
starting first with the neediest applicants and making
commitments to the less needy only as funds permit.
In closing, Mr. Chairman, let me turn to a survey report
developed by members of the Education and Library community,
``E-rate: Keeping the Promise to Connect Kids and Communities
to the Future'', because this speaks to the heart of the
program and what we do.
The E-rate has increased opportunities for learning in
schools and libraries across America. Students are actively
involved in dialogs either through e-mail or videoconferencing,
with scientists and other experts, as well as fellow students
from around the world.
As Karon Tarver, Technology Director for the East Chambers
Independent School District in Winnie, Texas commented, ``The
E-rate has helped this farming community student body to see
beyond the rice fields. Students are more interested in
technology and participating in a global economy.''
Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee in
this program. I would be pleased to answer your questions.
[The prepared statement of Kate L. Moore follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF KATE L. MOORE, PRESIDENT, SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES
DIVISION, UNIVERSAL SERVICE ADMINISTRATIVE COMPANY
Good morning, Chairman Upton and Members of the Committee. My name
is Kate Moore, President of the Schools and Libraries Division of the
Universal Service Administrative Company. I would like to thank you for
the invitation to appear before you today and to provide you with
information about what the Universal Service Administrative Company is
doing to administer the Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support
Mechanism, also known as the ``E-rate.''
My testimony will focus on three areas:
1. Description of USAC, and the operations supporting the Schools and
Libraries Program
2. Programmatic Highlights
3. Recent Improvements for Program Participants
USAC AND THE SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES PROGRAM
The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) is a private,
not for profit corporation incorporated in September 1997 with the
purpose of administering the four Federal universal service
mechanisms--the High Cost support mechanism, which supports
telecommunications in areas costly to serve, the Low Income support
mechanism, which helped low income telephone subscribers, the Rural
Health Care support mechanism which supports telecommunications
services for rural not for profit health care providers and the schools
and libraries support mechanism, which supports telecommunications,
Internet access and internal connections to libraries and k-12 schools.
Through that work we are providing every state, the District of
Columbia and all territories with access to affordable
telecommunications services.
Until 1996, the Universal Service Fund supported only two support
mechanisms--the High Cost support mechanism and the Low Income support
mechanism. In the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congress expanded the
reach of the Universal Service Fund to provide support for not for
profit rural health care providers and schools and libraries.
The Universal Service Fund is generated through contributions from
all telecommunications companies in the United States, including local
and long distance phone companies, wireless and paging companies and
pay phone providers. USAC administers the Universal Service Fund under
regulations promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Although consumers benefit from the Universal Service Fund, only
companies that provide telecommunication and other services may draw
money directly out of the Universal Service Fund, which defrays the
cost of delivering service to consumers.
The High Cost is the largest support mechanism and will provide
estimated explicit support of $2.7 billion in 2001, the Low Income $600
million, Rural Health Care $10 million and Schools and Libraries $2.25
billion. These programs together provide affordable access to modern
telecommunications services for consumers, rural health care providers,
schools and libraries regardless of geographic location or
socioeconomic status. The Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) manage
the day-to-day operations of the Schools and Libraries program.
A Board of Directors governs USAC and oversees the actions taken by
management and the Board Committees. The USAC Board of Directors is
comprised of nineteen members and includes representation from the
telecommunications and information services industry, state
telecommunications regulators, state consumer advocates, low-income
consumers, education and library community and the USAC CEO.
USAC has no policy role; its job is to administer the Universal
Service Fund in accordance with FCC regulations. We are not permitted
to advocate policies or to lobby; our role is simply to effectively and
efficiently implement the program consistent with FCC rules and
regulations.
The Schools and Libraries Program provides support for eligible
schools and libraries to help offset the cost of advanced
telecommunications services. Public and private schools, kindergarten
through high school are eligible. FCC rules rely on state law for
precise definitions of ``schools'' for the determination of eligibility
for the program. Public libraries, and many private ones, are eligible
for the program.
Eligible schools and libraries receive discounts ranging from 20 to
90 percent on the following services:
Telecommunications services, including local and long-distance
service
Internet access
``Internal connection'' projects such as wiring and networking
schools and libraries to facilitate the use of advanced
telecommunications technology.
The range of discounts available to schools and libraries
corresponds to the income level of students in their community and
whether their location is urban or rural. Income for a school or
district is measured by the percentage of students eligible for the
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) administered by the United States
Department of Agriculture.
While it is members of the schools and libraries community who
apply for the funds, and who receive commitments of funds from SLD, the
actual cash disbursements are made, consistent with the
Telecommunications Act, to service providers, after the services have
been delivered to the customer. This program is not a grant program; it
is a cost-reduction program for the schools and libraries.
SLD has committed $5.8 billion for the first three program years--
to all states, the District of Columbia and all territories. The
neediest schools and libraries have been served. More than 80% of
public schools, more than a third of Catholic schools, over 10% of
other private schools, and more than half the Nation's libraries are
participating.
The application process is a three-step process. First, the
applicant completes a form that we post for 28 days on our web site
that serves as an open invitation for vendors to bid. At the same time
the applicant develops or refines a technology plan, ultimately to be
approved by agencies such as the state department of education or the
state library agency. Secondly, after the 28-day period the applicant
is free to select the vendors, sign a contract for services and send us
another form with details concerning their selection of products and
services and vendors. Finally, after the vendor has begun delivery and
the service is working as contracted, the applicant completes another
form, affirming the technology plan has been approved and allowing us
to pay the vendor.
The administration of the program is based on the following three
principles:
1. Reliance on marketplace competition. Applicants must seek
competitive bids on all services the program supports. Our web
site provides a national bulletin board to advertise their
service needs. State and local competitive bidding procedures
drive the process.
2. Dependence on local decision-making. The local public or private
schools and libraries have the flexibility to select the
technology and network design that will best meet their
educational needs. Selection of service providers is also made
by the school, school district or diocese, the library, or, in
the case of statewide applications, by the state. USAC is not
involved in selecting the type of service, service
configuration or vendors. State and local needs and procurement
laws and regulations, with the specific program requirement
that they choose the most cost-effective bidders, drive the
decision process. In addition, the application process is open
to organizations at the school level, the school district
level, and the state level. The same openness is true for the
library sector. The decision about who administers the Schools
and Libraries program funded projects is a flexible one--made
by local and state authorities, based on their needs, not
USAC's needs.
3. Requirement for local match. No matter how poor the applicant, the
program requires state or local investment. For the neediest
schools, services are discounted at 90%. At the same time, to
receive funding, the applicants must certify that they have
secured access not only to their share (such as the 10% match),
but also to the other resources--such as computers,
professional training time, and software--that are needed in
order to effectively use the Schools and Libraries program
discounts.
As indicated above, the Schools and Libraries program is designed
to serve a broad range of applicant types, at every level, and it
supports private schools as well as public, including secular, and
indeed, faith-based schools.
Before providing funding and programmatic highlights, let me
observe that we at USAC are committed to 1) integrity and effective
stewardship, 2) excellence in client service, and 3) cost-effective
administration. We take very seriously our responsibility for program
integrity. No one would want us to be anything but vigilant in assuring
compliance with FCC rules and the law, and as you know, Congress has
already directed GAO to undertake two in-depth studies of this program
in the course of its three-year life. We invest significantly in the
Program Integrity Assurance Review and audit functions.
To help our customers participate in the program, we maintain a
Client Service Bureau to answer their calls and e-mails. We conduct
extensive outreach. We work closely with stakeholder groups--such as
the Council of Chief State School Officers, the American Library
Association, and representatives of service providers. And we maintain
a web site on which applicants can file applications for funding and
stay abreast of program developments.
We are committed to program integrity and customer service and also
to keeping administrative cost as low as possible. Last year,
administrative cost was below 2.0% of the $2.0 billion available to
applicants in that period.
PROGRAMMATIC HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES PROGRAM
Funding Requests and Commitments
Over the three-year life of the program USAC has committed over
$5.8 billion dollars for schools and libraries, funding over 82,000
applications. In year one, we committed $1.7 billion; Year 2, $2.0
billion; and Year 3, $2.1 billion. For each year of the program, we
have received over 30,000 funding applications--most filed on line. We
are beginning now to review the more than 37,000 funding requests for
Year 4, where demand is estimated to be over $5.7 billion.
The FCC has established a priority system that guides us when
demand exceeds available funds, as it did in the first year of the
program and last year as well. The first priority is to provide support
for telecommunications and Internet Access requests. The second
priority is to fund internal connection requests, starting first with
the neediest applicants, and making commitments to the less needy only
as funds permit.
Participation and Impacts
From Year 1, participation by public schools has been high. We
estimate that applications received within the filing window included
requests for 80 percent of America's public schools. That increased to
approximately 85 percent for Year 3. We believe that in-window
applications for Year 1 covered approximately 35 percent of America's
Catholic schools; that increased to about 38 percent for Year 3.
Participation by other private schools has nearly doubled--from 6
percent for Year 1 to 11 percent for Year 3. Library participation on
in-window applications has increased from approximately 51 percent for
Year 1 to about 62 percent for Year 3.
The Education and Library Networks Coalition (EdLiNC) surveyed E-
rate participants across the country and reported just what
improvements these dollars are buying in its publication E-rate:
Keeping the Promise to Connect Kids and Communities to the
Future.1 In Decatur, Michigan, a rural village in the
southwestern part of the state where half of the 1,200 students in
public schools qualify for free and reduced-price lunch, E-rate funds
made it possible for the Decatur Public School District to afford
broadband T-1 connections, the only such lines in the village. The
Decatur Public Schools are installing five Internet-connected computers
in every classroom, which will give students access to distance
learning opportunities and teachers access to new teaching methods and
materials.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Education and Libraries Network Coalition, E-rate: Keeping the
Promise to Connect Kids and Communities to the Future, undated but
released in the spring of 2000.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cathedral High School in Boston, Massachusetts, serves an
ethnically diverse inner city low-income community. The teachers and
staff of Cathedral High believe that Internet-facilitated instruction
is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. Said Richard Smyth, the
school's Library Media Specialist, ``We serve the poor . . . so E-rate
funds [have] allowed us to provide the access that many wealthy school
districts already provide.'' The Schools and Libraries program
discounts enabled Cathedral High School to install networks connections
throughout the school and purchase a T-1 connection to the Internet.
The teachers have computers with Internet access and, with the help of
other grants funds attracted by the E-rate funding, Cathedral is
pursuing computers for students.
We hear directly from many others about the impact of the program.
From the County Librarian in Gila County, Arizona, we heard the
following:
Gila County Library District serves a county with an area of
4700 sq.mi. and a population of 50,000. The e-rate helps us
with the cost of networking eight public libraries and two
schools scattered throughout this area, in remote communities
as well as small towns. One library is on the San Carlos Indian
Reservation, and one is accessible by a two-hour trip on an
unpaved road. Our e-rate allows us to bring Internet service to
populations that have no other local public access. Students,
parents, winter visitors, temporary workers and the general
public have all benefited from this connectivity.
More formally, the U.S. Department of Education's National Center
for Education Statistics reported last year that the portion of
instructional rooms with Internet access in public schools increased
from 51 percent in 1998 to 63 percent in 1999.2 We believe
that E-rate funds were a major contributor to that increase, with funds
from Year 1 and 2 accounting for nearly 1 million newly connected
classrooms.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ National Center for Education Statistics, Internet Access in
U.S. Public Schools and Classrooms: 1994-99, February 2000.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Schools and Libraries program also impacts service providers
and, through them, the economy. Some 4,733 service providers received
the Schools and Libraries program commitments for Year 3, ranging from
America's largest telecommunications companies and advanced
communications equipment manufacturers to small telephone companies,
Internet service providers, cabling installers and other small
businesses.
The U.S. Department of Education sponsored a formative evaluation
of the E-rate program's effects by the Urban Institute.3 It
examined data from the first two years of the program and linked SLD
data with data from the National Center for Education Statistics. The
major findings of the report were:
\3\ Michael J. Puma, Duncan D. Chaplin, and Andreas D. Pape, E-Rate
and the Digital Divide: A Preliminary Analysis from the Integrated
Studies of Educational Technology, September 2000.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
America's public schools have taken the greatest advantage of
the program, accounting for about 84 percent of the total
funds.
The E-rate is having the intended effect of supporting the
development of Internet and telecommunications services,
especially in poor areas. Per student funding to school
districts increases dramatically with poverty.
Larger entities take greater advantage of the E-rate program,
suggesting that larger organizations may have more of the
human, technical, and fiscal capacity needed to apply for the
E-rate program.
Because of the program's preference for high-poverty schools
and the greater ability of large organizations to take
advantage of the E-rate, urban areas fare well in the program.
Funding generally increases with increasing concentrations of
minority students.
Controlling for poverty in districts where up to 50 percent of
the students qualify for free or reduced price lunch, rural
districts receive higher funding per student than urban
districts.
The largest share of E-rate funds (58 percent) has gone to
support the acquisition of equipment and services for internal
building connections, particularly in the higher-poverty
districts where, the authors suggest, schools may have had
particularly poor infrastructure and wiring to support the
development and effective use of telecommunication services.
States vary greatly in their use of the E-rate, and the
differences are probably driven to a large degree by the E-rate
funding formula, which favors poverty and rural location.
recent improvements for program participants
We strive continuously to simplify and clarify the program and make
it easier for our participants.
In consultation with the FCC, we changed the two most important
forms for program participation for Year 3 to make it easier for
applicants to complete the forms. We have made additional improvements
in Year 4 by making it easier for applicants to file forms online on
our web site. For Year 4, applicants filed 84 percent of the funding
request forms themselves online. This broad participation rate in
online filing means fewer mistakes by applicants, lower administrative
costs, and a speedier process of reviewing applications. In the year
ahead, we will have more forms available to complete and submit online.
The Client Service Bureau available through a toll free number, is
our first point of contact with applicants. We have emphasized better
training and more frequent updates to help ensure that our staff at the
Client Service Bureau gives applicants good advice. We are giving the
Bureau new tools to help them get correct information and track the
information they give.
The FCC has provided enhanced flexibility in the program. Recently
it has decided to permit applicants to change service providers more
easily, to permit applicants and service providers to substitute
services when new or different equipment can better meet the need, and
to expand timeframes for implementation of one-time purchases and
installation.
In closing, let me turn back to the survey report I cited earlier
E-rate: Keeping the Promise to Connect Kids and Communities to the
Future. The findings were very heartening to those of us who work every
day to deliver the promise of access to advanced telecommunications and
technology to students and communities across this land. The report
concludes that:
. . . the E-rate has increased opportunities for learning in
schools and libraries across America. Survey respondents report
that teachers are using their new Internet access to lead
children on ``virtual field trips'' to zoos, museums,
libraries, national parks and even foreign countries. Students
are actively involved in dialogues either through e-mail or
videoconferencing, with scientists and other experts, as well
as fellow students from around the world. School are joining
together to participate in collaborative online projects, such
as the annual tracking of monarch butterflies, and students are
becoming much more interested in their own education. For
example, in the Holly Springs School in Holly Springs,
Mississippi, a rural, high-poverty school district, second
grade students are becoming more intellectually engaged and
curious learners, finding out about foreign countries on the
Internet, corresponding with pen pals and dramatically
improving their vocabulary. As Karon Tarver, Technology
Director for the East Chambers Independent School District in
Winnie, Texas commented, ``The E-rate has helped this farming
community student body to see beyond the rice fields. Students
are more interested in technology and participating in a global
economy.'' 4
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Education and Libraries Network Coalition, E-rate: Keeping the
Promise to Connect Kids and Communities to the Future, undated but
released spring 2000, page 9.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for your interest in the Schools and Libraries program
and the opportunity to address this Subcommittee today. I would be
pleased to answer your questions.
Mr. Upton. Thank you.
Dr. Spencer.
STATEMENT OF DAVID A. SPENCER
Mr. Spencer. Good morning, Mr. Chairman and members of the
committee, my name is Dr. David Spencer. I'm the President and
CEO of the Michigan Virtual University. It's a pleasure to be
here this morning, and I guess I would start my testimony by
framing the size of our knowledge economy as around $2.2
trillion, and the online component of e-learning within that
economy is presently about $9.4 billion, and it is projected to
increase to about $53 billion by 2003. We are looking at about
a compound annual growth rate of about 54 percent just in the
e-learning world.
The Michigan Virtual University is pleased to participate
this morning. We are a private, not-for-profit corporation with
a Board of Directors made up of corporate executives, higher
education and K-12. It was initially formed by Governor John
Engler and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to
accelerate the capacity of workforce development in our State
for the automotive industry, IT, biotech, and we have initially
provided corporate training and education to a vast array of
companies throughout our State. This is part of a ``Smart
State'' initiative throughout our State of Michigan that
Governor Engler has put in place.
In addition to corporate training and education online, the
Michigan Virtual University has some other unique public-
private partnerships. One of those unique public-private
partnerships is our agreement to work in a noncompetitive with
86 Michigan colleges and universities. At the present time, we
have signed agreements with the President's Council, State
universities of Michigan, which include 15 public 4-year
universities, our 28 Michigan community colleges, as well as
our independent colleges and universities within the State.
We have approximately 750 online degree program courses. We
have about 12,000 students a semester taking online courses
that are credit-oriented. And we also have training and
education available for our faculty at our colleges and
universities to help them become distance-learner providers
within those institutions.
In addition to that, the Michigan Legislature and Governor
John Engler provided the Michigan Virtual University with an
$18 million grant to inaugurate the Michigan Virtual High
School. In much the same way the Virtual University does not
compete by offering its own degree, the Virtual High School
does not offer its own diploma. Instead, we offer, in
conjunction with the local school districts, an online
education which is supplementary to what is offered right there
with the local schools. This has been a great program.
One of the first launches in this program has been with an
Advanced Placement Academy. At the present time, approximately
55 percent of our schools have face-to-face education. We have
provided, through Apex Learning, online courses for advanced
placement. Presently, there are about 1,000 students taking
online courses. In addition to that, we have an AP Review
Program which includes about 10,000 students.
Another initiative that we are working on at MVU is a
Career Guidance System. We have just launched Talent Freeway in
conjunction with the Michigan Department Career Development.
This is probably on of the best online career planning systems
available anywhere in the country today--internships, career
development--for parents, teachers, students, counselors at the
schools.
Another initiative that is part of the Career Guidance
System is we are part of the KPMG Pete Marwick Project with the
U.S. Army for the e-Army initiative. The online Career Guidance
System will be made available over the next 5 years to 80,000
soldiers for their career planning use as well.
Probably the two most significant initiatives at the
Michigan Virtual University are the Statewide IT Training
initiative. Governor Engler will announce next week 700 online
IT courses available to every teacher, every student, and every
administrator at the higher education level and the K-12 level
in the State, with 850,000 potential users, for free, for 3
years, to help stimulate online education and training.
The last initiative is the Teacher Technology Initiative,
or the Laptop Project. Governor Engler and the State
Legislature provided $110 million to provide every teacher,
public school teacher, 90,000-plus in the State of Michigan, a
laptop, software and Internet connectivity. Apple, Compaq,
Dell, Gateway, IBM joined together in a rigorous RFP process to
provide laptops to Michigan school teachers, and this week we
handed out the first laptops to teachers throughout the State.
I will close by citing a couple of initiatives and issues
that we're looking at in e-learning today. No. 1, I think we
must address quality and accreditation across all of our e-
learning initiatives across the country.
Second, I think it is critical that we respond to teacher
and faculty readiness and professional development.
Third, I think it is important we clarify funding issues
for K-12 e-learning.
And, last, it is important that we create additional public
policy partnerships all over the country to help stimulate
further e-learning.
[The prepared statement of David A. Spencer follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF DAVID A. SPENCER, PRESIDENT, MICHIGAN VIRTUAL
UNIVERSITY AND JAMEY T. FITZPATRICK, VICE PRESIDENT, MICHIGAN VIRTUAL
UNIVERSITY
``THERE IS NO GOING BACK. THE TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM HAS BEEN
TRANSFORMED.'' 1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The Power of the Internet for Learning: Report of the Web-
based Education Commission to the President and the Congress of the
United States, Washington, D.C., December 2000, p.1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fundamental to the success of today's Knowledge Economy is how
companies obtain, train and retain knowledge workers. Industry experts
recently assessed the knowledge enterprise industry, which includes
both training and education, at more than $2.2 trillion. From
kindergarten to corporate America, the learning industry is exploding,
fueled by global competition, a shortage of skilled workers, the growth
of the Internet, cost pressures and the rapid pace of change in what we
need to know.
The fastest-growing trend to emerge is e-learning, with Merrill
Lynch projecting the online component alone to grow from $9.4 billion
to $53.3 billion by 2003, a 54 percent compound annual growth rate
(CAGR). 2 International Data Corp. predicts an 83 percent
CAGR in the corporate e-learning market alone in that time period, with
e-learning in the information technology field accounting for almost
half of all training expenditures.3
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Merrill Lynch, The Knowledge Web, May 23, 2000, p. 3.
\3\ WR Hambrecht + Co, Corporate e-Learning: Exploring a New
Frontier, March 2000, p. 25.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the education front, colleges and universities represent the
most wired community on the Web with more than 90 percent of college
students accessing the Internet and spending 85 percent of their online
time on academic pursuits. More than 2.2 million college students are
expected to enroll in distributed courses next year, up from 710,000 in
1998 and representing a 33 percent CAGR.4
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Merrill Lynch, p. 171.
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About Michigan Virtual University (MVU): Michigan Virtual
University delivers e-learning to corporate, higher education and K-12
audiences via the World Wide Web, intranets and other electronic
technologies. It is a vehicle for updating Michigan's workforce to help
keep businesses, jobs, workers and students in Michigan. It is both a
catalyst for expanding the use of electronic learning technologies and
a channel through which Michigan schools, colleges, universities and
corporate course providers can make their e-learning offerings
available to the Michigan public.
Established in 1998 by Governor John Engler and the Michigan
Economic Development Corp.5, Michigan Virtual University is
a private, 501(c)(3) Michigan corporation governed by a board of
directors representing the Michigan employer community, educational
leaders and state government. MVU programs and services are available
for all kinds of training needs, but have special focus on Michigan's
core industries, including manufacturing, information technology and
health care.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ previously the Michigan Jobs Commission
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Among MVU's primary goals:
Establish MVU as the primary front door for distributed
learning.
Expand the capacity of Michigan education and training
providers to use technology to provide more convenient and
cost-effective distributed learning and training opportunities
for Michigan's core industry sectors.
Coordinate the development and deployment of common standards
for technology and student access systems, as well as high-
quality online products and services.
Facilitate the implementation of K-12 and higher-ed technology
initiatives that will accelerate their impact and spur the
growth of a powerful distributed learning infrastructure
spanning the many education systems of the state.
corporate education and training for workforce development
A major goal for Michigan Virtual University is to facilitate
collaboration between business and education in support of Michigan's
``Smart State'' strategy to become a major high-tech industry center
and exporter of information technology products. Accordingly, MVU has
developed partnerships with such corporations as Ameritech, Consumers
Energy, Steelcase, General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler
to develop a model for modernizing job training and creating synergy
between a tech-savvy workforce and Michigan business.
MVU is the parent corporation of the Michigan Virtual Automotive
and Manufacturing College and the Michigan Virtual Information
Technology College. In the context of economic development, MVU works
to help companies develop an e-learning strategy that will keep their
workforce up to date and the company competitive. The goal always is to
design solutions that provide exactly the training that is needed,
when, where and how it is needed.
Through online training, companies increase the likelihood of
getting training to employees wherever they live and work, retain
valuable employees longer, and stretch their training budgets by saving
travel costs. Employees appreciate the scheduling flexibility of
anytime, anywhere learning and the expanded training opportunities that
will enhance their value to the company and their potential earnings.
During the last three years, MVU has engaged in a number of unique
projects and partnerships. Our testimony today will focus on major
current initiatives:
HIGHER EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS & PROGRAMS
The Michigan Virtual University supports a public policy role in
accelerating the capacity of Michigan higher education institutions to
develop and deliver Web-based training and education opportunities. MVU
initiatives to support this important statewide role include marketing
and promotion activities, providing a supportive ``incubator''
environment for the development and delivery of Web-based courses,
faculty and staff development programs, instructional design
consulting, and quality assessment tools. MVU staff often serve as key
external catalysts to initiate campus-wide dialogs on the institutional
and faculty issues surrounding virtual teaching and learning.
The MVU Web-based products and services offered to our partner
institutions are all designed to address identified barriers to the
adoption of online teaching and learning. MVU offers institutions the
ability to conduct their first online programs using a technology
infrastructure of servers, course management software, e-commerce
systems, and a help desk to significantly offset initial costs and
risks of such trials. An online faculty development program has been
successful in teaching faculty to prepare instructionally sound online
courses and to engage students in interactive activities. A recently
developed tool, the Michigan Instructional Design Evaluations System,
provides an objective system for faculty to assess the instructional
design quality of courses. The MVU course catalog provides a statewide
portal to all of the online, credit-bearing courses available from our
institutional partners. At present, more than 750 course offerings can
be accessed by student users and represents an estimated of over 12,000
students enrolled in online courses each semester.
MVU has established key partnerships with the state's institutions
including signed agreements with the 15 public four-year universities
through the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan, the 28
community colleges through the Michigan Community College Association
(MCCA), and selected private and independent colleges. One of the key
success stories has been the support of the community college MCCA-
Virtual Learning Collaborative, a model program for inter-institutional
collaboration in the areas of common tuition, course marketing, student
services, credit transfers and articulation. MVU also plays a key
statewide role in identifying and assessing opportunities for the
export of Michigan-based online training and education to global
markets. An international partnership, the International Open
University for Distance Learning, has been established to facilitate
these international opportunities.
Career Guidance System: Last month, Michigan Virtual University
launched the first phase of TalentFreeway, a comprehensive, user-
friendly online career guidance system funded by the Michigan Dept. of
Career Development. TalentFreeway is a one-stop Web portal for Michigan
employers and residents for exploring and finding Michigan talent for
jobs. It unites and capitalizes on the synergy of online state-funded
tools that previously operated independently of each other: the
Michigan Talent Bank, the Michigan Education Development Plan, Career
Education Consumer Report, Michigan Occupational Information System and
MVU.
Designed for all ages, TalentFreeway directs individuals to the
appropriate education and training resources to fulfill their career
goals and aspirations. It also includes a one-of-a-kind distance
learners' orientation tool, designed to improve their chances for
successful online learning performance and achievement.
Employers use the TalentFreeway to locate new employees
through the Talent Bank and the intern matching system. They
use the Career Education Consumer Report to review training
programs for employees' retention and skill upgrades. Michigan
Virtual University offers an online catalog of training
programs and hundreds of credit courses and degree programs
from Michigan colleges and universities.
Parents can encourage their children's career exploration
through interest assessments, occupational descriptions and
biographies through the Michigan Occupational Information
System and Educational Development Plans. They can also help
themselves transition into a new career or access training.
Teachers and guidance counselors use TalentFreeway to advise
students about careers, encourage parental involvement at home
through the Internet, create an education and training plan,
take online courses and search for internships.
MVU's career guidance system enables organizations in Michigan and
across the nation to customize the Internet Web portal for their own
audiences.
MVU has engaged state and federal agencies, employers, employees,
students, teachers, parents, Chambers of Commerce and many other groups
to ensure that the current site and future iterations meet the diverse
career planning and exploration needs. In addition, the CGS has formed
an advisory council of nationally recognized career counseling experts.
Michigan Virtual High School: In 2000, the Michigan Legislature and
Governor John Engler appropriated $18 million to MVU over three years
to create and operate the Michigan Virtual High School. The goals of
the new entity are:
Expand curricular offerings for high schools across Michigan.
Create statewide instructional models using interactive
multimedia Internet-based tools for distributed learning at the
high school level.
Provide students with opportunities to develop skills and
competencies in online learning.
Offer high school teachers opportunities to learn new skills
and strategies for developing and delivering instructional
services.
Accelerate Michigan's ability to respond to current and
emerging educational demands.
In spearheading the Michigan Virtual High School, MVU engaged a
coalition of K-12 education groups, including the Michigan Association
of Secondary School Administrators and the Michigan Education
Association, the state's largest teacher union.
The Michigan Virtual High School will target all public and private
students in grades 9-12, students who are being schooled at home,
adjudicated youth enrolled in institutional facility programs, and
expelled and homebound students receiving supervised instructional
support. The core academic focus areas will include at-risk programs,
Advanced Placement and dual enrollment courses, information technology
courses, and special interest or enrichment courses.
The Michigan Virtual High School will not become an independent
high school offering its own diplomas, nor is it intended to be a
replacement for existing classroom-based instruction in Michigan public
high schools. Instead, it serves as a supplemental education delivery
mechanism to enhance and expand instructional opportunities for
Michigan high schools and serve as a resource for rural, urban and
suburban high schools throughout the state. Starting this spring,
teachers, students and administrators at Michigan K-12 schools will
have free access to more than 700 online information technology courses
through the MVU and the Information Technology Training Initiative (see
page 8).
Advanced Placement Academy: MVU has forged a partnership with Apex
Learning, Inc, a Seattle based company that designs and develops high
quality online courseware in the area of Advanced Placement. Prior to
the agreement, more than 40 percent of Michigan high school students
did not have access to Advanced Placement courses at their local high
school. The MVU/Apex agreement allows any high school to have access to
online AP courses. In Michigan, more than 145 schools and 962 students
have already benefited from MVU's online course scholarship offer for
the 2000-01 school year. In addition, nearly 10,000 students have
signed up for the Apex-developed College Board-related AP Exam Review
services, available online March 12 at no cost to any Michigan high
school student. The review is a self-paced, online tool that includes
diagnostic testing, quizzes, practice exams and a self-study plan.
Nearly 200 Michigan high school AP teachers have registered to use
the free AP online Class Tools product, which provides teachers with
high end multi-media content, including course units, tests, quizzes
and reference materials for their individual classroom use.
Oracle Internet Academies: MVU is working with the Oracle
Corporation to establish as many as 15 Oracle Internet Academies over
the next two years that will function as robust labs for Michigan high
school students with online and teacher-facilitated learning in popular
IT applications. Oracle will provide one teacher from each
participating school with intensive, year-long training that includes
several online courses and residential training at Oracle's Instructors
Institute. Oracle will provide materials, technical support and
certification exams for up to 30 students at each participating school.
Although created with Oracle, the academies will provide non-
proprietary instruction in database development, including SQL and PL/
SQL, Java programming and Java database applications.
U.S. Army Project: The U.S. Army has awarded a contract to
Pricewaterhouse Coopers to provide distance education for an estimated
80,000 soldiers over the next five years. The contract unites more than
a dozen technology providers and an initial set of 29 higher education
partners, including Michigan Virtual University, to create Army
University Access Online (www.earmyu.org).
Under a fee-for-services contract, MVU will provide the partnership
with a set of education planning tools to assist the soldiers/students
in exploring their career interests, academic achievements, and
learning styles in order to make informed career and education choices.
These tools will be customized from the newly developed MVU career
guidance system and the Distance Learners Orientation Tool. MVU also
will serve on the project's Council on Academic Management, which will
provide guidance on the academic standards and policies to govern the
selection and monitoring of participating education partners. MVU will
represent the interests of all Michigan higher education institutions
through this seat on the Academic Council and identify opportunities
for them to partner with MVU in program development for the Army's
online university.
Ameritech Technology Academy: A coalition of Michigan educational
organizations have created the Ameritech Technology Academy, an
innovative program that will train Michigan K-12 teachers on how to
effectively use and integrate technology into their curriculum and
instructional strategies. This program will create a core of 2000
education experts who will work with schools to help integrate
technology in the curriculum and use technology in a sustained and
effective manner. Through the Academy, four-person educational teams
will learn the latest techniques and strategies for putting technology
to work in all areas of the curriculum. In addition to the technology,
the teams will consider how to help others in their building put
technology to greater use. Each team consists of two teachers, a
building-level administrator and a media specialist, teacher, or other
person able to facilitate change among their colleagues. The Academy is
funded primarily by a grant from Ameritech with additional support from
Michigan Virtual University and the Michigan Dept. of Education.
Information Technology Training Initiative: On March 12, Gov.
Engler will formally announce the Information Technology Training
Initiative. Through a partnership with NETg (National Education
Training Group), a worldwide provider of online courseware, MVU will
provide more than 700 Web-based information technology (IT) courses to
as many as 850,000 students, faculty, K-12 teachers and staff. These
stand-alone, self-paced courses will be made available free to
individual educational institutions, which may add instructional
wraparounds such as teacher instruction, supplementary content,
customization and communication tools. Students and teachers will
access the courses through their schools, at no cost, via the MVU Web
site. The Information Technology Training Initiative will allow
students greater access to IT training and enable teachers and faculty
to integrate technology and online education into any and all of their
courses and curricula. The courses cover all types of IT topics,
including:
End-user topics, such as PC basics, Internet navigation, word
processing, spreadsheets, databases, e-mail programs and
desktop publishing.
Infrastructure topics, such as programming languages, client/
server development tools, relational databases, intranet
development and mainframe issues.
Certification learning paths. (Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco and
Novell; certification exams are third-party administered.)
Management and professional development.
Teacher Technology Initiative: In July 2000, Gov. John Engler and
the Michigan Legislature approved $110 million in funding for the
Teacher Technology Initiative. The goal of the program is to support
teaching and learning in Michigan's public schools and public school
academies through a significant one-time investment in Michigan's K-12
teachers. To accomplish this, teachers will be provided with a personal
computer, software, remote Internet access (dial-up) and Web-based
professional development. Michigan Virtual University was asked by
Governor Engler and the Michigan Legislature to provide leadership in
working with state government and the entire education community to
oversee the design and development of this project.
MVU has completed a competitive review process to select five
quality vendors, including Apple, Compaq, Dell, Gateway and IBM. Of the
90,000-plus K-12 teachers in Michigan, more than 65,000 have completed
a required Web-based assessment designed to determine their level of
comfort and proficiency in using technology in the classroom. In
conjunction with the Michigan Education Alliance, MVU is creating a Web
site that will eventually be a statewide portal for education groups.
In the meantime, the site (www.ClickOnK12.org) will be the default on
all of the computers delivered through the Teacher Technology
Initiative.
CONCLUSION:
The e-learning movement has resulted in a great deal of high-level
public policy discussion nationwide at K-12 schools, colleges and
universities. Michigan Virtual University supports the findings and
recommendations found in ``The Power of the Internet for Learning,''
the recently published report of the Web-based Education Commission to
the President and the Congress of the United States.
Expanded Web-based educational opportunities are causing many of us
to re-examine existing local, state and federal policy issues. The
private sector is also playing a major role in shaping the future of
how this nation's educational institutions deliver education and
training. As they relate to online education and training, we believe
the following six policy issues are the most significant over the next
2-3 years:
1. Clarify and address important accreditation and quality issues for
K-12 and higher education online programs and services.
2. Examine and respond to teacher and faculty readiness and
professional development needs.
3. Develop strategies to increase student preparation for future online
learning opportunities
4. Clarify funding issues, especially as they relate to K-12 per-pupil
funding for online student enrollments.
5. Study the implications of online education for home-schooled
children, charter schools and special needs populations.
6. Create expanded opportunities and incentives to stimulate new and
innovative public/private partnerships.
Mr. Upton. Thank you very much.
Dr. Domenech.
STATEMENT OF DANIEL A. DOMENECH
Mr. Domenech. Mr. Chairman, Congressman Davis, and other
members of the subcommittee, I am the Superintendent of the
Fairfax County Public School System, with 160,000 students, the
12th largest school district in the nation. We serve 13 percent
of our State's elementary and secondary students, and our
annual operating budget is approximately $1.5 billion. I am
also a former President of the American Association of School
Administrators, the professional organization of more than
14,000 local superintendents and public school leaders on whose
behalf I appear before you today.
Our system enjoys the support of 200-plus business
partners, with 50 percent of them offering mentoring and
tutoring to support academic achievement, about 40 percent
support special events, and the remainder allow us to conduct
career day programs, job shadowing experiences, and other
arrangements.
My testimony will focus on three areas: Increased distance
and interactive learning, professional and technical studies
through our relationship with Cox Cable, and student programs
aid professional and technical academy certifications, the
movement of education beyond our classroom walls.
Cox Cable, with whom we have a 20-year relationship,
provides us with funding and support for six cable channels.
Three are internal for such activities as instruction in
Japanese, downloading of titles from our video library, staff
development, monthly programs for our parents who speak Korean,
Spanish, Vietnamese, Farsi and Arabic, and electronic field
trips to the Berlin Wall, the Smithsonian, NASA, and many other
interesting projects.
Microsoft Corporation allows us to train students in
network administration, with the aim of full Microsoft
certification. One young person became the first student to
successfully pass the Cisco Certified Network Program, the A+
Certification Program, and the Microsoft Certification Systems
Engineering, all in the same year. And this was a student who
may have fallen through the cracks had it not been for our
business partnerships.
We are one of just 30 national pilot projects supported by
the Oracle Corporation for data base mainframe certification,
and more than 100 of our students are working in paid
technology internships. Through partnerships with our County
Offices of Partnerships and Family Services, we have created
computer learning centers with state-of-the-art computers
acquired through business partner donations. You will hear
later from Rae Grad, who is one of our witnesses today, and
PowerUP, who is one of our partners in that endeavor.
Teachers report positive learning gains for children using
these centers and, interestingly enough, vandalism in the areas
where they live has dropped 33 percent.
Through the Offices of Family Services, our 5th grade
classes are participating in wireless computer labs, which is
becoming a major initiative in our school system, and each
student has been given a laptop computer and printer for home
use, coupled with free Internet access provided by Verizon.
Attendance and behavior improvements are credited to this kind
of program.
We urge Congress to definitely continue the FCC's e-rate
program and, as Congressman Markey pointed out before, we don't
mind if we call it the ``ED Program'', which provides the
Internet access that makes our partnerships work. Even though
we are, some may consider, a wealthy jurisdiction, Fairfax has
significant areas of poverty with our school poverty rates
averaging anywhere from 20 to 82 percent, depending on the
locality.
Through the e-rate, our district has received more than
$8.5 million annually in service discounts over the past 3
years, and our businesses also provide vital infrastructure
support--for example, Capp, Gemini, Ernst and Young gave us
$50,000 in pro bono technology assessment consulting.
We are experiencing a new wave of partnerships in public
schools, and as technology continues to advance at high speed,
schools are receiving partner benefits to keep our schools on
the cutting edge of integration and technology in our
classrooms.
Even our Education Foundation, which is a group made up of
business companies in our area, have earmarked a $10 million
project for the next 3 years to address technology needs and
infrastructure in a number of our schools. So, we are highly
appreciative of the incredible support in Fairfax County that
we receive from our business partners. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Daniel A. Domenech follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF DANIEL A. DOMENECH, SUPERINTENDENT, FAIRFAX
COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Mr. Chairman, Congressman Markey and members of the committee. My
name is Daniel Domenech. I am the Superintendent of Schools for the
Fairfax County Virginia School System, a district with more than
160,000 students. We serve 13 percent of our state's elementary and
secondary students. And we are the 12th largest school system in the
nation, in a county with nearly one million citizens. Our annual
operating budget is $1.4 billion.
In addition I am a former President of the American Association of
School Administrators, the professional organization representing more
than 14,000 local superintendents and public school leaders and on
whose behalf I appear before you today.
Our students enjoy the benefit and support of 178 public and
private partnerships in the advancement of their education. Of that
total, 130 are with individual businesses, corporations and
professional business associations. Partners from the technology sector
represent 56 of our supporters.
Why are these relationships valuable? Because the arrangements are
mutually beneficial, assisting students with the new and thriving world
of electronic communications. In addition we receive professional
development for our staff. All the while allowing partners to share
their values, objectives, resources, roles and responsibilities toward
the goal of increasing student achievement and delivering positive
public visibility for our public sector champions.
From Cox Communications and Cisco Systems, Microsoft and Lockheed
Martin, to Oracle and Xerox, private/ public partnerships have been
playing an increasing role in the advancement of education technology.
These friends of public education have contributed millions of
dollars in man-hours, services and grants that help us, even more, make
a more difference in the lives of our young people. Today, I am going
to talk about our partnerships in three areas: increasing distance and
interactive learning, encouraging students towards network
certification and lastly, bringing education technology beyond the
classroom walls.
Close to 20 years ago, our district began partnering with the
Fairfax cable system, which is now Cox Communications. As a part of
Cox's plan with Fairfax County, a certain percent of their revenue goes
directly back to the county for use in our schools. We have been able
to use this funding to develop a state of the art cable station.
In addition to the funding, Cox Communications provides our
district with six channels; three of which are held for intra-district
services; these internal television operations allow us to originate
and record more than 250 original programs per year, for school
learning use. More than 25 school board meetings are telecast via this
service annually.
Thanks to Cox we have 11 full time producers and directors, six
engineers and video designers, two to run the system's master control;
and several who provide media, training and programming services. Every
classroom in our 234 schools and education centers is wired for cable;
creating a symbiotic relationship that has benefited many our schools,
in much the same way as the Instructional Fixed Television Service
licenses and partnerships have aided thousands of schools across the
country.
Because of Cox we are able work collaboratively with students and
parents to:
Present a biweekly news program;
Offer monthly adult and community education programming in
Korean, Spanish, Vietnamese, Farsi and Arabic;
Provide assistive technology for students with disabilities;
Offer live mentoring programs;
Deliver daily one-hour classes in Japanese and Advanced
Placement (AP) Spanish Literature instruction to students;
Furnish enrichment programs in literature, juvenile justice,
music and geography;
Take students--again, ours and others across the nation--on
``electronic field trips'' to such places as the Berlin Wall,
with the assistance of Lufthansa airlines; the Smithsonian and
NASA operations;
Offer parents--through their home or public library access
computers--the opportunity to work more closely with their
child and his/her child's own teacher to develop the content
and technology of their child's educational program;
Develop and maintain relationships with the state department
of education in such arenas as AP distance learning classes;
and
Allow in-school, interactive professional development to
teachers, as they work to refine classroom curriculum.
Our youngsters, several times each year, are able to meet and speak
with noted authors of children's books, courtesy of our ``Meet the
Author'' cable program. Caldecott Award-winning author, Paul Curtis,
opened young people's eyes to what is possible, if you work hard and
are determined to succeed, by relating his story on how he was
transformed from an automobile plant laborer to a successful writer.
Shelley Snow, a gifted writer who often pens stories about the snow
and dog racing stories of Alaska, prompted a student to ask, ``How do
you write in Alaska with all that snow?'' Real learning takes place
from such humorous exchanges.
And this year, Fairfax County Students, will talk with Jon
Scieszka, who wrote the hilarious book, ``Stinky Cheese Man.'' Who says
learning can't be fun? That approach is essential, because we want
every child to succeed, to leave no child behind. A bored student, who
doesn't ``get it'' and doesn't care, can lead to another dropout
statistic, another ``failed'' life; another student ``left behind''.
The other three Cox education channels give us the opportunity to
provide information from our schools--programs, performances,
workshops, student success stories, and school needs--to every Fairfax
citizen with Cox cable.
The Fairfax County Public Schools have also been successful in
partnering with software companies. Thanks to the Microsoft
Corporation, we are enhancing our program that trains our students in
network administration, through free server software and reduced rates
for students and teachers who seek Microsoft certification. We
currently have more than 300 students enrolled in this program. This
partnership is working to encourage our youngsters toward full network
certification.
Similarly, Oracle is working with us--and we are just one of 30
such projects in the nation--on a database mainframe certification
program. This unique partner has generously provided extensive training
for two of our teachers. Oracle will be providing another training
session this coming year. Oracle provides us textbooks and all training
for students in the program (125 this year), teacher assistance for
setting and running servers, and waiving of the certification fees
normally required for students and teachers.
Finally, we are beginning one of the most important transition
evolutions through deliverance of this technology beyond the classroom
walls. Over the past several years, our district has partnered with the
Fairfax County Office of Partnerships, their office of Family Services
and their office of Private Industry to create Computer Community
Learning Centers. These centers have developed inside apartment
buildings and shopping centers. Essentially they are computer labs used
by the surrounding community, especially our students. These labs are
filled with refurbished computers that have been donated for this
project. Believe it or not, the local fire department has taken the
lead in helping to restore these computers. With the help of of Booz-
Allen, members of the local fire department have been given the
opportunity to become certified technicians.
However, the beauty of this program is designed in the benefit it
gives to our students. Each computer contains programming that is
aligned with the curriculum taught in our schools. A student earns
points for every hour he/she spends in the Computer Community Learning
Center. Upon earning a specified sum of points, that child is able to
take a computer home.
Once these machines are in students' homes their learning is
further enhanced, thanks to our partnership with Star Power, with free
access to the Internet. Just two days ago, we awarded computers to two
4th grade students, who work on stations at the Sacramento site in a
local shopping center. This great gift of empowerment to those students
would not have been possible without community partnerships.
That one example is evidence of the importance of placing the
technology where learning occurs.
A pilot project, currently in service, with the assistance of the
Fairfax County Office of Family Services, allows a fifth grade class--
at Woodley Hills Elementary School--to participate in a wireless
computer lab. Each student in the class has been given a laptop
computer to take home with them. Through grant money, we have been able
to provide each of those students' homes with a printer. Via
partnership with Verizon, each student has free internet access from
home.
The child's computer has become an integral part of classroom
instruction. Students have been able to assimilate technology as part
of the learning process. Though this program has only been in this
class since November, we are already seeing improvements in attendance
rates and social/ emotional behavior. We expect to find academic
improvements by the end of the year.
Placing the technology in schools, is paramount, if we are to allow
partnerships to flourish.
The Federal Communications Commission E-Rate program offers school
districts and libraries discounts climbing to 90 percent of the costs
for telecommunications services, Internet access and internal
connections (wiring, network hardware and network maintenance). Within
our school district, we have individual schools ranging from 20 percent
to 82 percent. Over the last three years, the E-Rate program has
afforded Fairfax County Schools more than $ 8.5 million in discounted
services. Left untold and behind the scenes, Fairfax benefits from
millions of dollars of leveraged funds our district and community have
put toward telecommunication services and products.
Finally, the effect of public/private partnerships in education
technology has forced us to develop the content and technology
together. It is useless to have new avenues for technology, unless
there is applicable education content to use with those opportunities.
As technology continues to advance at a high speed, schools across
America offer ample evidence that partnerships vastly expand public
school learning horizons.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am happy to entertain any questions you
may have.
Mr. Upton. Thank you very much. I just note that since the
President calls me ``Freddy Boy'', maybe we ought to call this
the ``Ed-E'' program.
Mr. Domenech. That will work.
Mr. Upton. I know that's not news to you either.
Sister McDonald, welcome to the committee.
STATEMENT OF SISTER DALE McDONALD
Sister McDonald. Good morning. I am Dale McDonald, Director
of Public Policy and Educational Research at the National
Catholic Educational Association in Washington, DC.
Mr. Markey. Can I first point out that I am a graduate of
the Immaculate Conception Grammar School, Catholic Boston
College and Boston College Law School?
Sister McDonald. I am a B.C. grad also, although I am from
New York. I am a member of the Sisters of the Presentation from
New York.
Mr. Markey. You know that B.C.'s playing Villanova at noon
today on ESPN.
Mr. Upton. The Wolverines are on at 4:30, but they are not
expected to do very well.
Sister McDonald. NCEA is a professional membership
organization. We serve Catholic educators across the spectrum
of Catholic education, primarily in the 8,200 schools and the
2.6 million students that are in Catholic schools today.
I speak today on behalf of my association in particular,
and the private school community in general, and I speak in
support of the E-rate program and its positive impact on
improving telecommunications access for students in our
schools. I have been involved with the E-rate program since the
passage of the Telecommunications Act, working with the
Education and Libraries Network Coalition, EdLiNC, on the
implementation processes that were developed before the FCC,
and then working with our schools to be sure that they access
the program in a meaningful way for them.
My remarks will focus primarily on what the E-rate programs
has leveraged for our schools, and why I think that is so.
The focus of the E-rate was to close the educational
digital divide by promoting equity and excellence in
telecommunications access for everyone, and that is a key part
of our participation in this program. It is the most popular of
the programs in which our schools participate. We are big
consumers of most of the Federal ESEA programs, but this has
far greater consequences because every school is entitled to
participate equally. Again, the targeted discounts are to the
schools that are in most need, but those schools that may not
have a high concentration of poverty but are themselves cash-
poor are also able to participate. And that has been a big deal
for us.
What the E-rate has leveraged for us is the increased
levels of technology hardware and connectivity using both the
studies done by the National Center for Educational Statistics
and also the annual Quality Education Data Surveys. We have
seen we have made enormous progress in very short time. And
that has come about primarily because of the E-rate and the
awareness it has raised in our community of the need for
technology not as a frill that we used to think it was, but as
an integral part of the education we offer our students.
The E-rate has also helped us to think strategically about
technology for our schools where as earlier than really 3 years
ago, we had some computers in some computer labs, but there was
not an overall process. So, through the E-rate we had to
develop technology plans which became a smart way to approach
this. And then because of the component in the application
process where you certify professional development to teachers,
we have begun to put a great deal of emphasis on that aspect of
``if we have the stuff, then we have got to learn how to use
it, and use it smartly''. And we have data here in the formal
remarks that look to the achievements we have made on both of
those levels.
The curriculum infused with the technology is starting to
become words that are in actualization in various levels across
our schools, depending on the level of hardware primarily that
one is able to use to access. Our least rate of growth is in
the area of high speed, but that is related primarily to the
ability to match what the undiscounted portion is.
The anecdotes that are provided here also look at just
giving you a snapshot of the diversity of the application
consequences, depending on the level of poverty at the school,
and then what that has been able to--a 90-percent discount in
most of our schools that are eligible for that has leveraged a
great deal of attention as well as contributions and in-kind
services, and so on. But what is important, even if the school
gets $3500 or it gets $185,000, those are a lot of dollars for
individual schools, particularly our schools where most of them
are small parish schools--45 percent of our schools are in
urban districts--there is not a lot of discretionary money for
technology, but this has helped significantly. $2500 that is
discounted on one part of the service may even lend to
providing technology hardware to match.
One of the reasons that I think this program has had the
most impact is the equity issue, that all of our schools are
able to participate and to participate directly in this. I go
back to Congressman Markey's remarks at the beginning: It is
not fair to a program that we have to go through the districts
trying to get a share of a Block Grant or a share of a District
Grant. We have had a lot of frustration in certain districts
trying to receive the equitable participation in the Federal
ESEA programs. This is straightforward: You apply, albeit
somewhat cumbersome the first time out but, after that, you
know where you are going, what to expect, and the key part
would be the funding stream as it is now. There is a
predictability to it. It is one thing to get the school wired
and to apply for a T1 line, but then if you don't have the
circumstances in which you can support that without the
discount, you are in trouble. So that has been a major part of
our participation, is the reliable funding stream through the
Universal Service Program.
[The prepared statement of Sister Dale McDonald follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF SISTER DALE MCDONALD, NATIONAL CATHOLIC
EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION
I am Sister Dale McDonald, PBVM, PhD, Director of Public Policy and
Educational Research at the National Catholic Educational Association
in Washington, D.C. NCEA is a professional membership organization that
has been providing leadership and service to Catholic educators since
1904. NCEA's mission is to advance the educational and catechetical
mission of the Church and provide leadership and service to its members
in preschools, elementary and secondary schools, parish catechetical/
religious education programs, diocesan offices, boards, colleges and
universities, and seminaries who serve over 7.6 million students.
I speak today on behalf of my association in particular, and the
private school community in general. I speak in support of the E-rate
program and its positive impact on improving telecommunications access
for students in our schools. I have been involved with the E-rate
program since the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996,
working with the Education and Libraries Network Coalition EdLiNC as
implementation processes were developed by the FCC.
The EdLiNC coalition's campaign, centering on the term ``E-rate,''
focused attention on the intended purposes of the program: to close the
education digital divide by promoting equity and excellence in
telecommunications access for everyone. While the discounts are
targeted to schools that serve the poorest populations, all public
elementary and secondary schools, as well as K-12 not for profit
private and parochial schools, with endowments under $50 million, are
eligible to participate.
Impact on Catholic schools:
In general, the E-rate program helped to accomplish several
significant changes in our schools. About 48% of all Catholic schools
receive E-rate discounts that have enabled most of them to bring the
Internet and some high-speed circuits, local and wide-area networks and
distance learning capabilities into the school. Significant areas of
impact can be noted since the 1995-1996 school year, before the E-rate
program was enacted in the 1996 Telecommunications Act. According the
National Center for Educational Statistics, in two surveys Advanced
Telecommunication in U.S. Private Schools: K-12, conducted in the 1995-
1996 and 1998-1999 school years, this progress can be documented for
Catholic schools:
1) Increased levels of technology hardware and connectivity
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hardware and Connectivity 1995-1996 1998-1999
------------------------------------------------------------------------
student-to-computer ratio....................... 10:1 8:1
percentage of schools with Internet access...... 35 83
percentage of schools with instructional rooms 4 27
with Internet connectivity.....................
ratio of students to instructional computers 174:1 19:1
with Internet access...........................
percentage of schools with Internet using dial- 94 65
up connections.................................
percentage of schools with LAN networking in 33 51
classroom......................................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) Development of technology plans:
The E-rate application process requires the applicant to have an
approved technology plan with stated technology and educational goals,
as well as professional development of teachers and resources needed to
finance the acquisition of hardware and software to support
telecommunications services. This has motivated the schools, as well as
the Diocesan School Offices, to develop comprehensive plans for
implementing long and short-term goals pertaining to the thoughtful
integration of technology into the life of the school.
3) Professional development of teachers:
The professional development component of the E-rate required
technology plans has had an impact on how schools spend their general
funds budgeted for professional development of the faculty. Data
collected by NCES in 1999 indicate that Catholic schools have made
great strides in this area. Such information was not even solicited
prior to 1998.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Professional development technology related activities
provided by schools: percentage of schools that provide
the following
any advanced telecommunications training for teachers...... 88%
training in integration of technology into curriculum...... 74%
use of the Internet........................................ 66%
------------------------------------------------------------------------
4) Curriculum infused with technology:
The E-rate has helped schools develop their education programs to
include an Internet-enhanced curriculum in classrooms in a way that is
fundamentally changing how students learn. Reported teacher use of
technology to enhance the learning experience for students is now close
to half; but technology and connectivity needed to provide distance
learning opportunities is low. This area requires the highest and most
expensive levels of connectivity and hardware and is the area to show
the lowest rate of growth.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technology use in teaching/learning activities
percentage of teachers regularly using computers/ 48%
telecommunications for teaching...........................
percentage of schools that provide distance learning 7%
opportunities for students................................
percentage of schools that provide distance learning 16%
professional development activities for teachers..........
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anecdotal reports on how the E-rate has impacted individual school
recipients:
The levels of participation for our schools vary widely, based on a
number of factors. Schools in the 90% -80% discount levels, based on
family income, have been able to obtain substantial discounts on
internal wiring that allowed them to build an infrastructure that
provides not only network connectivity within the school and among
schools, but also opens up the classrooms to distance learning
opportunities. Schools receiving smaller discounts (20-40%) have also
been able maximize their resources to bring technology into their
schools in classrooms and resource rooms. In almost all schools
receiving the E-rate discounts, those dollars have leveraged others by
way of additional contributions and grants from donors who want to
support the potential they see being developed. Three scenarios
illustrate this point:
Cathedral High School in Boston, Massachusetts serves an inner-
city, ethnically diverse low income population that entitles the school
to a 90% E-rate discount. These discounts have enabled the installation
of network connections throughout the school, use of a T-1 line to
connect to the Internet, and development of infrastructure that is
bringing computers into all of the classrooms. It has enabled the
school to participate in the Virtual High School program that allows
students to supplement curricular offerings with distance learning
classes. E-rate funding has also enhanced the school's community based
programs that serve the neighborhood immigrant populations with ESL
classes, computer training and summer school programs that make use of
and benefit from Cathedral's augmented infrastructure. The program has
also attracted other grants, enabling Cathedral to provide professional
development training for its teachers and the purchase of the hardware
and software not covered under the E-rate program.
St. Mary's School in Richmond, Virginia, receives a 40% discount.
Although it is located in an area with one of the highest per capita
incomes in the country, the school itself does not have a great deal of
discretionary income. St. Mary's has used the E-rate to defray the
costs of phone lines for dial-up connections and Internet connectivity
and has enlisted its parents in developing a technology policy and
raising funds for hardware. Parents have considerable input into how
technology is integrated into the curriculum and report that there has
been increased levels of teacher/student/parent communication. The
professional development required by the E-rate application process
resulted in St. Mary's placing a priority on providing training for
teachers to be able to use technology in the classroom to promote
higher levels of learning and the development of critical thinking
skills in the students.
St. Francis Xavier School in Moundsville, West Virginia is a small
K-8 school in a northern West Virginia community that has experienced
the loss of a once vital industrial economy. The 40% discount level
enabled the school to connect each classroom to the computer lab and
Internet. Most significantly, E-rate dollars have attracted additional
funds. They received a grant to purchase a scanner, digital camera and
web design software to create a website and publish a school newspaper.
Also, the E-rate initiative, has prompted the diocesan school office to
begin investing in technology for all of the schools by providing
grants and hiring a technology coordinator for the diocese. Students
are using the technology in the classroom to do research and learn how
to use information discriminatingly and effectively. To further
parental involvement in students' learning, the school has planned
classes for parents to learn how to use the Internet and the software
their children are using.
It is important to keep in mind that these discounts represent
significant dollars for our schools. Despite the myths that prevail
concerning private schools, most Catholic schools do not have large
amounts of discretionary funding. In order to keep tuition affordable
for parents, particularly in urban areas, fundraising must occur just
to meet the general operating costs of the school. In the not too
distant past, technology was considered a frill that most schools could
not afford. The awareness that the E-rate program has raised in our
schools of the necessity of technology access for students to prepare
them for life and work in the 21st Century has leveraged more creative
and aggressive development activities to acquire technology for the
schools.
Reasons for this impact:
The E-rate has been one of the most successful programs in terms of
attracting participation of Catholic schools as well as the other
religious and independent schools. A key component of that success has
been the access and equity issues associated with the E-rate program
structure and administration.
High levels of participation, in comparison with ESEA and other
government programs, may be attributable in large part to the fact that
it is a program that does not require schools to go through the local
public school district and compete for a fair share of the resources.
Many of our schools experience a great deal of frustration in dealing
with multiple school districts when trying to obtain the equitable
portion of ESEA services to which their students are entitled. While
the E-rate application processes may be a bit cumbersome for first time
applicants, the advantage is that school administrators are able to
apply directly to the Schools and Libraries Division of the Universal
Service Administrative Company and request the services they know they
need, want and can afford--and know precisely where the application
goes and what to expect as the process unfolds. This allows
administrators to plan wisely and begin to implement services in a
timely manner.
There is not much public assistance available to our schools at the
state and local levels. Most of the technology assistance provided to
public schools is not available to private schools because state and
local government-funded technology bond issues or other initiatives
specifically exclude private school participation. This is due in large
part to Blaine Amendment type language in state constitutions that
specifically disallows any assistance to our schools. While corporate
sponsors have made some contributions to private schools, their efforts
are few and not sustained. Therefore, the E-rate program is a source of
support that will provide the consistent assistance that is necessary
to facilitate effective long-range technology planning and
implementation.
Because the E-rate is not a U.S. Department of Education federal
program that triggers church-state issues, schools can apply directly
to USAC on an equitable basis with their public school counterparts.
Catholic and other private schools do not have to negotiate with state
and local education agencies, subjecting them to the entanglements of
federal regulations that do not exist under the current E-rate
structure. The E-rate program has worked very well for all schools,
particularly those in the private sector, under the administration of
the FCC, the appropriate entity to administer a telecommunications
program.
Retaining and expanding opportunities for improving access to new
and innovative technologies for all students, regardless of the schools
they attend, must be part of any new legislative initiatives. The
ideals of the E-rate program--education, excellence and equity for
everyone--have made a significant impact on learning opportunities for
students, particularly those in Catholic, other religious and
independent schools.
Mr. Upton. Thank you.
Ms. McHale.
STATEMENT OF JUDITH A. McHALE
Ms. McHale. Good morning, Mr. Chairman and members of the
subcommittee. I am Judith McHale, President and Chief Operating
Officer of Discovery Communications, the parent company of the
Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, Animal Planet and 30
other television networks around the world. I also serve as
Chair of Cable in the Classroom, the cable industry's
educational centerpiece. In addition, I serve on the Maryland
State Board of Education, giving me a unique perspective on
these educational issues from the public as well as the private
sector.
I want to talk this morning about the contributions the
cable industry is making to enhance the quality of education in
our nation's communities and the industry's vision of equipping
classrooms with new technologies so that we can strengthen our
children's learning experience.
Over the last 12 years, cable companies and cable
programmers, through Cable in the Classroom, have provided free
cable connections and more than 500 hours per month of
commercial-free educational programming to over 80,000 schools
in the United States. Forty national cable networks and 8500
local cable companies have contributed over $100 million
annually, or more than $1 billion over the last decade, to this
public service initiative.
Here is how Cable in the Classroom works. First, a
community's local cable company provides free cable connections
and free cable service to any accredited K through 12 school.
Second, cable networks, including Discovery, CNN, Nickelodeon
and the Weather Channel air special, commercial-free programs
designed specifically for use in the classroom. Once a school
begins receiving the service, teachers have at their disposal a
vast array of educational programs that can supplement their
curriculum and offer students a visual teaching aid that brings
subjects to life.
Looking forward, let me share with you today how the cable
industry is continuing to make a difference as new technologies
develop which will enhance our educational system. First, by
increasing access to broadband technologies across the digital
divide; second, by providing compelling and informative content
on air and online; third, by ensuring privacy and safety of our
students online; and, fourth, by strengthening professional
development to help our teachers learn to use new technologies
and teaching methods effectively.
For schools, the quality of Internet access is critical.
Broadband access will be the new standard. Slow, unreliable
connections that cannot support interactivity or rich
multimedia content will no longer be sufficient.
Toward this end, the cable industry has developed an
initiative called High-Speed Education Connection. Under this
program, cable companies are deploying broadband technology
including free cable modem and high-speed Internet access to
libraries and K through 12 schools.
The second challenge is to build on the programming that
Cable in the Classroom has provided for so many years to ensure
there is the appropriate level of informative, interesting and
usable content online. Most of the 40 Cable in the Classroom
programmer members offer extensive online resources for
educational purposes, and Cable in the Classroom online serves
as both a clearinghouse for free educational resources offered
by the cable industry and as a portal linking teachers to these
resources.
A third challenge is ensuring that what our kids see online
is safe, proper and positive. The Internet carries with it
danger as well as promise.
The cable industry provides special resources and training
to help parents and teachers feel safe and productive in
cyberspace. For example, Cable in the Classroom recently
launched a program called Take Your Parents to Cyberschool.
With guidance from the National Association of Elementary
School Principals, Cyberschool uses an interactive online
service to show children and parents how to find safe,
educational resources on the Internet.
Simply installing technology in classrooms is not enough.
Our teachers and educators must have the capabilities to use
technology effectively and incorporate its usage into the daily
rhythms of their classes and lesson plans.
To address this issue, in 1998 we launched the Cable in the
Classroom Professional Development Institute, a series of
hands-on computer workshops offered to educators across the
country at no cost to schools. These interactive sessions
introduce educations to the vast curriculum resources and
services of cable and help educators make effective use of
video and the Internet.
In addition, the cable industry has launched WebTeacher, a
comprehensive, interactive online tutorial that includes
strategies for navigating the Internet and finding the best web
sites for classroom instruction.
I have a personal and deeply held passion for improving
educational opportunities for our children. The cable industry
shares this goal and is committed to making certain that
students of all ages have access to the most advanced
technologies and the best and most compelling educational
content available. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Judith A. McHale follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF JUDITH A. MCHALE, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING
OFFICER, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS INC.
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, I am Judith McHale,
President and Chief Operating Officer of Discovery Communications Inc,
the parent company of Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, Animal
Planet and 30 other networks around the world. I also serve as Chair of
Cable in the Classroom, the cable industry's educational centerpiece.
I would like to talk this morning about the contributions the cable
industry is making to enhance the quality of education in our nation's
communities and the industry's vision of equipping classrooms in every
state with new technologies so that we can strengthen our children's
learning experience. 1Over the last 12 years, cable companies and cable
programmers, through Cable in the Classroom, have provided free cable
connections, high speed Internet access and more than 546 hours per
month of commercial-free educational programming to nearly 81,000
schools in the United States. Forty national cable networks and 8,500
local cable companies contribute over $100 million dollars annually to
this public service.
Here is how Cable in the Classroom works. First, a community's
local cable company provides free cable connections and free cable
service to any accredited K through 12 school. Second, cable networks,
including Discovery, CNN, Nickelodeon and the Weather Channel air
special, commercial-free programs designed specifically for use in the
classroom. Once a school begins receiving the service, teachers have at
their disposal an array of educational programs that can supplement
their curriculum and offer students a visual teaching tool that brings
subjects to life.
As we move forward to address the opportunities and challenges of
today's Information Age, it is important to recognize the research that
suggests appropriate use of technology can result in significant
improvement in student development and increased academic achievement.
The latest research demonstrates that school improvement programs that
employ technology for teaching and learning yield positive results.
Given that many schools and classrooms have only recently gained access
to technology, the positive outcomes of these studies suggest a future
for education that has only just begun.
How can the cable industry make a difference as we adapt new
technologies to enhance our educational system? Let me share with you
today four areas where the cable industry can serve teachers, educators
and communities to meet today's lofty ambitions:
First, by increasing access to broadband technologies across
the digital divide.
Second, by providing compelling and informative content on air
and online.
Third, by ensuring privacy and safety of our students online.
And, fourth, by strengthening professional development to help
our teachers learn to use new technologies and teaching methods
effectively.
An integral part of school improvement in the 21st century will be
student and teacher access to the Internet. Universal access to the
Internet will help end the isolation of teachers, provide more
challenging learning experiences for students and make schools more
accountable to parents and communities.
The quality of Internet access is critical. Broadband access will
be the new standard. Slow, unreliable connections that cannot support
interactivity or rich multimedia content will no longer be sufficient.
Toward this end, the cable industry's has developed an initiative
called High-Speed Education Connection. Under this program, cable
companies are deploying broadband technology including free cable modem
and high speed Internet access to libraries and K through 12 schools.
Today, schools and libraries around the country are more effectively
utilizing the vast resources available on the Internet because of the
cable industry's dedication to this project.
The second challenge is to build on the considerable on air content
that Cable in the Classroom has provided for so many years to ensure
there is the appropriate level of informative, interesting and usable
content on-line. Most of the 40 Cable in the Classroom programmer
members offer extensive online resources for educational purposes and
Cable in the Classroom online--CIConline.org--serves as both a
clearinghouse for free educational resources offered by the cable
industry and as a portal linking teachers to these resources.
A third challenge is ensuring that what our kids see online is
safe, proper and positive. The Internet carries with it danger as well
as promise. Students, especially young children, need protections from
harmful or inappropriate intrusions in their learning environments. The
cable industry provides special resources and training to help parents
and teachers feel safe and productive in cyberspace. For example, Cable
in the Classroom recently launched a program called Take Your Parents
to Cyberschool. With guidance from the National Association of
Elementary School Principals, Cyberschool uses an interactive online
service to show children and parents how to find safe, educational
resources on the Internet.
As we tackle the issues of privacy, informative content and access
to broadband technologies, gaps persist between technology's presence
and its effective use. Simply installing technology in classrooms is
not enough. Our teachers and educators must have the capabilities to
use technology effectively and incorporate its usage into the daily
rhythms of their classes and lesson plans.
To address this issue, we launched in 1998 the Cable in the
Classroom Professional Development Institute, a series of hands-on
computer workshops offered to educators across the country at no cost
to schools. These interactive sessions introduce educators to all the
vast curriculum resources and services of the cable television industry
and help educators make effective use of video and the Internet.
In addition, the cable industry has launched webTeacher, a
comprehensive, interactive online tutorial available to educators, free
of charge. webTeacher topics include strategies for navigating the
Internet, finding the best web sites for classroom instruction,
developing lesson plans, and creating a home page.
Mr. Chairman, in addition to my duties as President of Discovery
and Chair of Cable in the Classroom, I serve on the Maryland State
Board of Education. I have a personal and deeply held passion for
improving educational opportunities for our children. The cable
industry shares this goal and is committed to making certain that
students of all ages have access to the most advanced technologies and
the best and most compelling educational content available.
Attached is a list with examples of cable's commitment to education
technology. I look forward to answering any questions you might have.
Cable Television's Commitment to Education Technology
I. CABLE IN THE CLASSROOM
Perhaps one of the best-kept secrets in education is the enormous
gift that the cable television industry provides every year to
elementary and secondary schools throughout the country. Valued at two
million dollars per week, more than 100 million dollars per year, Cable
in the Classroom is also one of the most comprehensive, well-rounded
gifts ever made to education. That gift includes cable communications
technology, instructional resources, and professional development. It's
a gift that perfectly matches the resources of the cable industry--
state-of-the-art connectivity, powerful content, and local, customized
delivery--to the needs of schools.
Cable in the Classroom has been honored for its contributions to
the education of America's children by:
The Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and
Science Education
The California State PTA
The National Middle School Association
The Educational Press Association of America
The National Education Association
II. CABLE PROVIDES CONNECTIVITY
Free Cable Connections and Basic Cable Service to K - 12 Schools
One of the foundations of the cable industry's 12-year commitment
to education is its donation of free cable connections and basic cable
service to K-12, public and private schools through the Cable in the
Classroom initiative.
86 percent of American students (over 44 million) in 81,000 public
and private schools have access to free cable service and over 500
hours per month of commercial-free, copyright-cleared, educational
programming.
Free Broadband Connections--Cable's High-Speed Education Connection
In 1996, the cable industry was just beginning to retrofit its
infrastructure to carry the 2-way data required to access the Internet
over cable lines. As this technology was evolving, the industry
launched Cable's High-Speed Education Connection, a pledge to provide
free cable modems to schools as the new service became available in
their communities. Cable modem technology enables schools to access
data from the Internet at speeds hundreds of times faster than those
available with conventional telephone modems.
In 1998, the cable industry expanded its commitment and began to
connect public libraries to high-speed cable Internet service. This
initiative allows not only students, but entire communities to benefit
from these new technologies, now available in the public arena.
Today, over 5,000 schools and libraries around the country are
utilizing the vast resources available on the Internet because of the
cable industry's dedication to this project. But these connections are
only the beginning.
The following examples of cable's digital connections expand upon
the original High-Speed Education initiative, demonstrating how
partnerships among schools, civic organizations, and cable operators
and programmers are benefiting students and communities nationwide.
Time Warner--San Antonio, Texas
For the past seven years, Time Warner systems across the country
have been providing free cable service to schools, an investment of
more than $3.5 million to date. But now, through Roadrunner in the
Classroom, Time Warner's schools are being offered free high-speed
Internet service, as well. When Time Warner launched Roadrunner in the
Classroom in San Antonio, Texas, Crockett Elementary School was the
first to be able to access the Web at lightning speed. However, all 484
schools in approximately 18 school districts will be given a free cable
modem connection, which will service three computer stations in each
school's computer lab. Knowing that educators use the Internet to
download Cable in the Classroom's free study guides, research topics
for lesson plans and contact parents, Time Warner also offered San
Antonio's teachers Roadrunner for Educators--high-speed premium service
at a deeply discounted rate.
Adelphia--Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts
One of Buffalo's oldest schools has become a showcase for the
latest technology, including a full-service production studio and
editing suite, a LAN computer network and computers, VCRs and
television sets in more than 70 classrooms--all of which have both
Internet and cable access. Its 800+ students in grades 5-12 will next
be linked to students at nine other Buffalo public schools. The
school's fiber optic network and state-of-the-art equipment were
unveiled by the mayor in May 2000.
Cox Communications--Line to Learning
Digital technology is providing thousands of students with
``virtual field trips,'' thanks to Cox's Line to Learning program. The
Wolves at Our Door event, for example, in conjunction with Discovery
Channel, allowed more than 1,500 middle school students from six
schools across the country to visit and interact with wolf experts Jim
and Jamie Dutcher and a Sawtooth wolf pack at the Nez Perce Indian
reservation outside Boise, Idaho.
More recently, Cox Communications and Bravo Network teamed up to
create Run Away to Cirque du Soleil. Over 10,000 students across the
nation interacted with the performers of Cirque du Soleil in ``real
time'' over the Internet using cable modem technology provided by Cox
Communications. This Cox Line to Learning event featured programming
produced by award-winning Bravo and explored careers in the arts.
Through the Cox high-speed Internet connection, students sent questions
to the performers via e-mail, and watched live, two-way-video
interactive questioning from students in other parts of the country--
from Atlanta, GA, to Lubbock, Texas.
AT&T Broadband, Los Angeles, CA--Broadband Stories:
Communities in Focus
As part of a local community initiative, AT&T Broadband sponsors
(along with the Challengers Boys & Girls Club of South Central Los
Angeles) the Venice Dream Team, a diverse group of youngsters aged 7-
13. They cover community, national and international events, getting a
unique opportunity to develop creative thinking and photojournalism
skills through hands-on, online publishing. Check out the virtual
neighborhood for kids of all ages at www.streetseen.net.
In addition, AT&T Broadband sponsored a daylong digital divide
summit in March 2000 attended by nearly one hundred local students,
teachers, community leaders and legislators. Participants discussed how
to break down the cultural, social and technical barriers to Internet
access.
Boys & Girls Clubs Partnerships
In wiring their communities, many cable operators partner with
local organizations to expand residents' access to computer and
Internet access. Boys & Girls Clubs have been especially strong
participants. In New England, for example, AT&T (formerly MediaOne)
works in concert with 29 Boys & Girls Clubs to provide cable modems,
high-speed Internet connections and support service staff and training.
As a result, more than 5,000 at-risk, latchkey children have gained
access to broadband educational technology and enrichment
opportunities.
Similar access is being replicated nationwide, with children as the
prime beneficiaries. The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Virginia Peninsula
reported one especially rewarding connection provided by Cox
Communications. A 13-year-old student received better grades and
improved his self-esteem, thanks to his newfound ability to research
and write school assignments via Internet-connected computers.
Cox Communications--Virginia Beach, VA
Implementing one of the most advanced distance learning systems in
America, Cox has expanded upon a pilot program that provides high-tech
videoconferencing capabilities to students in ten area high schools in
Virginia Beach, VA. A designated classroom in each school has software
and three large-screen televisions, allowing for two-way teaching of
mathematics, theater appreciation, public speaking, quality management,
advanced placement (AP) statistics and physics courses. Several hundred
high school students have already taken classes, and potential future
wiring of the area's 15 middle and 55 elementary schools could increase
the number of students involved in distance learning to 2,000 per
semester. See the Virginia Beach City Public Schools Web site at
www.vbcps.k12.va.us.
Home/School Connections
There is ample evidence that active and involved parents have a
significant impact on their children's educational success. Yet in
today's fast-paced world, it is difficult for busy parents to find time
to communicate often with their children's schools, or to keep up with
the new computer and Internet skills their children are learning. In
disadvantaged communities, there are often big technology gaps between
what is available in schools and what students have access to at home.
Innovative cable industry programs are making important electronic
connections between home and school. Following are some examples:
Time Warner--Akron, Ohio
In Akron, Ohio, the C-5 Project is breaking down the doors between
the living room and the classroom. First- and fifth-graders at Portage
Path School use high-speed Internet service, which is provided to their
school, free, by Time Warner Cable. With funding from Time Warner and
grants from local philanthropists, each student also has a computer and
free Internet service at home. Students are able to show their parents
and care-givers what they are learning in the classroom, do research
and submit classwork. Parents can see their children's work posted on
the class Web site and communicate with teachers through e-mail.
Comcast--Sarasota, FL
Comcast Cable Communications in Sarasota worked with the Computer
Curriculum Corporation and Brentwood Elementary School in a pilot
program providing computers and cable modem Internet service to the
homes of 29 fourth-graders. Parents were familiarized with the project
and technology in a series of evening classes. Participating students'
test scores rose as much as 40 percent and the Sarasota School Board
has received grant money in excess of $170,000 as a direct result of
the project.
AT&T Broadband--Farmer's Branch, Texas
In Farmer's Branch, Texas, Lt. Governor Rick Perry was on hand when
AT&T Broadband and the Texas Education Agency launched a pilot program
to study technology's impact on improving education. At Vivian Field
Middle School, 100 students have exchanged books, binders and pencils
for laptop computers, digital texts, and Internet access--all designed
to enhance student achievement by linking students, teachers and
parents through donated AT&T@Home high-speed Internet access. AT&T's
contribution of more than $50,000 in services and equipment has allowed
students to link to their class, teacher and other classrooms around
the world for news and information. To further encourage whole-family
participation, this middle school offers free computer training for
parents so that families can access online test calendars, student
projects and digital student portfolios. With AT&T technology, parents
in this diverse community can even convert their children's homework
assignments to Spanish with a click of the mouse.
Cox Communications, Lemon Grove, CA--LemonLINK
Students, teachers, staff and parents connect in Lemon Grove, CA,
thanks to Project LemonLINK, which utilizes Cox's hybrid fiber/coaxial
network. One of the country's most recognized interactive home/school
projects, it benefits 4,600 elementary and middle school students.
LemonLINK has been cited by the Smithsonian Institution, Microsoft
Chairman Bill Gates, California Governor Gray Davis and others. See
www.lgsdk12.ca.us/lemonlink.
III. CABLE PROVIDES CONTENT
Free Access to Commercial-Free Educational Television Programming
When cable companies pledged free connectivity in 1989, the cable
program networks pledged to provide educational programming. Today,
more than 540 hours per month of quality, commercial-free, educational
programming is provided to teachers free of charge by more than 40
cable networks.
From the beginning, Cable in the Classroom and its members have
listened to what classroom teachers, school media specialists and
national education organizations say about the kinds of media resources
that are most useful in the classroom. Consequently, there are no
strings attached to using Cable in the Classroom resources. Teachers
may use as much or as little of a given program as they choose to fit
their state and local academic needs. Some teachers use segments from
Cable in the Classroom programs every day; others may use them only a
few times each month.
In addition, all Cable in the Classroom programs share four
characteristics. Educators can count on programs that:
are free of commercial advertising;
are available free to educators;
provide quality educational content;
have extended copyright clearances of at least one year.
These programs cover a wide range of curriculum areas, including
science, language arts, social studies and history, mathematics and the
arts. Additional programming addresses social issues like diversity,
drug abuse, violence and Internet ethics. Each month, there is
something for each grade level, from pre-kindergarten through high
school. Cable networks such as A&E, CNN, C-SPAN, Discovery, The History
Channel, Nickelodeon and The Weather Channel air special, commercial-
free programs for schools usually in the early morning hours, with the
idea that teachers can record the programs, build a school or classroom
library, and use the programs at appropriate times during the year.
Since Cable in the Classroom began, the cable television industry has
provided more than 60,000 hours of educational programming to schools.
Programming ranges from early childhood programs such as Allegra's
Window, Blue's Clues, and Sesame Street from Nickelodeon and Noggin, to
the high school level, with programs such as C-SPAN's series on the
American Presidents, ESPN's SportsFigures, The History Channel's
Underground Railroad series, CNN's Newsroom, and Discovery's science
and history series. Other programs include Court TV's Choices and
Consequences series, and The Weather Channel's lessons on weather and
weather-related careers.
Cable's commitment to providing schools with the highest quality
educational tools translates to dynamic learning experiences in
classroom across America. Following are examples of cable programming
available to schools for their use:
CNN Student Bureau (CNNSB)
More than 400 schools are enrolled in Turner Learning's CNN Student
Bureau, which offers high school and college students worldwide the
opportunity to have their written and video work published on its Web
site or on CNN Newsroom, CNN's daily classroom program, or on the
broader CNN networks. CNNSB can enhance journalism, broadcast or mass
communications programs, and be integrated into English or social
studies departments, inter-disciplinary programs or clubs. Free print
and multimedia curriculum materials help guide students through the
process of creating news coverage from their perspectives. See
www.turnerlearning.com or call 800/344-6219.
Discovery--2001: A Discovery Space Journey
Discovery's Inside the Space Station premiered around the world
(149 countries, 27 languages) on December 10, 2000, and kicked off a
yearlong initiative, 2001: A Discovery Space Journey. Complementary
online content includes streaming video feeds of news events, live
chats, interviews with space experts plus a full-screen 3D simulation
that allows viewers to ``float'' and maneuver through the space station
with the click of a mouse. The series focuses on developments in
exploring the final frontier, with expanded broadband and interactive
content available at www.discovery.com.
Ovation--The Arts Network--The Rhythm of Life
Music represents one of the biggest growth areas on the Internet.
Ovation not only offers students the opportunity to download music, but
also the ability to compose their own short pieces. It is all part of
The Rhythm of Life, a three-part program exploring the building blocks
of music: rhythm, melody and harmony. Legendary Beatles producer Sir
George Martin offers advice along with a little help from his friends
Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Celine Dion, Paul McCartney and many others.
Ovation offers additional interactive components to dozens of its
ArtsZone programs. See www.ovationtv.com/artszone/programs.
Pennsylvania Cable Network
Created in 1979 as America's first educational cable television
network, the nonprofit Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) utilizes the
power of cable to promote social and economic progress. Its regular
programming includes TV 411, za literacy training program, and
Essential Workplace Skills. Homework Help, a live interactive weekly
series, airs throughout the school year. Designed to help students with
their homework assignments, the 2-hour call-in program features state-
certified teachers answering math and science homework questions from
elementary, middle and high school students. See www.pcntv.com.
Time Warner Cable--Crete, NE
To help make kindergarten children feel more comfortable with their
first school experience, teachers at the Crete Elementary School in
Crete, NE, designed a project called ``Franklin's Friends.'' Students
watched episodes of the Nickelodeon series, Franklin and chose one of
Franklin's friends to be their play ``buddy.'' They also visited the
Nick Jr. Web site and read Franklin books on loan from their school
library.
Time Warner Cable--Kansas City, MO
A hometown hero came to life for a class of seventh graders at St.
Paul's Episcopal Day school in Kansas City, MO. For their ``We're Just
Wild About Harry'' project, students began with an A&E Biography of
President Harry Truman. Next they chose artifacts from ``The Truman
Trunk'' on the C-SPAN Web site for further research, and later assumed
the characters of significant players from that time and wrote and
delivered speeches about national and world events. A visit by the C-
SPAN school bus capped the initiative.
Time Warner Cable--Milwaukee, WI
The final frontier stretched to new lengths in ``To Infinity and
Beyond,'' a project by second graders at Tippecanoe School for the
Humanities in Milwaukee, WI. After seeing a portable planetarium at
their school, they created their own version by turning their coatrooms
into a walk-through experience depicting the solar system. The students
became museum docents, leading tours and imparting their knowledge to
guests. Watching The Learning Channel program, Destination Mars, led to
further projects that included artwork, fiction and non-fiction pieces,
music and dance.
Time Warner Cable--Raleigh, NC
More than two centuries after the stirring events preceding the
Revolutionary War, the historical period came alive for students at
Fred J. Carnage Middle School in Raleigh, NC. The History Channel's The
American Revolution became the foundation of a project that sparked
student essays on particular incidents that led up to the revolution.
Students reenacted the trial of the British soldiers accused of murder
in the Boston Massacre, with a local attorney instructing them on the
application of legal principles, rules of evidence and courtroom
procedures of the time.
Election-Year Programming
In 2000, cable offered a variety of programs for students of all
ages that not only covered the presidential campaign, but also the
electoral process. With this and other current events coverage,
youngsters are being given the opportunity to become the best-informed,
most active generation of citizens and voters.
BET--Your Voice/Your Vote
A series of special programs airing throughout the Democratic
National Convention and featuring guests from the worlds of government
and entertainment, Your Voice/ Your Vote targeted African American
youth in order to increase their awareness of the importance of their
vote.
CNN--Your Choice Your Voice
Leading up to the election, CNN launched a six-part Internet-based
program for junior and senior high school students that ended on
Election Day. Students answered quizzes each week and held mock online
elections in their classrooms. In conjunction with local cable
operators, 100 schools around the country were selected to participate
and were eligible to win an A/V equipment package and a CNN Newsroom on
the Road town hall meeting. See www.cnn.com.
C-SPAN--Road to the White House
In conjunction with Road to the White House, television's most in-
depth coverage of the presidential race, C-SPAN offered extensive
online resources that included three classroom-teaching modules on
national party conventions, presidential debates and Election Day. Its
Web site features additional classroom materials on elections and
politics, including the Life Portraits display of original oil
portraits and biographical sketches of every American president. See
www.c-span.org/classroom.
MTV--Choose or Lose
For the third consecutive presidential election cycle, MTV expanded
its comprehensive Choose or Lose campaign. Choose or Lose 2000 included
its most in-depth online component ever, complementing its coverage of
the political process and including a voter registration drive in
conjunction with ``Youth Vote 2000,'' the largest non-partisan
coalition of national organizations committed to encouraging civic
participation. In September 2000, a Street Team hit the road on Choose
or Lose 2000: Road Map, offering a crash course in voting and promoting
a better understanding of public policy issues among young people. See
www.chooseorlose.com.
Nickelodeon--Kids Pick the President
Throughout the election year, Nickelodeon gave kids a platform to
voice their opinions, interests and concerns. Kids Pick the President
culminated with a Nick News Special Edition in October that included
coverage from the kid reporters who were on the campaign trail, polls
and more. Lesson plans accompanied this and all previous Nick News
episodes. See www.teachers.nick.com.
Time Warner Cable--Staten Island, NY
Starting with the two famous funeral orations of Julius Caesar,
10th grade language arts students at New Dorp High School in Staten
Island, NY, created the Caesar Election Project. They launched a
hypothetical election campaign with catchy slogans by using
contemporary tools such as posters, buttons, television and radio
spots. Turner Learning's By the Book--Stage to Screen guide provided
lesson plans to accompany their viewing of the film version of Julius
Caesar. Not only did students gain a fresh appreciation for the writing
of William Shakespeare, but they also became more informed citizens by
learning about today's electoral process.
Print Resources for Educators
While use of the Internet is definitely impacting the way children
learn and the way teachers teach, that sea change has not yet reached
every school or classroom. In the National Center for Education
Statistics 2000 study, teachers were asked about their use of computers
and the Internet. Thirty-nine percent use the Internet to create
instructional materials and 17 percent use it to gather information for
planning lessons. To be sure to reach those educators who are not yet
comfortable on the Web or do not have Internet access, Cable in the
Classroom networks provide extensive print materials to help educators
meet their curricular goals:
BET provides an Educator's Toolkit to accompany its on-air
biography series, Journey's in Black. Through the kit's unique
activity templates of a game show, dream journals and
timelines, students get practice in valuable life skills such
as resume writing, problem solving, goal setting, interviewing
techniques and communication skills.
The History Channel collaborated with the National Museum of
American History to produce a 28-page guide to accompany the
exhibit The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden.
Teachers who integrate A&E Networks programming into their
curricula can receive recognition through its semi-annual Idea
Book for Educators. Updated and mailed every July and December,
the publication not only disseminates advance information about
A&E Classroom programs and innovative plans to teachers
nationwide, but also awards $500 to each teacher whose unique
lesson plan is included in the ensuing edition.
Free Educational Resources on the Internet
Besides free educational television programming, since the late
1990's, the cable television industry has provided elementary and
secondary students, teachers and parents with vast educational
resources on the Internet. Many of those resources directly complement
cable networks' commercial-free educational programming. Other
resources link learners and teachers to an array of tools that support
academic success. Typically, the resources include lesson plans,
classroom hand-outs, assessment ideas, safe and pre-screened hotlinks
to related resources, and more. Increasingly, the resources are
correlated to the appropriate academic standards that are so important
to teachers today.
Online Materials to Help Teachers Use Educational Television
Effectively
Several cable program networks provide teachers with complete
lesson plans that support the educational videos they air.
Court TV's lesson plans (www.courttv.com/choices) for its
Choices and Consequences series help teachers use actual court
cases involving youth to help students understand the
consequences of risky or violent behavior. The lesson guides
provide teachers with background on the video, suggestions for
classroom activities, vocabulary words used in the video that
might be unfamiliar to students, and suggestions for how
student learning might be assessed.
Nickelodeon provides a similar service for some of the
educational series it broadcasts. For 3-2-1 Contact, for
example, the teacher can download lesson plans
(teachers.nick.com) that link each program directly to the
National Science Education Standards and, where appropriate, to
National Geography Standards. Those lesson plans include
suggestions for classroom activities, lists of materials needed
to conduct classroom experiments, suggestions for assessing
student learning, and links to other Web sites for additional
information on the topic.
ESPN provides interactive exercises
(sportsfigures.espn.go.com) that are directly related to the
science and mathematics concepts taught in SportsFigures.
USA Network turned its coverage of the grueling Eco-Challenge
race in Borneo into important lessons about cooperation,
teamwork and problem solving--skills essential for success in
school and beyond. See usanetwork.com/cablein
classroom/eco.
Other Online Resources
Some cable program networks and cable operators also provide more
general support for learning. For example, Discovery offers students
B.J. Pinchbeck's Homework Help (school.discovery.com/students) which
they can consult from home for help with tough assignments. AT&T
Broadband, through the AT&T Learning Network (www.att.com/
learningnetwork), provides teachers with help in locating distance
education courses they can take to keep their credentials current.
Comcast's Online Schoolyard (www.onlineschoolyard.com) provides
learners with a variety of resources, including links to other Web
sites where they can find information directly related to the subjects
they are studying in school.
Cable in the Classroom Online
CIConline.org links the cable industry to the education community.
It serves both as a clearinghouse of educational resources offered by
the cable industry and as a portal through which educators can find and
link to a wide variety of educational materials. Highlights of
CIConline include:
Search the Listings (www.ciconline.org/cicsearch/
searchpage.cics)--This flexible feature allows users to search
two months of program listings by keyword and several other
criteria. Once programs are identified, most have links to
support materials and to the network sites, where other
educational materials can be found. This feature makes it
simple for an educator to quickly identify what cable
programming will fit the upcoming curriculum and get new ideas
on how to use it.
Connecting to Standards (www.ciconline.org/section.cfm/4/34)--
This section features a seven-part series of articles exploring
the ways in which teachers meet their local or state standards
using cable programming and Internet resources. Many cable
networks have aligned their educational materials with the
standards; links to these and other standards-oriented
resources are also found here.
Programming and Resources (www.ciconline.org/section.cfm/4)--
This section contains myriad materials for teachers, including
descriptions of and links to free support materials created by
cable networks and a form to sign up for custom e-mail alerts
containing information on specified areas of interest.
Professional Development Institute (www.ciconline.org/
section.cfm/6)--Cable in the Classroom's Professional
Development Institute has created many tools to help teachers
and parents become more Internet-savvy. In this section, users
may locate free Internet training classes in their areas and
find a list of family-friendly, educational Web sites that help
make the Internet more useful.
Family Zone (www.ciconline.org/section.cfm/7)--The Family Zone
gives parents and teachers a chance to take charge of the TV
and learn media literacy skills to share with their children
and students. There are also ideas on how parents can volunteer
for their schools simply by setting a VCR at home to tape Cable
in the Classroom programs and donating video tapes to schools.
Cable in the Classroom Magazine
Eleven times a year since February 1991, educators across the U.S.
have received Cable in the Classroom magazine to help them find and use
the commercial-free, educational resources of the cable industry to
improve learning. Approximately 120,000 preK-12 teachers, library media
specialists, principals, administrators, and technology coordinators
receive the magazine each month, and an estimated 310,000 additional
educators read it in their schools. Ninety percent of those copies are
donated to schools by local cable companies. Ninety-six percent of the
educators who receive Cable in the Classroom magazine read it
regularly, and 72 percent pass it on to a colleague. 1This award-
winning publication features articles by and about educators who
creatively integrate video and computer technologies with books and
other resources to offer students a richer, more engaging learning
experience. It also contains:
comprehensive information about more than 500 hours of
commercial-free, educational programming provided through Cable
in the Classroom, Web sites and free study guides available to
educators in support of these programs, and the extended
copyright clearances cable programmers provide, so educators
can tape and save these programs;
Educator-written reviews of programs, demonstrating how the
programming meets state and local academic standards;
information about cable-sponsored contests, grants, and awards
that recognize excellence in teaching and provide funding and
technology to achieve teaching goals;
information about dozens of free online, video, and other
resources useful for teaching such major themes as Black
History Month, Women's History Month, Authors and Literature,
National Hispanic Heritage Month, Space Day, and many more;
free, reproducible lesson plans, maps, and study guides
created by educators and inserted into the magazine by cable
networks.
Educators value the information in Cable in the Classroom magazine
so much that more than 4 out of 5 readers take action as a result of
reading it, whether passing information on to a colleague, taping a
program, visiting a Web site, or requesting the free materials.
No matter where their creativity and cable's resources may take
them, these educators start with Cable in the Classroom magazine. From
preschool to high school; from Art to Zoology; from Language Arts,
History, and Geography to Current Events, Space Science, and Math;
Cable in the Classroom magazine shows educators how their peers
integrate a variety of 21st century resources to meet high standards
and engage their students, and guides them to the resources that will
enable them to do the same.
IV. CABLE'S INTERNET SAFETY, ETHICS AND MEDIA LITERACY INITIATIVES
Television, the Internet and other types of media can be enriching
educational resources when used wisely. They can also be the cause of
concern, when used without care or supervision.
Cable in the Classroom and the cable industry are helping teachers
and families manage the vast array of media messages that are so much a
part of modern life. By learning how to understand, analyze and
evaluate television, the Internet and other media, teachers, students
and families can become ``media literate.''
Take Your Parents to Cyberschool--A partnership of Cable in the
Classroom and the National Association of Elementary School
Principals
Many parents are concerned that the Internet is a huge, chaotic
world, and their children will be lost in cyberspace. That's why Cable
in the Classroom, with guidance from the National Association of
Elementary School Principals (NAESP), created Take Your Parents to
Cyberschool. Cyberschool uses an interactive, online game to show
children and parents how to find safe, educational resources on the
Internet. The site also features information about media literacy and
Internet safety.
In February 2001, Take Your Parents to Cyberschool was launched to
inform parents and other adults about the valuable educational
resources available online, for use at home or school. The Web site
www.cyberschool.ciconline.org was created to encourage students and
parents to sit down together and tour an assortment of educational
sites while playing a fun, interactive, educational game. After the
game experience, adults are invited to continue surfing the site to
learn more about Internet literacy and Internet safety.
NAESP played an important role in creating the site and informing
educators about this effort. During the first week, principals were
asked to open their school computer labs and show parents how
technology is used to support instruction. Local cable companies hosted
community events and thousands of schools across the country
participated. In addition, numerous partners, including McGraw-Hill
Education, Microsoft Encarta and Motorola Broadband Communications
Sector, donated educational prizes for visitors to the site. The site
received more than 770,000 hits during the first four days.
In Chicago, IL, AT&T Broadband hosted a weeklong, traveling
series of cybertours for students, parents and teachers. These
participants learned about Internet safety and productive use
of the Web for school assignments.
The AT&T Portland, OR, Cyberschool sessions took place in Boys
and Girls Clubs, reaching out to segments of the population
that may have less access to technology.
At all 22 branches of the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan
Libraries, Time Warner worked with computer teachers to
encourage students to visit the Cyberschool site as a homework
assignment and set up table-top displays offering brochures on
Internet literacy.
To salute National African American Parent Involvement Day,
the Time Warner system in Minneapolis, MN, hosted a series of
parent/student open-house Cyberschool tours.
Throughout California in March 2001, the California State PTA
is partnering with Cable in the Classroom to encourage parents
to learn how to safely use the Internet to support children's
learning. The CA State PTA's home page hotlinks to the
Cyberschool site, where children and parents together can
access educational resources from Cable in the Classroom's 40
cable networks. The California Cable and Telecommunications
Association donated educational premiums for participants and
cable companies and PTA members are hosting local events.
Other Media Literacy Tools for Teachers and Parents
Two years ago, High-Speed Access Corporation, a leading
provider of broadband Internet service, Cable in the Classroom
and several other partners created Web Smart Kids zto help
parents teach their children how to safely find and evaluate
information on the Internet. The Web Smart Kids Web site
(www.web
smartkids.org) is a guide to building children's media literacy
skills for the online world.
This year, Cable in the Classroom is piloting a workshop to
help parents and children learn how to be ``Cyber Savvy''
Internet users. Workshop participants explore computer ethics,
Internet safety and privacy issues, and determine fair and
appropriate guidelines for use of the Internet and e-mail.
v. cable provides professional development
Cable in the Classroom Professional Development Institute
The Cable in the Classroom Professional Development Institute was
started in 1998 to introduce educators to the vast educational
resources and services of the cable television industry and to help
educators and parents make effective educational uses of video and
Internet resources. The Institute provides hands-on training through
computer labs that travel across the country, centers in the Washington
DC area, mobile laptop labs, and virtual workshops. The Institute is
staffed by professional educators who also have extensive experience in
information and communications technologies. All of the Institute's
activities are supported by the cable industry and are made available
to school districts free of charge through local cable companies. The
workshops carry Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credit for teachers.
Cable in the Classroom has been invited to present Internet
workshops at a multitude of national and state education conventions,
including:
--National School Boards Association Technology + Learning
--National Association of Elementary School Principals
--National Council for the Social Studies
--National Middle School Association
--California State PTA
Washington, DC, Area Teacher Training Labs
On behalf of the two cable providers in the Washington, DC, area,
Comcast and Cox Communications, Cable in the Classroom has partnered
with the DC Public Schools, the Smithsonian Institution, George Mason
University, Arlington Public Schools, Montgomery County Public Schools,
and Fairfax Public Schools to create computer training labs. In those
facilities, teachers learn to become more proficient users of teaching
technologies, integrating multimedia resources into their classes. The
workshops last from two to six hours and are tailored to the needs of
the participants in each class.
In Washington, DC, Cable in the Classroom was selected to host
workshops for the winners of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in
Teaching Mathematics and Science Teaching. These hands-on computer
workshops were held at Cable in the Classroom's lab at the Smithsonian
Museum of Natural History, where the outstanding educators were
introduced to an array of curriculum materials provided by the cable
industry.
Mobile Teacher Training Labs
Through a generous grant from AT&T Broadband, Cable in the
Classroom has three mobile laptop labs that are stationed in regions
for approximately a year at a time. In 2001, the units are in Chicago,
Portland-Seattle, and St. Louis. Staffed by a professional educator,
the labs travel from school district to school district offering free
hands-on computer workshops. In addition, the Institute has three other
laptop labs that are shipped throughout the country at the request of
local cable systems--all at no cost to schools.
In the year 2000, the Professional Development Institute and its
partner institutions offered more than 2,100 hands-on workshops at 645
locations in 34 states, training more than 42,000 participants.
Additional Professional Development Opportunities
Time Warner--Houston, Texas
In Houston, Texas, Time Warner provides cable service and Cable in
the Classroom magazine to 825 schools in 34 school districts, a
donation valued at more than $30,000 per month. But Time Warner
realizes that training teachers to use educational technology is also
vital. In September 2000, Time Warner gathered librarians from 62
schools--matching cable's free educational technology to Texas state
standards. During another teacher training session at Wesley
Elementary, State Representative Sylvester Turner praised Time Warner
for its involvement in education.
Cablevision --Educator Institute 2000
Teachers throughout the New York City metropolitan area receive
free, professional development through Cablevision's Educator Institute
2000. Experts guide participants in creating lessons that make the most
of Internet resources, and then facilitate a peer-review process to
refine these lessons. All educators in the local franchise areas, from
administrators to classroom teachers, with any level of technical
expertise, are encouraged to apply. In Fall 2000, two-day institutes
were held in New York City, New Jersey, Long Island and Westchester
County.
webTeacher
The Internet holds tremendous potential as a teaching tool. It can
provide a rich source of reference materials and experiences, transport
teachers and students to distant worlds, and enhance a wide range of
subjects and curricula.
But without adequate training, many teachers cannot take advantage
of all that the Internet has to offer. While Cable in the Classroom's
Professional Development Institute provides Internet training to
thousands of teachers each year, it cannot be everywhere and reach
everyone. Recognizing the need for on-demand teacher training, the
cable television industry and TECH CORPS, a non-profit organization of
technology volunteers, developed webTeacher.
webTeacher is a comprehensive, interactive, 80-hour, self-guided
tutorial available to educators, free of charge, over the Internet.
Flexible training modules, in both English and Spanish, help teachers
master the Internet and integrate new technologies into student
learning. Accessible 24 hours a day, webTeacher can be an educator's
private tutor or serve as the basis for group instruction. Topics
include how to navigate the Internet, find the best educational Web
sites, develop lesson plans, create a home page and receive valuable
tips on Internet safety.
webTeacher is frequently used in free teacher workshops given by
Cable in the Classroom, cable state associations and TECH CORPS.
Parents and children can also log on to this Web-based tutorial at home
to learn about the Internet at their own pace and on their own
schedule.
webTeacher represents an investment of over $500,000 by the cable
communications industry. Supporters include State Departments of
Education, State Computer Using Educators Associations.
See www.webteacher.org and www.webteacher.org/Espanol.
Professional Development Videos
With cable's commitment to education comes responsibility for
helping teachers learn how to use technology for the strongest possible
educational impact in the classroom. Over the years, Cable in the
Classroom has produced a number of videos that feature educators who
model effective use of educational television and online resources.
Most recently, Cable in the Classroom partnered with the
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development to produce
Connected Teaching: Helping Students Make Positive Choices. This 23-
minute video features four educators in urban settings who have
discovered how effective use of the cable industry's educational
resources--online and on video--can help their students succeed.
Developed in collaboration with the White House Office of National Drug
Control Policy (ONDCP), Connected Teaching demonstrates the powerful
ways educational media can engage students in core curriculum topics,
alert them to the negative consequences of drug use, and encourage
their involvement in pro-social activities.
To date, thousands of free copies of Connected Teaching and its
companion resource guide have been distributed to K-12 educators and
colleges of education. The video has aired hundreds of times on
national cable networks as well as on local cable stations. Local cable
operators often use the video as the centerpiece of workshops provided
to educators.
VI. CABLE'S EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH TO COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES
Cable in the Classroom Comes Home
Cable in the Classroom Comes Home is an initiative designed to
involve parents and other volunteers in helping teachers bring cable's
high-quality free resources to the classroom. Teacher surveys indicate
that educators often do not have enough time or in-school equipment to
tape as many Cable in the Classroom programs as they would like. The
research also clearly shows that educators and schools need these
resources to supplement the materials they are able to buy with limited
budgets.
As Cable in the Classroom Comes Home volunteers, parents and other
community members who might not have time to offer help to schools
during the work day, can tape teacher-requested Cable in the Classroom
programs at home and donate the videos to their schools.
Via the Comes Home effort, thousands of schools have built no-cost,
commercial-free, educational video libraries over the last three years.
Educators have more resources to enrich their lesson plans and families
have less traditional, less time-sensitive opportunities to connect
with their local schools.
Advisors to this effort include the National Association of
Elementary School Principals, the National Association of Secondary
School Principals, the National Middle School Association, the American
Association of School Administrators and the Association of Educational
Communication and Technology's Division of School Media and Technology.
Family Circle magazine carried information about the effort and the
Food Marketing Institute (representing over 20,000 supermarket chains)
distributed free brochures to their members to pass out to customers at
supermarket check-out lines.
The Retired Teachers Division of the American Association of
Retired Persons (AARP) actively participated in this effort and
asked their members to both tape requested programs and mentor
junior educators by previewing programs and suggesting
appropriate curriculum links. Many human resource associations
and for-profit companies promoted this effort to their
employees as a good opportunity for workers to help schools in
a meaningful way while still working traditional work hours.
According to the Maryland State Department of Education, Cable
in the Classroom Comes Home is the cornerstone of a major
campaign for parent and family involvement in schools. This
statewide partnership launched with a day-long training for
educators from Maryland's nationally recognized Blue Ribbon
Schools and included meetings with the state superintendent and
local PTAs at the MD PTA conference.
Other Community-Based Activities
The History Channel Time Machine
A year-long traveling educational exhibit invites students of all
ages to explore major events and people in our nation's history. This
interactive experience is sponsored by cable systems such as Adelphia
and Charter Communications and will tour schools and public venues in
more that 50 cities by September 2001. In February 2001, the parents
and children of Miami, Orlando and Birmingham, AL will see what it's
like to smell imported British tea in Colonial Boston Harbor and
``drive'' in rush hour traffic in Manhattan--all inside this cable-
sponsored, 48-foot long trailer. In Spring 2001, the History Time
Machine will move on to other cities like Los Angeles, Milwaukee and
Detroit.
The C-SPAN School Bus
The C-SPAN School Bus is a 45-foot, bright yellow ``Custom Coach,''
specially outfitted with video monitors, computers and television
equipment. Half of the bus serves as a mobile classroom, while the
other half functions as a working production studio. C-SPAN buses have
traveled to 1,800 local communities, all 9 presidential libraries and
all 50 states and state capitals, encouraging teachers and students to
learn about our political system and take part in government, as well
as celebrate American literature.
C-Span Bus stops for March 2001 include:
Natchez, MS (Cable One)
Nashville/Springfield, TN (Intermedia)
Cincinnati, OH (Time Warner)
Columbus, OH (Time Warner)
Boston/Plymouth, MA (Adelphia)
Philadelphia, PA (Comcast)
New Rochelle, NY (Cablevision)
Comcast, Philadelphia, PA--Police Athletic League
In the city of Philadelphia, PA, Comcast provides eleven Police
Athletic League centers with Internet service and computers, affecting
as many as 350 children each day. At the same time, Comcast is
identifying opportunities for employees to mentor and train youngsters
at the centers on computer skills and Internet applications, helping
ensure the youngsters have the technological skills essential for
future employment.
Time Warner Cable--Syracuse, NY
Elementary school students and senior citizens have a special
connection in Syracuse, NY. First grade students were matched with
senior citizens in homes, community centers and nursing facilities.
Thanks to high-speed cable modem connections, they became e-mail pen
pals. Teachers took online training courses and helped their students
develop topics for discussion with their senior ``keypals.'' Not only
were young and old lives enriched, but students also improved their
reading and writing skills.
WISH TV
In Fall 2000, more than 1,500 fourth grade students in schools in
Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana and Ohio received free in-home access
to the Internet through their television sets. WorldGate
Communications' yearlong pilot program, which does not require a
computer, but instead utilizes a digital set-top box to access the
Internet, will bridge the digital divide for students in Belle Rose,
LA; Madison, IL; Newtown, CT; and Massillon and Toledo, OH. Local cable
operators providing cable access include Charter Communications,
Buckeye Cablevision and Massillon Cable TV Inc.
VII. CABLE RECOGNIZES TEACHER EXCELLENCE
Many educators achieve remarkable results, often without the
resources they need and the recognition they deserve. The cable
industry is making a difference, not only by providing content and
technology, but also by recognizing the innovative teachers who make
such a difference in children's lives. Turning the spotlight on these
educational role models stimulates others to excel. But the ultimate
beneficiaries are the students, who are challenged and encouraged by
these award-winning teachers and the resources that come with the
awards. Students also win when the cable industry recognizes their
achievements through local and national contests and scholarships.
Time Warner National Teacher Awards
Over the past twelve years, Time Warner Cable's National Teacher
Awards have been awarded to hundreds of outstanding educators. At the
local and national levels, thousands of teachers submit projects using
cable's programming and Internet resources in innovative classroom
activities. Later this year, twenty national winners will receive a
Crystal Apple statue, a $1,000 grant and an all-expenses-paid trip to
Washington, DC.
AT&T Broadband's .edu Technology Grant Program
This pilot program in the greater Chicago area, designed to support
the effective use of technology both in the classroom and at home,
awards grants of up to $5,000 to educators. Its objective is to display
the educational value of technology and help teachers, students,
families and community members access the technology tools and support
needed to develop and nurture life-long learners.
AT&T Broadband's Emerging Technology Awards for Educators
Forty-eight teams of K-12 educators in AT&T Broadband service areas
who develop a curriculum unit that integrates Cable in the Classroom
programming, or the Internet to address local or state standards are
eligible to win cash prizes and digital cameras for classroom use.
Visit www.att.com/learningnetwork.
Mr. Upton. Thank you.
Mr. Krisbergh, welcome.
STATEMENT OF HAL KRISBERGH
Mr. Krisbergh. Good morning, Mr. Chairman, members of the
committee. Thank you for inviting me to go over our program
here of WorldGate.
WorldGate picks up a little bit where Ms. McHale left off
focusing on the school initiative. We are focused on bringing
the Internet into the home using the broadband infrastructure.
WorldGate is a for-profit company, private for-profit
company. We have three major focuses at WorldGate. One, using
the broadband infrastructure to provide general deployment of
very low-cost, high-performance Internet access to the home;
two, an all-city initiative providing Internet access to every
home within that community; and, finally, and specifically, an
education initiative I know of special interest here at the
committee. We call it the WISH TV program that Chairman Tauzin
and Ed Markey talked about and have been involved with, and we
actually had a major launch of that program here last summer.
Let me get at some of the specifics. The WorldGate service
does not require a PC in the home or a laptop, in order to
break and close the digital divide, the key is to eliminate the
cost of equipment.
One of the nice things about the WorldGate service is it
uses existing set-top converters that are deployed for other
reasons, namely, video services. For example, the Internet
itself grew as quickly as it did, we know, because of the use
of PCs for desktop computing and the Internet could grow
quickly because that platform was there. There are over 55
million set-top boxes already deployed in the United States.
Cable passes open 98 percent of U.S. households, and that kind
of pervasive deployment makes access to the Internet in the
home very, very easy.
The service is not low-performance, we get ten times the
speed of a typical telephone connection. The cost of the
service is under $10 a month. Currently, WorldGate is being
deployed across the country--in fact, Congressman Markey's
comment--also around the world. We have just made a big
announcement yesterday of a whole Latin American initiative to
deploy WorldGate through Central America, Latin America, and
Mexico.
WISH TV is an initiative that we have begun, as I said,
last summer. Its purpose is to provide and ensure that every
student entering high school has had at least 1 year of
Internet access in the home for free. We all know that sending
a student to a local library or to a community center late at
night in the city, or even five miles away in a rural area, is
difficult. The idea is to bring it into the home, and we
launched a program providing access in the home with
participation from the two big suppliers of equipment, Motorola
and Scientific-Atlanta, as well as major cable operators like
Charter, Massillon, Buckeye and Cox.
The program is also supported by Louisiana State
University, Nicholls State who developed the content of the
program. It is to enable the parents as well as the students to
communicate back and forth with the school system. We are now
up and running in schools across the country in about 10
States, involving about 15 different schools in both rural and
urban areas.
The program is being expanded next year, and the key issue
here is the support of the cable industry in terms of utilizing
their existing pipes. This does not require any government
funding or subsidization. It fundamentally uses the existing
infrastructure in a way that is very low-cost again, for the
operator. It encourages the deployment of the service, and
basically provides what we think is a very, very interesting
educational initiative across the country.
The third program is our all-city initiative. LaGrange,
Georgia has gotten a lot of attention recently as the city has
provided free Internet access to all of its citizens. The
initiative was initiated last year. It has been very
successful. It is getting a lot of publicity in terms of
allowing every single home to have unlimited free Internet
access, a very ambitious program, and LaGrange has received the
High Tech city of the Year Award for that, and we are very
pleased with that program.
But, again, in summary, as the ability to use the Internet,
what WorldGate provides is an infrastructure and the
technology, and specifically the cable industry infrastructure,
a very low-cost, high-performance Internet access both for an
educational initiative or for providing broad Internet access
within a community, and certainly with the major objective of
closing the digital divide. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Hal Krisbergh follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hal Krisbergh, Chairman and COE, WorldGate
Communications
The WISH TV project provides a practical working solution to the
digital divide by connecting the classrooms and homes of elementary
school students and their parents to the Internet using the cable
television infrastructure. WISH TV currently gives students, parents
and teachers free Web access and email using WorldGate Communication's
technology. Users have access to the Web and e-mail using their
television sets and a standard cable set-top converter rather than a
personal computer and telephone line. WorldGate's Ultra-Thin Client
SM architecture places the computing power at the cable
headend rather than in the set-top. Since data is processed at the
headend ( the set-top doesn't require significant amounts of CPU or
memory ( which makes the set-top less expensive and, set-top
obsolescence is minimized because technology upgrades occur at the
headend.
Over the past few years, the government has spent millions of
dollars on programs designed to close the digital divide and as yet
none of the programs has provided a practical working solution.
WorldGate's WISH TV has the potential to cost-effectively connect
millions of Americans to the Internet by using the cable TV
infrastructure and tapping into the television set, the most ubiquitous
platform in the home. Since cable television passes 97% of all American
households ( and virtually everyone has a television ( WISH TV offers a
low-cost practical working solution to the digital divide.
In January 2001, the WISH TV project launched to elementary schools
in Illinois, Louisiana and Ohio. Students and their families are
receiving the service at no charge for one academic year. The
initiative has two basic goals:
1. Increase student achievement through collaboration with students,
parents and teachers and thus empower students to take an
active role in their own learning experiences.
2. Bridge the digital divide for many functionally literate parents by
encouraging them to learn how to simply and easily access the
Web and email using their television, and a cable set-top so
they can be involved in their children's education (able to
review home work assignments and communicate with teachers by
email) and be connected themselves to power of the Internet.
Although the program has only been in place for two months,
Louisiana State University researchers at Belle Rose Primary in
Louisiana have been studying the effects of WISH TV on students, their
parents, and their teachers. Parents, teachers and even the students
themselves have noted changes in student behavior, attitudes, and
motivation to learn.
To make this program possible, WorldGate spearheaded a cross-sector
effort including leading cable set-top box manufacturers Motorola and
Scientific-Atlanta, cable operator partners Charter Communications,
Massillon Cable and Buckeye CableSystem, Louisiana State University,
Nicholls State and the elementary schools (Belle Rose Primary, in Belle
Rose, LA, Madison Middle School in Madison, IL, Beech Grove, Newman,
and Moffitt Heights Elementary Schools in Massillon, OH; and Arlington
and Raymer Elementary Schools in Toledo, OH) served by those operators.
The pilot project is expected to expand rapidly in the 2001-2002 school
year.
Mr. Upton. Thank you. That was a terrific story, we are all
most impressed.
Ms. Grad.
STATEMENT OF RAE GRAD
Ms. Grad. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you,
subcommittee members, for inviting PowerUP to present
information to you. We are the baby of the group here. We have
been in existence for a year. My name is Rae Grad, I am the
CEO, and even though we are the baby, we like to think that we
are on the move and coming to your neighborhood any day now.
Those of you who have noticed our little logo, PowerUP, see
the ``U-P'' is capitalized. You might wonder why.
Mr. Upton. Upper Peninsula, we knew that that was----
Ms. Grad. That would be wrong.
Mr. Upton. It is not ``Freddy Boy Upton'' either.
Ms. Grad. It stands for ``Unleashing Potential'' in youth,
and that is what we do, and we very purposefully have that ``U-
P'' in our title because we think what we are doing with
Internet connectivity and giving children and youth a chance to
be connected to the 21st Digital Century is quite remarkable.
What makes us different? Well, one of the things is that we
are very comprehensive in what we do. It is always good to see
model programs out there doing wonderful things, but we do get
concerned when approaches are fragmented--if there is a big
push on wiring but no hardware, if there is a big push on
hardware but there is no wiring, if there is a big push on
content, but no hardware and software. So we said, well, let's
do the whole thing.
So we have a comprehensive solution which includes
hardware, software, connectivity, training of staff, content--
so we have a portal called PowerUP online--and a philosophy of
positive youth development so that we go where there are
educational things happening, or where there are after-school
things happening, and we say, ``How can we make this child
whole'', all the things a child needs to succeed, and that is a
critical part of what we do.
We also focus very much on partnerships. We could not be
where we are today without partnerships, and it is a lesson we
have all learned over and over again, but I am here to tell you
partnerships work. Partnerships with the government,
partnerships with the private sector, partnerships with the
non-profit.
So, for instance, we have private sector corporations like
AOL giving us 100,000 Internet accounts for free. We have the
Waitt Family Foundation giving us 50,000 PCs for free. Cisco
gives us routers and switches, all we need. HP give us--this is
free service--all we need of network printers. Cable
companies--Ms. McHale, you are right--the cable industry has
been phenomenal. They are coming to the table because I think
we all collectively agree that children are going to be doing
the jobs of the future and strengthening our economy of the
future, we have to make sure they are in the 21st Century of
the future, and that is what we are doing.
Another thing that makes us different is that we have
designed our program to go to-scale. This is not a demo, this
is not a pilot. This is a program that will go to-scale. We
estimate there are about 15 million children who are in an
after-school setting that need some help in positive youth
development. If everything goes according to plan, we will be
touching the lives of those 15 million children.
And, again, let me emphasize, we work within the schools,
when the school is open and in an after-school timeframe. Where
that is not possible, then we focus on the after-school space
because we know the children leave the school and then have a
lot of hours in the day when they can get into a lot of
trouble.
So, our goal last year was to set up 250 sites around the
country. We are over 300. Mr. Rush, we are in the Chicago Urban
League and, Mr. Davis, you know--oh, he has left. We are in
Michigan, but not in your district, but we will get there, I
promise you that.
What are the lessons that we have learned? After-school
space is essential. As important as the school day is, do not
forget that children leave and have nothing to do, and there
are vacations and there is summer, so the after-school space is
so important to connect with.
We also know that partnership, not ownership, is essential,
and that is how victory is gotten. Flexible solutions are
critical. We can't say there is one cookie-cutter approach, we
must give communities flexibility. And we must underscore the
importance of the Federal role and the State role in making
this happen.
What I would ask of you is that any Federal effort should
require partnerships, make that a proven point of what you do.
Provide the States flexibility wherever you can so they can
combine funds, CTC Funds with 21st Century learning funds, with
anything we can do to combine funds. Make sure that we invest
in technology programs so that we are looking at the whole
child and not just can you push a mouse or a keyboard. And
encourage the Federal partnerships that are already there and
expand them. Help us work with 4H in USDA. Help us work with
the neighborhood networks. Help us work with the schools
through 21st Century.
The private sector and the non-profits are there to be a
partner. There are so many resources that we can bring to the
table that we know that the partnerships will result in all of
our children having equal access to the Digital Age. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Rae Grad follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF RAE GRAD, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, POWERUP
INTRODUCTION
Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, my name is Rae Grad
and I am the Chief Executive Officer of PowerUP: Bridging the Digital
Divide. PowerUP is a unique 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that
leverages public and private partnerships to bring America's
underserved youth a wealth of positive youth development through
technology. PowerUP's mission--to bridge the digital divide--involves
focus and commitment to meet the needs of young people in the digital
age. With help from our partners--national and local, public and
private--we are preparing young people for success today and well into
the future. On behalf of PowerUP itself, as well as its many corporate,
non-profit, and governmental partners, I want to thank you for holding
this hearing and inviting PowerUP to testify.
PowerUP is committed to ensuring that America's youth acquire the
skills, experiences and resources that they need to succeed in the
Digital Age. Launched in late 1999, PowerUP was established by Steve
Case, then Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AOL and now Chairman
of AOL-Time Warner, and Secretary of State Colin Powell, formerly
Chairman of America's Promise. Together, they sought to create a unique
organization to help young people succeed in the digital age. PowerUP
differentiates itself from other youth serving technology programs by:
1) providing a comprehensive life skills solution that focuses on the
whole child, rather than simply serving as a computer distribution
program; 2) creating a model that can be built to scale quickly; and 3)
emphasizing the power of corporate, non-profit, and governmental
partnerships to leverage existing resources. PowerUP's goal is to
foster both positive youth development and technology literacy all
across this country.
From Mr. Case's and Secretary Powell's shared vision, PowerUP was
created, committed to the goals and aspirations for America's youth
that are articulated in the ``Five Promises,'' the cornerstone of
America's Promise. The Five Promises include:
1. An ongoing relationship with a caring adult--PowerUP encourages and
assists youth in its centers to be linked to a caring adult
mentor to provide guidance and support.
2. Safe places and structured activities--Through PowerUP, young people
spend non-school time in secure, supervised, and well-equipped
PowerUP sites. Through PowerUP Online, PowerUP provides
positive youth development activities (K-12) in an online
environment.
3. A healthy start in life--Via PowerUP Online, young people can obtain
online information about: preventive health care; fun
activities involving health-related topics; healthy lifestyle
and behavior choices; and nutrition.
4. Marketable skills through effective education--Using PowerUP online,
young people learn how to master the technical skills necessary
to succeed in the digital age. In addition to learning
activities, online access provides information on internships,
apprenticeships, summer jobs, and career opportunities.
5. An opportunity to serve--PowerUP links with local volunteer
organizations to provide community service opportunities for
PowerUP youth and their families.
In its first full year, PowerUP has enjoyed tremendous success. Our
goal was to install 250 sites. We have met and exceeded that goal with
sites in 43 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
powerup's nonprofit, corporate, and federal governmental partnerships
PowerUP owes a large measure of its initial success to its
extremely generous corporate and foundation partners including:
An initial $10 million start up grant from the Case Foundation
to cover PowerUP's staff and operational needs as well as to
support grants to local and national organizations to establish
PowerUP sites in their communities. As a result of this initial
funding, PowerUP was able to attract a diverse group of
additional corporate and foundation partners who made
contributions that supported a broad range of technological and
non-technological needs.
A donation from AOL-Time Warner and the AOL-Time Warner
Foundation of 100,000 AOL accounts to enable PowerUP children
to have access to the Internet and the creation of PowerUP
Online, a web resource that provides children of all ages an
interactive package of technology resources to reinforce
scholastic achievement and digital literacy;
A donation of 50,000 Gateway computer systems by the Waitt
Family Foundation to be used at PowerUP sites around the
country;
Donations from Cisco Systems of networking equipment,
including switches and routers, to service all sites
established in 2000;
A donation from Hewlett Packard of 1,750 printers to be used
at PowerUP's sites;
A donation from Time Warner Cable of high speed, Internet
connectivity to multiple sites across the country; and
Donations from PowerBar of healthy and nutritious snacks for
students at PowerUP's sites.
Forging strong partnerships with nonprofits has also been key to
PowerUP's rapid expansion. We have partnered with youth serving
organizations like the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, which has 3000
facilities nationwide and serves 20 million youth annually, to enable
us to quickly and easily deploy PowerUP's resources in ``Operation
Connect'' centers throughout the country. Additionally, our partnership
with the YMCA has afforded us the opportunity to establish technology
labs in its existing community centers. Our partnerships with the
National Urban League, which is using PowerUP's hardware, software, and
online resources to establish and improve Urban League affiliate
``Digital Campuses,'' and with ASPIRA, which has developed PowerUP
centers to provide technology access to Latino youth, has enabled
PowerUP to establish many centers that are serving the nation's
minority communities. Finally, our partnership with Save the Children
is assisting our penetration into underserved rural communities and
American Indian reservations, as well as in some urban centers.
Equally important, we have begun working closely with a number of
states and federal government entities, including the Department of
Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the
Corporation for National Service/AmeriCorp Vista, and, most recently,
the Appalachian Regional Commission, to expand further PowerUP's reach.
POWERUP'S FEDERAL PARTNERSHIPS
Our federal partnerships allow us to build and add value to
existing federal efforts to provide services to youth. Most significant
is our partnership with the 21st Century Community Learning Centers at
the Department of Education. This vital program has been a major force
in the growing effort to provide after-school opportunities for youth.
It is an excellent example of how leadership on a federal and national
scale can leverage significant resources. Over seventy percent of 21st
Century Community Learning Centers funded under the program have had a
strong technology focus and PowerUP is proud to partner with several of
these to provide a technology-rich experience for hundreds of youth.
We understand that the 21st Century Community Learning Centers
program may be consolidated with other programs and administered by the
states. In our view, this movement towards state administration will
allow for greater state involvement and commitment to after school
technology programs. We hope that the focus on technology will be
preserved and indeed strengthened, as this program is reauthorized.
We are also in the process of strengthening and developing
relationships with the Neighborhood Network Program at HUD, the 4-H
Program at USDA, and, hopefully, other federal agencies that reach
children to ensure that PowerUP's resources are deployed in a manner
that complements federal efforts.
Of course, our partnerships only matter if they make a difference
in the lives of the children whom we all serve. Therefore, we are
pleased to report that while PowerUP has only been operating for a
little over one year, our local partners report very encouraging
results:
In New York, we recently launched the first PowerUP site for
deaf and hearing impaired children at the Lexington School for
the Deaf. The children arrived with their teachers and
communicated their great excitement at having this newfound
access to the Internet through AOL accounts, while school
dignitaries and the media filled a room of 20 Gateway computers
from the Waitt Family Foundation. We think that our experience
at Lexington is important because study after study has shown
that the disabled are severely impacted by the digital divide.
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, an 8 member team from the National
Civilian Community Corp. (NCCC), an AmeriCorps program, joined
with the YMCA of Greater Tulsa to support PowerUP to build
children's basic computer skills and Internet literacy. These
Corps members work with students during the entire school day--
and then assist after school with the YMCA programs. At the
Kendal-Whittier school, NCCC members work with students one-on-
one using the Internet as a research tool. At Burroughs
Elementary, NCCC members supervise a computer room where
students tackle research projects using the Internet. Said one
NCCC member, ``Watching the students go from not knowing how to
use the mouse to being able to get on the Internet and surf is
amazing. Students' eyes light up when they see us walk in the
room because they associate us with Internet use.'' Not only is
this a great experience for the students, but for the Corps
members as well.
In Pueblo, Colorado, we launched a site at the El Pueblo Boys
and Girls Ranch, which serves emotionally and developmentally
impaired students in a residential environment.
As our programs expand, PowerUP is implementing a national
evaluation project to assess the effectiveness of PowerUP services and
the impact of the PowerUP program on the youth that participate. We are
also providing materials and training to assist PowerUP sites in
conducting their own local-level program evaluations. These resources
will aid site staff in clarifying program goals, documenting successes,
and identifying challenges.
POWERUP'S PARTNERSHIPS WITH STATES
We are particularly excited about the partnerships that we are
developing with our nation's governors. For instance, last July,
Florida became PowerUP's first formal state partner. Governor Jeb Bush
dedicated one-half million dollars appropriated by the state
legislature to combat the digital divide to PowerUP Florida. Governor
Bush also worked with Florida's corporate community through his IT Task
Force to provide PowerUP/Florida with in-kind and monetary support. As
a result of this partnership, 27 sites will be developed by local
community-based organizations.
We are also very pleased with our partnership with Illinois
Governor George Ryan, the Illinois State Board of Education, and the
South Cook County Education Consortium. Through this partnership,
PowerUP provided its program to 43 elementary and middle schools in
economically challenged communities just south of Chicago. Many of
these schools already receive assistance in connecting students to the
Internet through the E-Rate and the Department of Education's 21st
Century Learning program. PowerUP's partnerships with Governor Ryan,
the Illinois Department of Education, and local schools are a powerful
demonstration of how state and PowerUP resources both complement and
leverage the federal government's investment in technology.
Installation is beginning on 50 new, school-based PowerUP centers
in Mississippi, each of which will receive 10 to 20 new computers. The
Mississippi PowerUP sites provide another excellent example of the
state, the federal government, and public and private sector entities
partnering for a common cause and leveraging each other's resources.
The Mississippi Department of Education successfully applied for and
received a $1 million AmeriCorps grant to provide mentors in each of
these sites.
PowerUP recently entered into a partnership with the Appalachian
Regional Commission and its 13 governors to begin creating new
partnership technology centers and communities throughout the entire
Appalachian Region. PowerUP is also in the final stages of negotiating
a partnership arrangement with the Commonwealth of Virginia. We are
currently working closely with a number of other states on partnerships
and expect to announce additional ventures shortly.
BUILDING THE PARTNERSHIP MODEL
We have learned much during our first year, particularly about the
power of the partnership model on which PowerUP operates. We have also
had the opportunity to observe and participate in federal programs,
such as the 21st Century Community Learning Center program, that are
geared towards assisting America's youth. From these experiences, we
have developed an understanding of what elements make the partnership
model work and how the federal government's programs serving youth can
help foster these elements.
First and foremost, we have learned the importance of our partners,
all of whom have been crucial to our success. The value of PowerUP's
partners is not derived solely from the financial and in-kind assets
that they have generously donated; it arises from the extraordinary
synergies created by their participation. We have found that when one
company, one state government, or one non-profit organization announces
its participation in PowerUP, others with similar public policy aims
and complementary assets are encouraged to follow its lead. Through
this dynamic process, PowerUP has been able to scale-up quickly and
leverage and combine the assets of its corporate partners. Based on our
experience, we believe that any federal efforts to bring new technology
to youth should encourage participants to work in partnerships, be they
non-profit, corporate or government based, to ensure that each
partner's assets are leveraged to the fullest.
Second, in our work with communities across the country, we have
discovered the importance of flexibility in the use of funds. Such
flexibility would allow us to utilize dollars from the Community
Technology Center (CTC) program and from the 21st Century Community
Learning Centers program, for example, to build after school technology
capacity at the same sites. In this way we would not only satisfy the
goals of both programs but also leverage the combined resources to
enhance technology access for youths in these underserved areas.
Third, the PowerUP model has worked extraordinarily well when we
have been able to collaborate closely with governors and state
governments. In Illinois, in Florida, in Mississippi, and in other
states with which we are working, we have found that state buy-in, both
literally and figuratively, is crucial to PowerUP's efforts. But we
have found that overall there are very few state resources committed to
technology-rich after school programs for underserved youths. We
believe that the substantial federal investment in such programs ought
to include incentives for states to match federal dollars for after
school programs with their own contributions and/or to build
partnerships with business and nonprofit groups. We can turn the
digital divide into a digital opportunity but we need the participation
of government at all levels as well as business and community
organizations.
CONCLUSION
PowerUP has come a long way in a short time. We still have much to
do. With the assistance of our corporate, non-profit, and governmental
partners, we are encouraging youth development by providing thousands
of America's children with access to technology and technology skills.
By the end of 2001, we hope to assist even more children. We also hope
that our success will serve to encourage others to forge useful and
enduring public-private partnerships to assist America's youth. To
learn more about PowerUP, we invite you, Mr. Chairman, and all of the
members of your subcommittee to visit our website--at www.powerup.org.
We also would welcome the opportunity to take you on a guided tour of
one of our many PowerUP sites around the country.
We thank you for this opportunity to appear before you and look
forward to answering any further questions that you have.
Mr. Upton. On the nose, 5 minutes. That was wonderful.
Ms. House.
STATEMENT OF JENNIFER HOUSE
Ms. House. Good morning, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member
Markey and other members of the committee. Thank you very much
for your support of the education technology and the
opportunity to testify before you today on that subject.
I am Dr. Jennifer House, Vice President of Strategic
Relations for Classroom Connect, an Internet education company
that develops and markets original Web-based curriculum
products and teacher professional development programs for the
K-12 education community.
I am also pleased to represent the Software and Information
Industry Association. SIIA is the principal trade group of the
software code and digital content industry, and has long been
at the forefront of education technology.
In today's information age and global marketplace,
intellect and innovation give the United States its competitive
edge and make a highly educated and skilled citizenry
essential. To achieve this, our nation needs a comprehensive,
national education and workforce development strategy that
ensures that all students achieve high standards and all
citizens gain 21st Century knowledge and skills. Allow me to
speak to two core elements of this--education technology and
Federal leadership and investment.
The Internet provides anywhere, anytime, anyplace access to
courses that integrate rich curriculum, expert instruction and
global discussions which were previously unavailable to many.
Technology also facilitates communication between the school
community,thus empowering parents to participate in their
children's education.
Technology through the Internet is critical to providing
students with this wide range of 21st Century knowledge and
tools. Basic technology, literacy, and high-order cognitive
skills, collaboration, and the ability for self-directed
lifelong learning. An example of this is our product called
Quest adventure learning series, which provides students the
opportunity to follow an expert team of scientists to solve a
mystery, such as what happened to the Mayan civilization, or
the Anastasi Indians. During America Quest, Michael Mahoney
from Cardinal Pocelli's School writes, ``Each student from
grades three through eight have come up with wonderful theories
about what happened to the Anastasi. It has been gratifying for
me to watch them as they looked at the evidence, searched for
clues, followed leads, and wrote numerous e-mail messages about
their findings''.
Finally, technology eases efforts to collect and analyze
data, including on a student achievement, thus enabling data-
drive decisionmaking and accountability by schools. At the same
time, research and experience will inform our use of technology
to improve teaching and learning and increase achievement. Much
is already known, the key now is to develop replicable models
that allow effective integration of technology for all teachers
and learners.
The nation's elementary and secondary schools need Federal
assistance to achieve these goals. They have three primary
needs--infrastructure and access, software and digital
curriculum, and well-trained educators. Federal leadership in
public-private partnerships are critical to achieve these
goals.
I laud Congress for the passage of the E-rate. It has been
critical to ensuring our most economically disadvantaged
communities have access to the nation's telecommunications and
Internet infrastructure. The funding requests, which now double
the FCC-set cap of $2.25 billion, are testament to how
important these resources are and our nation's growing
commitment to technology solutions.
U.S. Department of Education grant programs are a second
important element of Federal K-12 support. We are participating
in four Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers Today Grants, exemplary
public-private partnerships which include schools of education,
K-12 schools, and commercial entities, developing exemplary
models to train teachers on the effective use of technology.
Trana Gann, a technology coordinator at the Houston
Independent School District, has advanced her professional
development without ever leaving the comfort of her home, using
our Connected University Online professional development
courses. These courses were developed with the Texas Education
Agency to meet their particular State needs through a public-
private relationship.
Finally, I would like to leave you with four policy
initiatives that SIIA and Classroom Connect strongly Congress
to initiate. First, target Federal education resources to
national priorities, including technology, math and science,
teacher quality, and disadvantaged students. Avoid regulations
that inappropriately create barriers to the use of education
technology.
Second, continue to expand efforts to ensure universal
student and community access to telecommunications
infrastructure and Internet technology via the nation's schools
and libraries.
Third, target Federal R&D to address gaps in private
investment, including unserved niche markets, basic cognitive
research, and large-scale empirical evaluations that identify
effective models.
Finally, increase investment in training all educators to
effectively integrate technology into the curricula, including
pre-service and in-service training.
Many of these principles are reinforced in the recent
report of the Bipartisan Web-Based Education Commission. I
encourage you to read it. Thank you for the opportunity to
present to you today, and both Classroom Connect and SIIA are
committed to helping you move forward with these efforts.
[The prepared statement of Jennifer House follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF JENNIFER HOUSE, VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGIC
RELATIONS, CLASSROOM CONNECT, INC. ON BEHALF OF THE SOFTWARE &
INFORMATION INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
Good Morning Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Markey, and members of
the Committee. Thank you very much for the opportunity to address you
today on the subject of education technology. My name is Jenny House,
and I am Vice President of Strategic Relations for Classroom Connect,
an education company that provides online curriculum products and
professional development solutions to support K-12 standards-based
teaching.
I am also pleased to represent the Software & Information Industry
Association as chair of SIIA's Education and Workforce Development
Policy Committee. SIIA is the principal trade group of the software
code and digital content industry, with a membership of 1,000 companies
building the digital economy. SIIA has long been at the forefront of
efforts to integrate technology into education and education policy.
In sharing SIIA's perspective and policy goals, I bring my own 30+
years of experience as a teacher, school and district administrator,
and hardware and software company executive. While SIIA member
companies and their technology serve the entire broad education and
training market, my comments will emphasize elementary and secondary
education to which I have devoted my professional life.
National Education & Workforce Strategy
First, let me thank this Committee for its strong support of
education and education technology. Federal leadership and investment
has been critical to local and state efforts to bring the benefits of
instructional technology to all students, especially those in the most
disadvantaged communities.
In today's information age and global marketplace, intellect and
innovation give the United States its competitive edge and make a
highly educated and skilled citizenry essential. This fact is no more
clearly demonstrated than in the high technology industries now driving
the global and digital economies. However, the insufficient
availability of skilled workers recently forced the nation's high-tech
companies to request a temporary increase in the number of foreign-born
professionals allowed into the U.S. to meet their workforce needs.
We all agree this short-term fix is inadequate. Our nation needs a
comprehensive, national education and workforce development strategy
that ensures all students achieve to high standards and all citizens
gain 21st Century knowledge and skills. Allow me to speak to two core
elements of this solution: education technology and federal leadership
and investment.
Vision of Education Technology
Learning through the use of, and about, technology and the Internet
are critical to meeting our education and training goals. As uses are
refined and integrated, technology and the Internet are encouraging
innovation in education structure, policy and practice. The result is a
transformation of teaching and learning, and improved educational
efficiency, opportunity, effectiveness and student achievement.
These educational improvements can be organized around three
technology benefits: enhanced learning, 21st Century skills, and
administrative effectiveness.
Enhanced Learning. Software and web-based learning provide
tools for the ideal student-centered learning model. Access to real-
time, real-world content and exploration engages the student and drives
the thirst for knowledge. The Internet provides anytime, anywhere
access to courses that integrate rich curriculum, expert instruction,
and global discussions, and which were previously unavailable to many.
And technology enables self-paced, individualized learning in which
integrated diagnostic assessments are linked to curriculum in a way
that best meets the unique learning interests, needs and styles of
students.
Classroom Today provides a comprehensive framework of thematic
units which cover topics related to a teacher's curriculum. Through an
interactive educational Website, Classroom Today provides a natural way
for teachers to integrate up-to-the-moment information from and
interactivity of the Internet into the classroom on a basis consistent
with individual teacher calendars. The Website is used by subscribing
classrooms to explore and research topics in science, social studies,
math, and language arts guided by a series of open-ended questions.
Each unit features curriculum content wrapped around pre-qualified Web
resources and supported by lesson plans, activities, and tools such as
links to national and state standards as well as related assessment
strategies.
21st Century Skills. Success today requires a set of
abilities not necessary a generation ago. Technology is critical to
providing students with this wide range of 21st Century knowledge and
tools. These skills begin with basic technology literacy, including the
ability to find and analyze information on the Internet. Technology
also facilitates higher-order cognitive skills such as problem solving
and the ability to draw and communicate conclusions. Finally, it
encourages collaboration and the ability for self-directed and life-
long learning. Many will only acquire these skills in a timely manner
if given access at school.
An example of this is Classroom Connect's unique Quest adventure
learning series, which provides students, teachers and parents with the
opportunity to follow an expert team, in real time, on their travels
around the world on an educational exploration. Twice a year for four
to six weeks, a team of adventurers and curriculum experts explore a
mystery such as what is taking place today in the Mayan ruins in
Belize. Students around the world are communicating with scientists on
site and other related experts to solve the mystery of what happened to
the Mayan civilization. The team on site communicates via portable
computers and satellite technology carried on their backs for student
viewing the next day. Quest subscribers direct the journey as they vote
on the team's next destination and fact finding strategy and email the
adventurers with questions, ideas, and insights during the trek.
Administrative Effectiveness. Technology also brings
efficiencies to educational management. The Internet opens the market
to non-traditional providers, thus enhancing education competition and
student choice. It facilitates communications between the school and
community, thus empowering parents to participate in their children's
education (provided they have Internet access). Technology eases
efforts to measure and monitor student progress, and to improve data-
driven decision-making and accountability. The result is effective data
management, procurement savings, and other cost efficiencies long
enjoyed by business.
I encourage you to review the Education Anytime, Anywhere section
of SIIA's Trends Shaping the Digital Economy report for more details
and case studies (http://www.trendsreport.net/education).
Continued technology advances will further enhance this value
through hand-held computers, e-books and other low-cost devices, two-
way interactive video and voice streaming, and wireless technologies.
At the same time, research and experience will inform our design and
use of technology to improve teaching and learning and increase
achievement. Many examples of success already exist. SIIA's 2000
Research Report on the Effectiveness of Technology in Schools reviewed
existing research and found that technology increases educational
opportunities and student achievement, and that the degree of
effectiveness depends on the match between such variables as student
needs, software design, education goals, and educator training. While
more research is needed to further refine our understanding, a primary
goal now is to develop and implement scalable and replicable models
that allow the effective integration of technology for all teachers and
learners.
Achievement of these technology-driven educational improvements
requires that all schools and students have access to high-quality
digital tools and curriculum, and that this technology is effectively
integrated into teaching and learning.
Education Needs
The nation's elementary and secondary schools need federal
assistance to achieve these education technology goals. They have three
primary needs: infrastructure and access, software and digital
curriculum, and well-trained educators.
In addressing these needs, federal assistance must recognize the
unique challenges schools face in funding technology. It is a
relatively new item in a budget crafted at the margin and slow to
change. Technology is a relatively expensive item in a budget that
devotes most resources to personnel and operations. And technology is a
hybrid item in a budget that categorizes costs as either capital or
recurring. As a result, our nation's K-12 schools spend only about one-
twentieth per student on technology as does the private sector spend
per employee. Federal investment is critical to ensuring the necessary
investment as local communities and educators adapt to this change.
Infrastructure and Access. Schools need assistance in obtaining the
appropriate telecommunications and technology infrastructure and
access, including connectivity and hardware. This is especially the
case in many urban and rural communities where access is more difficult
and more expensive to obtain, and of course for high-poverty districts
that are severely lacking in resources.
Software and Digital Curriculum. Schools need high quality software
and digital curriculum to reap the benefits of technology and the
Internet. These tools must be learner-appropriate and safe, matched to
education needs and standards, incorporate effective pedagogy, and be
designed for fluid and effortless integration into the curricula and
school management. Educators have neither the time nor resources to
develop these tools nor translate raw content into curriculum.
Well-Trained Educators. Perhaps most critical to the success of
education technology, schools need educators that are able to
effectively integrate technology into the curriculum. Technology
provides exciting new tools that can transform a teachers methods and
role, and invigorate their experience. With this paradigm shift at an
early stage, educators need training and practice. Studies repeatedly
identify the lack of teacher training as a key barrier to the more
effective use of technology.
Public-Private Partnerships
Public-private partnerships and federal leadership and investment
are critical to the nation's ability to address these education needs
and transform the vision of technology into reality for all students.
Federal leadership serves as a catalyst for innovation, reform and
improvement in our nation's education and training system, while
federal resources leverage the state, local and private investment
necessary to fuel this national effort. At the K-12 level, federal
investment provides more than one-third of the resources used by local
schools to access, acquire and integrate technology.
The E-Rate has been critical to ensuring our most economically
disadvantaged communities have access to the nation's
telecommunications infrastructure that serves as a base for their
educational efforts. The yearly funding requests, now double the FCC-
set cap of $2.25 billion, are testament to both the importance of these
resources and to our nation's growing commitment to technology
solutions.
U.S. Department of Education grant programs are also an important
element of federal K-12 support. These grant resources enable local
schools to leverage their telecommunications and Internet access
through the software and online learning tools important for teaching
and learning innovation and improvement. For example, many schools
supplement federal grants with state and local funds to subscribe to
Classroom Connect's services.
At Classroom Connect we believe educators need a broad range of
instructional techniques and technology proficiencies to teach and
inspire their students. Professional development is key to successful
implementation of any curriculum in the schools, and it is critical in
the relatively new arena of integrating technology into the curriculum.
Our professional learning suite fulfills these needs with a tailored
mix of Web-based learning, onsite instruction, conferences and
publications. We have developed our Connected University online
professional development on a foundation of anywhere, anytime, any pace
learning for teachers and administrators. We are participating in four
different federally funded projects through the Preparing Tomorrow's
Teachers To Use Technology (PT3) grants. These are exemplary public-
private partnerships which include schools of education, K-12 schools/
agencies, and commercial entities such as Classroom Connect. These
projects prepare teachers to effectively incorporate technology into
teaching and learning while developing standard of excellence, and
prepare the best educators to teach our nation's future leaders.
We also participate in several important not-for-profit
partnerships as well. Our partnership with the Stanford Research
Institute (SRI) is analyzing the effectiveness of online learning and
teaching that benefits the entire educational community, commercial as
well as public. A second partnership is with the SchoolFirst
Foundation, which is using our products in some of the nation's
disenfranchised schools to study the impact of online learning for
students from low socio-economic neighborhoods. We also have content
partnerships with the American Museum of Natural History, the Library
of Congress, and NASA.
Policy Solutions
SIIA strongly encourages the Congress, working with the
Administration, to enhance the federal support and leadership necessary
to realize this education technology vision and ensure all students
achieve to high standards and gain the necessary 21st Century knowledge
and skills. Such policies should promote public-private partnerships
that help provide all schools and students with access to high-quality
digital tools and curriculum and their effective integration into all
appropriate aspects of teaching and learning.
These policy principles are largely reinforced by the findings and
recommendations of the bipartisan Web-Based Education Commission, led
by former Senator Bob Kerrey and Congressman Johnny Isakson. I
encourage you to review their recent report, The Power of the Internet
for Learning: Moving from Promise to Practice, as well as SIIA's
testimony to the Commission (http://www.siia.net/shared
content/govt/issues/edu/SIIAWebComRecs.pdf).
In general, it is the view of SIIA that public policies should: (1)
neither prejudice nor inappropriately favor technology and web-based
education; (2) rely to a great extent on consumer empowerment and
market competition; and (3) make the long-term investment in
technology, including infrastructure, research and development, and
teacher training.
More specifically, SIIA encourages federal policies that seek the
following with regard to K-12 education:
Target federal education resources to national priorities,
including technology, math and science, teacher quality, and
disadvantaged students. In return, hold schools and educators
accountable for ensuring all students achieve to high standards
and gain 21st Century knowledge and skills.
Increase federal investment in education technology, and
ensure those resources are both flexible and stable to empower
local districts to address their unique technology needs and
goals. The resulting demand creates competition among
publishers and spurs technology innovation, quality and reduced
prices.
Continue and expand efforts to ensure universal student and
community access to telecommunications infrastructure and
Internet technology via the nation's schools and libraries. As
I mentioned, the E-Rate has been invaluable in providing
connectivity and access for our nation's schools, libraries and
students. Any efforts to achieve this goal and close the
digital divide must ensure our neediest schools and libraries
continue to have dependable telecommunications access that is
protected from the often unstable federal appropriations
process. Many classrooms, particularly in the most
disadvantaged communities, remain to be connected.
Avoid regulations that inappropriately create barriers to the
use of education technology. Recognize that a supportive and
dynamic policy environment is needed for technology to emerge
successfully from today's challenging and relatively early
development stage. Rely on balanced solutions, public-private
partnerships, industry self-regulation, and consumer education
and local communities to ensure student online safety and
privacy.
Increase investment in training all educators to effectively
integrate technology into the curricula, including pre-service
and in-service training. Encourage public-private partnerships
that take advantage of the expertise of companies like
Classroom Connect and their ability to provide web-based
teacher training and facilitate online support groups.
Target federal R&D to address gaps in private investment,
including unserved niche markets, basic cognitive research, and
large-scale empirical evaluations that identify effective
models. Emphasize public-private partnerships to ensure the
most relevant research is funded, findings directly influence
product development, and government does not distort the
incentive for private investment through inappropriate
competition.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, SIIA and
its member technology companies understand first-hand the importance of
a highly-skilled workforce. And we recognize the need for a
comprehensive national education and workforce development strategy
that ensures all students achieve to high standards and all citizens
gain 21st Century knowledge and skills. As my testimony has outlined,
the elementary and secondary education reforms and innovations created
by technology tools provides a critical target for federal leadership
and investment. Public-private partnerships such as those being
undertaken by Classroom Connect should be core to this strategy. On
behalf of SIIA and the high tech community, I extend our commitment to
work closely with you to enhance this partnership and realize our
nation's educational and economic goals.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify. I am pleased to answer
any questions.
Mr. Upton. Thank you.
Dr. Koster.
STATEMENT OF EMLYN H. KOSTER
Ms. Koster. Mr. Chairman, members of the subcommittee, I
appreciate this opportunity to be with you and commend you on
focusing on technology and education innovations.
My name is Emlyn Koster and I, since 1996, have been
President of Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, opposite
Manhattan.
Liberty Science Center's mission is to be an innovative
learning resource for life-long exploration of nature, humanity
and technology supporting the growth of our diverse region and
promoting informed stewardship of the world. Our onsite
audience is now over 6 million since opening in 1993.
Today I would like to highlight how telecommunications
technology and the Internet have been critical in enabling
Liberty Science Center to expand its services from being
available just onsite. We are not a museum in any traditional
sense of the term.
The first program to highlight for you is our Live from
Cardiac Classroom series. Working with the surgical team at
Morristown Memorial Hospital in New Jersey, part of the
Atlantic Health System, and with the help of a visionary
trustee, cardiologist Dr. William A. Tansey, and with Johnson &
Johnson and Verizon as other corporate supporters, we have
created this one-of-a-kind operating room experience using a
dedicated T1 line for videoconferencing. Students watch and
interact in real time with all operating team members,
immersing themselves in ever facet of coronary bypass surgery.
Our science educators facilitate a powerful learning experience
that includes examination of all instruments used by the
surgical team during the videoconferencing. The discussion
ranges from risk factors to medical careers. This program also
features pre-visit teacher activities and a curriculum packet
that helps prepare students for this dynamic, possibly life-
changing, experience. Our latest enhancement in this type of
program occurred just last week when we premiered Live From
Brainworks, a similar program that links with Overlook Hospital
in New Jersey and highlights different kinds of neurosurgery.
The second program I would like to highlight for you is our
large-scale collaboration with the New Jersey Department of
Education that provides onsite, offsite and online science
education services to the State's most at-risk school
districts, known as Abbott Districts.
This innovative science education initiative is one of the
most unique and extensive found anywhere in the country. During
the last school year, 170,000 students benefited from our
designed interactions. Of this total, 100,000 used onsite
programming, 66,000 offsite school-based programming, and 4,000
online videoconferencing. As well, over 100,000 teachers
participated in school day, weekend and summer professional
opportunities. And over 25,000 family members from these
communities used their free passes to enjoy a Liberty Science
Center visit.
In establishing this long-term partnership, we convinced
the State Department of Education that our programming would
add value to its science improvement initiatives. We
demonstrated how our field trip, traveling science, and
videoconferencing curriculum materials are all aligned with
Stat and National Curriculum Content Standards. We demonstrated
how our teacher professional development workshops and
institutes are attuned to the emerging State certification
requirements, and we thoughtfully suggested the inclusion of a
third emphasis on the family to extend school and science
center learning into the home.
Use of telecommunications technology and the Internet are
key elements in the successful implementation of all of our
school programs. This year we will host 350 Electronic Field
Trips on topics that include animal habitats, simple machines,
human respiration, insects and energy conservation. Each link
is supported by a classroom package of curriculum material for
pre- and post-connection classroom activities. The polished
production values of these Electronic Field Trips enable the
teacher and our science educators to maximize the learning
impact of this type of distance learning.
If you visit our Website, you will find extensive online
resource material that supports both of these programs and
other resources about the learning and teaching of science.
Often, field trip visits to science centers and museums have
little pedagogical focus and can seem disconnected from school.
At Liberty Science Center, teachers can structure their student
explorations through a focus on a small set of exhibit
experiences that lead their students to complete a design
challenge.
Mr. Chairman, I hope that these remarks have given you
valuable insights into the innovative programs at Liberty
Science Center, and especially how telecommunications and
Internet technologies have enabled the development of new ways
to extend the impact of our mission. Thank you very much.
[The prepared statement of Emlyn H. Koster follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF EMLYN KOSTER, PRESIDENT AND CEO, LIBERTY SCIENCE
CENTER
Mr. Chairman, Congressman Markey and members of the Committee--I
much appreciate this opportunity to be with you here today and commend
you for focussing on technology and education innovations. My name is
Emlyn Koster and since 1996 I have been president of Liberty Science
Center in Jersey City. To give you a frame of reference in case you
have not yet had the opportunity to visit us, we are on the New Jersey
shore of the Hudson River in Liberty State Park facing Ellis Island,
the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan skyline.
Liberty Science Center's mission is to be an innovative learning
resource for lifelong exploration of nature, humanity and technology,
supporting the growth of our diverse region and promoting informed
stewardship of the world. We are not a museum in any traditional sense
of the term. Our onsite audience, now over six million since opening in
1993, learns through multimedia exhibitions, giant screen films, 3D
laser shows, photo exhibits, and activities and programs that encourage
understanding of science and technology. These experiences then extend
into schools, community centers, and homes through numerous traveling
science programs and electronic connections that use videoconferencing
and Web technologies. Our philosophy that seeks relationships with
schools and homes establishes Liberty Science Center as a valuable
educational resource, and not just an enjoyable destination.
I am here today to highlight how telecommunications technology and
the Internet have been critical in enabling Liberty Science Center to
expand its services from being available just onsite.
The first program to highlight for you is our Live From . . .
Cardiac Classroom series. Working with the surgical team at Morristown
Memorial Hospital in New Jersey, part of the Atlantic Health System,
and with the help of a visionary trustee, cardiologist Dr. William A.
Tansey, and with Johnson & Johnson and Verizon as other corporate
supporters, we have created this one-of-a-kind operating room
experience using a dedicated T1 line for videoconferencing. Students
watch and interact in real time with all operating team members,
immersing themselves in every facet of coronary bypass surgery. Our
science educators facilitate a powerful learning experience that
includes examination of all instruments used by the surgical team. The
discussion ranges from risk factors to medical careers. This program
also features pre-visit teacher professional development activities and
a curriculum packet that helps prepare students for this dynamic,
possibly life-changing, experience. Our latest enhancement in this type
of program occurred just last week when we premiered Live From . . .
Brainworks, a similar program that links with Overlook Hospital in New
Jersey and highlights different types of neurosurgery.
The second program I am profiling for you is our large-scale
collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Education that provides
onsite, offsite and online science education services to the state's
most at-risk school districts. As you may know, these are called Abbott
districts as a result of a New Jersey Supreme Court landmark ruling.
There are thirty of them, almost all are urban, and their enrollment
totals 270,000.
This innovative science education initiative is one of the most
unique and extensive found anywhere in the nation. Prior to 1997, and
within our home community of Jersey City, for example, less than 500 of
32,000 students visited Liberty Science Center each year on field trips
and local families rarely walked through our doors. The Abbott
Partnership Program has defined a new reality. During the last school
year, 170,000 Abbott district students benefited from our designed
interactions, 26,000 of them from Jersey City. Of this total, 100,000
used onsite programming, 66,000 used offsite school-based programming,
and 4,000 used online video-conferencing. As well, over one thousand
Abbott district teachers participated in school day, weekend and summer
professional development experiences. And, over 25,000 family members
from Abbott communities used their free passes to enjoy the excitement
of a Liberty Science Center visit.
In establishing this long-term partnership, we convinced the State
Department of Education that our programming would add value to its
science improvement initiatives. We were not in search of a handout,
but stressed our desire to earn public sector support through
collaborative involvement with science education reform. We
demonstrated how our field trip, traveling science, and
videoconferencing curriculum materials are all aligned with the New
Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards. We demonstrated how our
teacher professional development workshops and institutes are attuned
to the emerging state certification requirements. We thoughtfully
suggested the inclusion of a third emphasis on the family to extend
school and science center learning into the home. And, we offered to
provide families with a free pass for use at the Center, a quarterly
newsletter, and monthly community evenings as part of an inclusive
package of science education services.
Use of telecommunications technology and the Internet are key
elements in the successful implementation of the Abbott Partnership
Program, and indeed in all of our school programs serving the
surrounding four-state region. Every day from the floor of Liberty
Science Center we use videoconferencing technology to bring the
excitement of our exhibits and science experts into classrooms. Through
two-way, audio and video, ITV or ISDN based technologies, students
interact with our science educators on a host of activities that
support the classroom curriculum at all grades. This year we will host
350 different connections on topics that include animal habitats,
simple machines, human respiration, insect study, and energy
conservation. Each 45-minute link is supported by a package of
curriculum material that includes pre- and post-connection classroom
activities. The polished production values of these Electronic Field
Trips enable the teacher and our science educators to maximize the
learning impact of this type of distance learning.
If you visit our website, you will find extensive online resource
material that supports both of these programs and other resources about
the learning and teaching of science. For Cardiac Classroom, you will
meet the doctors and watch taped footage online. For educators, there
is a teacher's guide providing lesson plans and other activities to
complement the Live From . . . experience. For Electronic Field Trips,
teachers also find a host of support materials that extend the impact
of their videoconference connections. Additionally, our online
resources repeat our complete field trip curriculum of Discovery
Challenges. Often, field trip visits to science centers and museums
have little pedagogical focus and therefore can seem disconnected from
school. At Liberty Science Center, teachers can structure their student
explorations through a focus on a small set of exhibit experiences that
lead their students to complete a design challenge. The availability of
Internet and Web technologies has enabled free access to these valuable
curriculum materials.
Mr. Chairman, I hope that these remarks have given you valuable
insights into the innovative programs at Liberty Science Center, and
especially how telecommunications and Internet technologies have
enabled the development of new ways for science centers and other types
of museums to extend the impact of their mission.
I would be pleased to host at anytime a visit by you and any of the
subcommittee or full committee members. You can now reach us by light-
rail, ferry and road, and of course online at . Thank you
again for this opportunity and I look forward to any questions you may
have.
Mr. Upton. I want to thank all of you for your wonderful
testimony, and also by complying with our committee rules of
actually submitting it either online or on-paper 48 hours in
advance. It was a joy to read much of the testimony over the
last couple of days and to try and get prepared for today's
hearing.
I want to also compliment the staff on both sides for their
work in getting us ready.
We all have a number of questions, and at this stage we
will alternate between sides, although I am convinced that we
are all on the same side, for 5 minutes, and we will try to
limit our questions and answers to 5 minutes so that we can get
a number of members through this process before the bells ring
and we come back, and hopefully we will have at least one round
or two as members pop back in from the other hearings that they
have.
As I have toured a number of my different institutions,
whether it be libraries or schools, in schools at all different
levels, from my after-school neighborhoods, and some tough
neighborhoods in my K-12 and my intermediate school districts
which are county-run institutions branching out to the
individual schools. Yes, I located my Catholic schools and
other private schools that are tapped into the system. And I
looked at my university structure as well.
One of the important messages to me is the strong
importance of making sure that we have the qualified teachers
in the classroom, able to use the material and the equipment
that is there. In fact, I commented earlier this week in one of
my schools, I was a student when I think the overhead projector
was first invented, and I can remember my sixth grade teacher
leaning across, wanting to know if it was going to be the right
way on the blackboard, and having to look around, as it was the
first time that he had used it. But I say that because in my
District in Kalamazoo, we have Western Michigan University.
Western Michigan is a public foyer university. It, along with
Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan Universities, those three
universities train more teachers for the classroom than any
other three universities in the country. And Western Michigan
is on a race right now to be the first public foyer institution
to be completely wireless in all of its facilities, classrooms
and dorm rooms, by this fall, racing with the University of
Wisconsin. It is ``Down Wisconsin'', not ``On Wisconsin'' this
week, but it is great to see this competition that is out
there, particularly as they are in the business of training the
teachers and having the classrooms that can do that.
And I guess my first question to some of you here is, tell
me exactly how--as we look particularly at the Michigan angle,
Dr. Spencer, and the wonderful work that has been done--what
programs do you have in-hand to actually train some of these
teachers? I visited in intermediate school district in Berian
County 2 weeks ago, I guess it was, and when I did this
conferencing of the 500 students, I went into the room and
there were literally 50 teachers in there that were being
trained to know how to set up a WebPage, to do a whole number
of things. It was great to see that happen. But what type of
resources do you have, and are you doing that to train those
teachers? And, Dr. Spencer, before you answer, I would be
remiss in my visit to those schools, it was wonderful as the
teachers talked about the access to the computers they are
going to get from the number of companies that are doing it.
One of the complaints, though, that I heard was, particularly
the resource teacher who is actively working with all of--in
this particular classroom, St. Joe High School--all these
students, and because the resource is not a teacher, doesn't
have--isn't doing math or social science, though, in fact, she
was working with all--she does not qualify for that. Is it
free, or a reduced-rate computer?
Mr. Spencer. Mr. Chairman, the Teacher Technology
Initiative provide $110 million for the 90,000 full-time
teachers. There will likely be a second round opportunity for
those that did not qualify in----
Mr. Upton. She is actually training the teachers and
working with the kids, and I thought, boy, somehow I am a
second-class citizen here, I am not able to get the same
benefit that, in fact, I am really doing so. I said I would
mention that to you when you came to testify, to see if I
can't----
Mr. Spencer. Mr. Chairman, I not only have written it down,
I will speak to the Governor about it as soon as I return. And
the Legislature and the Governor have talked about those that
have not been qualified in the first round--special education
teachers in school districts--there are several other tiers of
critical providers in the K-12 community that need to be part
of that program and will likely be funded in the second-round
initiative.
If I might, Mr. Chairman, in response to the online
professional development, it is probably one of the most
important issues that we face not only at the K-12 level, but
also at the higher education level.
In our case, we have joined with our friends down the table
here, and I neglected to mention that earlier. Jennifer House,
we have recently a public-private partnership that Michigan
Virtual University has engaged with Classroom Connect, and we
are going to be providing their courses to our teachers.
Second, as I mentioned earlier, we probably will have the
most aggressive information technology initiative in the
country launched--and Governor Engler will announce this on
Monday--we will be providing through the National Education
Training Group, NETg, over 700 online IT courses for all of our
teachers across the State for free for the next 3 years.
In addition to that, we will be providing those courses to
the students, both at K-12 and higher education, and this, we
hope, will be a jump-start to get our teachers up-to-speed. No
barriers. No cost barriers, and we want everyone on the same
page in that regard. I think those tow initiatives will help
our teachers greatly.
The third thing I would respond by saying is that you are
right on the mark with regard to higher education. Western
Michigan University is preparing to launch the first totally
online educational technology Master's Degree program. Michigan
State University, Dr. Peter McPherson, his organization is
right behind them launching another Master's Degree. All of our
colleges and universities in the State are ramping-up to make
this a focus for the future, and that is where the professional
development opportunities will happen for our pre-service
teachers. It is not just our current teachers at the K-12
level, it is those young people that are coming through
tomorrow that will make a difference as well, so we are going
to try to service both.
Mr. Upton. Anybody else like to comment on--Ms. McHale.
Ms. McHale. I think I mentioned in my remarks that Cable in
the Classroom launched something called the Professional
Development Institute, specifically targeted to training
teachers--clearly, it is not enough just to put the technology
in the classrooms--and at all levels, the base skill of using
the technology, and then also more sophisticated use is where
you will really begin to see improvement in the classrooms when
we have done that. And we have taken a variety of approaches,
some of which we have actual locations here in Washington and
the surrounding area, where we bring teachers in. In other
cases, we have mobile labs where we can actually take them out
to the school. And then we have a variety of online services
where--and Discovery has one called Shop Talk, where we get
teachers online so they can begin to speak to each other how to
do it. So, we are trying to take it as a sort of multi-level
approach, but I think we would all agree that this is one of
the most critical issues, to get the teachers trained.
Mr. Upton. Ms. House.
Ms. House. We have a product that we call Connected
University that offers online courses to teachers, both
synchronously and asynchronously. Right now, we have over
150,000 teachers across the country participating in it, but
what it allows teachers to do is learn how to use the Internet
and integrate it into their curriculum and their assessment
programs, linking with State and local standards. And we work
with each of the States to customize courses so that it does
meet the needs of the individual school districts as well as
the States.
Mr. Upton. Dr. Domenech.
Mr. Krisbergh. I will just mention that the WISH program
was really at a more fundamental level, right at the elementary
school when the first access to the Internet is presented, and
the training is not only directly with the teacher and school,
but also obviously with the student and, more importantly,
actually, in a strange way, with the parents. So there is a
whole interface between the teacher, the administration, and
the school in using the Internet in a very basic way of using
the Internet, and that is where the curricula is designed
specifically in how to use the Internet, not so much in the
content which it sounds like a lot of other players here are
focused on--not to diminish it--it is just that the WISH
program is really aimed at that most fundamental level of using
and accessing the technology.
Mr. Upton. Dr. Domenech.
Mr. Domenech. Let me quickly say that besides all of these
wonderful programs that are there to support, what we have
found from our principals and teachers at the building level to
be a great investment and very much in demand, that we have
begun to do in our school system is to place a full-time
technology specialist in every school, to be available on a
day-to-day basis to work with the teachers and really help us
collect on the investment we have made in technology.
Mr. Upton. And that is exactly the same person we are
trying to get in the Michigan program, which I know is going to
happen.
Mr. Spencer. I will take care of that as soon as I get
back.
Mr. Upton. Dr. Koster.
Ms. Koster. I would just like to add a comment about the
powerful role of the science center network in the United
States to help with teacher professional development. The
collective annual attendance onsite of science centers in this
country is now 120 million at some 350 science centers, which
is more people per year than attend professional sports live.
And most of that audience, or a large percentage of that
audience, is teachers bringing students on field trips. The
videoconferencing that I talked about from Liberty Science
Center is used to train teachers without them having to move
from their school locations. They gather at videoconferencing
sites and we help the teachers to be more effective and
confident in handling science concepts through the
demonstrations we can provide from the science center.
Mr. Upton. I appreciate all of your answers, and I notice
my red light is on, so I yield to my colleague, Mr. Markey.
Mr. Markey. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, very much.
Sister, back in the last half of the 19th Century, waves of
Catholics started to hit this country, especially in New
England. There was a reaction, obviously. As we all know, one
of the three ``Ks'' of the ``KKK'' is Catholic. And James G.
Blaine, in Maine, was successful in passing a constitutional
amendment to his State's constitution which prohibited money
being used in Catholic schools, although they used a broader
term. It spread to many other places in our country.
Could you explain how the structure of this FCC E-rate
program helps schools like yours to take advantage of this
opportunity so that all children in the country can benefit?
Sister McDonald. Yes. I think it is currently 38 States
have what we refer to as the ``Blaine Amendment'', which has
specific prohibitions against direct aid to, in some cases it
is all private schools, in others it is religiously affiliated
schools.
Some of that is in the interpretation at the State level,
what that really means, the State Attorney General, so that in
some States where there are Blaine Amendments, people still can
access certain programs that they can't in others.
The key part with the E-rate is that it is not in the
Department of Education, it is not on the budget in the same
way that some of the other ESEA programs are. So, when we are
looking at this, it is not really Federal tax dollars, it is a
fee that the providers, telecommunications industry, is
assessed in exchange for various other pieces of the whole
telecommunications agenda.
But the money then is really not paid directly to the
school, the school applies to USAC for the services, and it is
funded. It is a third-party payer, really, in the way in which,
in some cases, you have to do with some Federal programs.
Mr. Markey. Could you explain how that also benefits
libraries in terms of their applications?
Sister McDonald. Yes. The library community has been
missing from this, and the library community has been quite a
player because the libraries don't really fall under the
Department of Education.
The benefit is that a lot of the rules that would apply for
funding purposes for schools that go through certain channels
are not applicable in this case because it is a one-on-one, and
I think that is important. The library community, as well,
whether the individual library applies or they apply as a
consortia, they are dealt with in terms of what they need, what
they can afford to match, and so on. And what is important not
only in terms of religious schools, but a lot of the private
school community have philosophical differences that keep them
from applying for Federal programs in terms of the strings-
attached mentality and so on. That has not been a problem. As I
said earlier, we are large purveyors of ESEA programs.
Mr. Markey. One final question, Sister. I think one of the
key aspects of the E-rate program is that each one of the
applicants has to have a technology plan they have to explain.
In other words, having computers in the back of a classroom,
which in many ways existed for the preceding 10 years before
the E-rate passed, really doesn't do any good for the kids.
So, explain how the requirement that a technology plan has
to be in place helps ensure that teachers and parents are
involved in the overall implementation of a technology plan
which benefits the kids.
Sister McDonald. In our case, most of our schools did not
have a comprehensive technology plan. I mean, there was a
budget line item perhaps to buy some computers. But what this
program did was to heighten awareness that it is part of
learning, not just a toy. And when people began to develop
technology plans, it had to be approved, and that is the key
part. It is not just a technology plan, these are approved
technology plans that illustrate how one will use this
effectively in an educational setting.
In most of our schools, committees were formed using
parents. Parents are the primary benefactors, if you will, in
terms of supplying the additional funding for this, and so on.
But what we got to focus on was how this works home school as
well as within the school, and how parents can channel their
children from playing with the computer to learning on the
computer. And the plan, the technology plans, really helped to
move this to the forefront of where we are going with
technology, and teach children to use it discriminatingly. I
think that is a key part, and we try that in the professional
development as well.
Mr. Markey. Thank you, Sister, and thank all of you for
everything you are doing to make this plan the great success
that it has become. Thank you.
Mr. Upton. Thank you. Mr. Davis.
Mr. Davis. Thank you. Let me start with Dr. Domenech. As a
former President of the American Association of School
Administrators, can you comment on the application process for
the E-rate? Are there any administrative burdens that are faced
by school systems which might not be as large and
administratively sophisticated as Fairfax?
Mr. Domenech. Well, I have to say that initially there
certainly were some problems in getting the program underway,
but I would say that at this point we are certainly seeing the
program work very effectively and efficiently. We are happy
with the way it is operating, and certainly very much endorse
its continuation. I can't see that there are any major
bureaucratic glitches that we would recommend at this point.
Mr. Davis. Does anyone else have a comment on that?
[No response.]
Doctor, let me just ask you again, just for our school
system in Fairfax, when you take a look at the school's current
technology in education abilities, would you estimate that
these programs are enabled by program funding--Federal, State,
local and private--what is the rough component of that, and how
do you reach out to some of these areas? It is tough to partner
in some areas of our county, and in parts of the country it is
harder to find business partners. We have been fortunate in
Fairfax to have them available, and you have been great at
getting them involved. What suggestions do you have for areas
that may not have the same level of partnership abilities with
business?
Mr. Domenech. Well, even in our county, as you know, there
are areas such as the Mt. Vernon-Route 1 area, where we have
difficulty in getting business partners because they are not
necessarily near the Tysons Corner area where most of our
business partners tend to come from.
What I think we have done, and other school systems in a
similar situation need to do, is to really reach out to
establish business partnerships that extend beyond jus the
school district. For example, we have extensive partnerships
with organizations like Oracle and Microsoft, which is not
necessarily in our area, but they have been very helpful in
helping us establish these partnerships.
They are a wonderful supplement to the limited funding that
we have. Certainly, the bulk of the funding for technology in
our area comes from the local county level efforts. We get
hardly anything from the State and, other than the E-rate, very
little at the Federal level.
Mr. Davis. Thank you. Let me ask Ms. McHale, have you seen
any correlation between schools that are receiving the cable
industry services and equipment in any increase that they have
had in terms of--I don't know how you measure it--test scores
or ability to move on or proficiency?
Ms. McHale. I don't think we've specifically tracked that,
but I think there is a lot of research which I have also seen
in my role on the State Board in Maryland where you can see a
direct correlation where you have got teachers who are trained
and understand the technology and they can utilize these
programs in the classrooms, that you get kids much more engaged
in what they are doing, and then you begin to see higher levels
of performance. I don't believe we, as an industry, have
actually tracked it.
Mr. Davis. Measured it, but anecdotally you have seen it.
Ms. McHale. Exactly. And I can certainly speak to it from
the Maryland context where we have definitely seen an impact
where you have a sort of integration of technology and use of
it in the classroom where you can really begin to see
significant results. And, again, focusing on higher level
skills and using technology as well, you can really begin to
make significant inroads.
Mr. Davis. Thank you. Let me just ask Mr. Krisbergh one
last question. Do you have any idea what it would cost to
provide WISH TV on a national basis?
Mr. Krisbergh. The bottom line is that the cost for the
equipment is literally a dollar month for putting that
equipment in the home, and the service itself is less than a
dollar a month with all the services around, so we are really
talking less than $2.00 for the cable operator to be able to
supply full Internet access capability with e-mail. So,
multiply that out.
Mr. Davis. Thank you very much.
Mr. Upton. Thank you, Mr. Davis. Mr. Sawyer.
Mr. Sawyer. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Before I
forget about it, I want to thank Dr. House for her kind words
about the technology grant program. Clearly, it doesn't meet
the needs of an entire nation in all of its complexity, but it
has made it possible for us to drive dollars to places where
not only can it do good, but we can learn from the good that it
is doing. And it is precisely that that I want to ask about.
We have heard a great deal of discussion today about the
availability of technology, and that is important, there is no
question of it. We have heard a great deal about content
development in all of its exciting diversity, and what that
means in terms of excitement in classrooms.
I am particularly, though, interested in how we are using
technology in learning about learning, in the new ways in which
the technology is applicable in classrooms, and how best to
take advantage of it.
I suspect we are learning those lessons all across the
United States day in and day out, but it is the organized
research that I am particularly interested in. Let me just give
you one example.
In my district, Kent State University, through a
combination of these grants and State grants and private sector
partnerships, have put together a Research Center for
Educational Technology. For their purposes, they have posed the
following three questions as central areas of focus. The first
is, under what conditions can technology be used by students
for problem-solving, inquiry, critical thinking, and what are
the effects of such use on student learning overall?
The second is, under what conditions do teachers learn,
particularly pre-service teachers learn, to make decisions
about effective uses of technology for higher-order thinking.
And, third, what alternative assessments, a topic that we
heard touched on earlier, alternative assessments can be used
to measure student learning when technology is used for higher-
order thinking?
Can you talk to me a little bit about how we are learning
about learning, and how we are spreading that more deeply into
real-world classroom situations?
Ms. House. You mentioned our PT3 grants, and we are having
great success with those. As you know, each grant, there is a
fundamental element for research that is part of that, and that
all of those models be disseminated across the United States so
that that research is available and can be infused in the
schools. And, remember, a K-12 school district has to be a part
of that in each of the grants. So, that is one way.
Another is, as a company, it is absolutely important for us
to have research going on to make sure that we are making the
right kinds of products. We are in a public-private partnership
with the Stamford Research Institute, who is monitoring how
effectively teaching and learning is taking place, so that we
can do that both with our curriculum products as well as our
staff development products.
Mr. Sawyer. Other comments?
Mr. Spencer. I think it is a great question. I am thrilled
you brought it up. It is one of the reasons I took this job and
left a traditional college presidency to go out on the bleeding
edge, in a sense, instructional technology.
We are losing between 30 and 50 percent of our distance
learners through attrition. One of the major problems we have
is we are not preparing these distance learners to become
successful distance learners.
We are preparing right now at the Michigan Virtual
University a distance learners orientation tool program to help
adult learners, high school learners, college and university
learners, get better prepared for a higher probability of
success for an online teaching and learning experience. And one
of the components in that program, Congressman, is critical
thinking, being able to differentiate between ``if I see it, it
must be true''. That's critical, that we help them become
differential learners.
Second, I think what you are going to see out there is a
greater movement by accreditation, regional accreditation
agencies, to get into the quality issues on a much higher
level. The Lexington Group, of all the virtual university
leaders throughout the country, has recently met with
accrediting agencies to get into the quality issue.
And the third thing I would respond to is, I think what you
are going to see is a greater emphasis on pre-test and post-
test so that the learner has a critical learning path which is
better tailor-made for their needs once they are going through
it. Those would be the three things that I think are pretty
critical, in response to your question.
Mr. Sawyer. Thank you both for your response.
Mr. Upton. Mr. Shimkus.
Mr. Shimkus. Thank you. It is a good panel and I appreciate
your answers. It shows you some of the schizophrenia that we
deal with, though, here in Washington, where we appreciate the
use of the Internet to get to private and parochial schools,
but we have problems with faith-based initiatives or education
scholarships or other issues because we are involved, but then
we don't like to say we are involved, and then we like to have
third-party entities to administer the funds, and it is just
part of the joy we have here in Washington in trying to sort
this all through.
Two quick questions. I am going to throw this out to
anybody who wants to answer. One is, having been a former
classroom teacher for 4 years, my question is, are textbooks
merging e-learning principles with CD Roms or server
opportunities for use in classrooms, because I know when I got
a textbook, we went through where we were going to buy our
textbook, and they give us little 8mm films, or overheads, as
Chairman Upton had mentioned.
And the second question is, what are we doing to protect
one of my passions this cycle is screening technologies. I am a
proponent of trying to move smut to a XXX domain field. What
are you all doing to protect or help us protect our children
from things, since we are using the Internet and they are going
to have access to servers and WorldWideWeb, protect them from
things that are out there that probably children shouldn't have
access to?
Ms. Grad. I would actually like to take a crack at that.
Although we are in the after-school space, certainly the tools
that we have to use are available. One is teaching children to
know the differences and actually to have responsible--we call
it ``Internet Driver's Ed'', we teach them how to surf safely.
Another thing is that there are very effective controls
that we can put on the systems in the software and in the
hardware to filter out the ability for children to go to
advertising sites or not very appealing sites, and then we try
to educate the parents and the teachers to be monitoring and to
be very diligent.
Mr. Shimkus. And that is the role of having an individual
there also, as some oversight in training them.
Ms. Grad. Right. There is no substitution for supervision,
actually. But while many of our schools do use blocking and
filtering software, they are all required to have some kind of
an ethical use policy in which the school, student and the
parent makes a contract about how this will be used, how it
will not be used, and what consequences might follow, and then
the supervision is built around that. And we find that more
effectively actually than blocking and filtering because if
kids are sophisticated about it, you can get around blocking
and filtering, but having a consciousness that it needs to be
monitored and having individual responsibility for it are
really primary for us.
Mr. Shimkus. Anyone else?
Mr. Domenech. We have also implemented systemwide Internet
filtering for all our schools, as a very essential component of
what we do and it is part of our Board policy.
I also wanted to address your question regarding electronic
textbooks. That definitely is a direction that we are all
taking. We have spent some time actually at Palo Alto with the
Xerox people and some of the work they are doing with
electronic textbooks, and the ability of teachers in the future
no longer having to buy an entire textbook, but on-demand to
get a particular chapter from a book that is relevant to the
particular lesson that is going to be taught, and having that
made available to the kids in the class. And many of the major
publishers now are looking at and moving in that direction, and
selling textbooks more on a subscription basis than necessarily
a textbook.
Mr. Shimkus. With broadband capabilities, can't we see the
ability to do direct screening for your video presentations or
other----
Mr. Domenech. Oh, absolutely, but now you are getting into
a significant area. You know, I had the opportunity to testify
a couple of months ago before another one of our congressional
committees on technology, and I made the reference that many of
the school systems in America, when we talk about broadband
technology, we talk about the superhighway, and it is like
getting off a four-lane superhighway and onto a dirt road when
you get into the school district. Most school districts don't
have that broadband capability.
Mr. Shimkus. Thank you.
Ms. House. We have, in a public-private partnership with E-
trust, developed a pamphlet for parents and educators on safety
on the Internet because I think filtering is one part of it,
but I also think education is key.
Mr. Shimkus. I agree. I thank you very much for your
answers, and I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Terry [presiding]. Thank you, Mr. Shimkus.
Mr. Engel, you are recognized.
Mr. Engel. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First of all, I want to
thank all of you for the good work that you all do. I am
obviously concerned, along with my colleagues, about the
digital divide. And I have just gotten this brochure from
PowerUP, Ms. Grad, and I am happy that you have three places,
three groups, in my home county of Bronx, New York and one in
Mt. Vernon, New York, which is also in my district, so we are
very glad of the good work.
When I go around to different schools, I find that they
tell me all the time that part of the problem is the school
buildings are so old that it is impossible to wire them to get
the technology into them. They can't be wired. The schools
don't have adequate funds to put in the computers. The same old
problem, I guess, in urban areas elsewhere.
We do have a school in my district, a public school, that
has formed a collaboration with Manhattan College and Apple to
provide computers to every student and create a supportive
learning environment for its students.
I just wanted to throw out--I know we have votes and it is
crazy today--but how can the Federal Government--Ms. Grad or
anybody else who would like to comment--encourage broadband
companies such as cable and DSL provide to donate their
services to schools, and schools where the buildings are too
old to wire, any options for wireless systems, and what are the
impediments for reusing these computers in schools? These are
just some of the things I don't know--you may have said it
before I came in and, if so, I apologize--but these are the
kinds of problems I get all the time with people coming into my
office.
Ms. Grad, do you want to try it, or anybody else?
Ms. Grad. Sure. Obviously, anything that we can do to make
an incentive for DSL, any cable companies, any of the TELCOS,
anything we can do to encourage them to give us broadband
connectivity is what we want. We only provide broadband
connectivity. Where we can't get wires into the schools, we do
use wireless and in certain instances satellite. The wireless
technology is on its way, and anything we can do to encourage
its growth--we don't think it is quite there yet to be able to
do the volume that we are doing in the interactivity that we
are doing, but we would love the Federal Government to entice,
encourage, or otherwise induce corporations to give pro bono
the services, the connectivity that we need.
And let me add, too, the cable industry actually has an
initiative, and as it rolls out and as the technology becomes
available and they are upgrading their systems, they actually
make available to schools, free of charge, broadband access,
access to it.
In terms of dealing with the wiring in the schools, it is
clearly a challenge and, as I mentioned earlier, on the
Maryland State Board, one of the areas we oversee is Baltimore
City where truly this has been a challenge as they have gone
into some of those older schools, and so they are doing it.
Part of the problem with wireless is that when you are
looking for the rich multimedia that you want to get into the
educational experience, wireless is simply not an appropriate
remedy at this point in time.
Ms. Moore. Congressman Engel, I just would say that
wireless technologies are eligible for E-rate discount, so that
is an option for schools who want to go in that direction. That
is one of our eligible services.
Mr. Spencer. One other thing I might add, Congressman, is
that Internet2 is a nationally based research project to start
dealing--not start, they have been dealing with the broadband
issue, and connectivity, and the digital divide, and how all
that pulls together. The same leadership team, in a sense, that
came up with Internet1 is working in Ann Arbor, Michigan. That
is where it is headquartered. And I think it would be a
possible potential future discussion with Dr. Doug Van Howling
at the Internet2 project. The committee might benefit from
getting a real focused perspective on that. So, I just offer
that as a future opportunity.
Mr. Engel. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Terry. Thank you. We are going to go a little bit out
of order and, Ms. Eshoo, you are recognized.
Ms. Eshoo. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I appreciate it. And I
want to thank all the panelists, first of all, for the work
that you do. This is a good-news panel, I have to tell you. I
wish the entire Congress was in this room to hear you because
we don't often hear the kinds of things that you have brought
forward today. So you have provided a very, very important
snapshot, a picture, of what is going on with several different
elements. So, I want to thank you, and I want you to know that
it is a source of pride to me to have helped set up and had my
hand in the Telecommunications Act. I think that we got it
right with what we set up, and that is why I wish there were
more members here today to hear how the E-rate actually does
work.
Of course, your panel is broader than the E-rate, but the
statistics about it are really quite startling. In 1994, before
we had the E-rate, 3 percent of classrooms in our nation were
wired, while in the year 2000 72 percent were. So, we have made
progress.
Sister, it is wonderful to have a Sister on the panel, I
have to tell you. PBVMs did not teach me, but you are
representing all of my teachers, too. I cannot imagine what
they would have done with us if we had had these technologies
in the school when I was growing up.
You know politically that the E-rate has been tossed about.
I hope the dust is settling on that. During the Presidential
election and leading up to it, it was called the ``Gore tax'',
and these things become political footballs. But now the dust
is settling. I hope that the new Administration will leave this
alone, and the Commerce Department. We have heard some very,
very insightful things that you have brought forward out of the
panel.
Is there anything that you can tell us today--because I
think that those that may not be so inclined to support the E-
rate want to hear how it might be able to be improved--have any
of you had experiences that you can tell us that we need to
build on--you know, the not-so-positive side of it? I mean, we
can build on things and make them better, and that is what I
want to do, and I think that a good part of the jury is in that
we have done a good thing, but we can do better.
Do any of you want to add to that, or tell us what we can
do better? You know, the criticism is in this bureaucracy, the
bureaucracy is out of control. Is it? Should it be shrunk? Is
there something specific we should be doing?
Mr. Domenech. Well, I indicated earlier to a similar
question from Congressman Davis, that we think the E-rate is
working, and if there is anything you can do to improve it, it
is to increase the amount of money that we get.
Ms. Eshoo. I am glad you said it and not me, but it is more
important that you say it. Anyone else? I know that we have got
a huge tax bill on the floor today.
Sister McDonald. I concur with that. I think keeping it, at
least never going below the funding cap, the $2.5. And you
heard in earlier testimony, the demand far exceeds what the cap
even allows. And what happens is that the higher ends wind up
with the portional share in terms of wiring, and for many of
the schools below an 80-percent discount level, they were not
able to be funded for wiring. So that precludes people from
moving ahead. So the funding is what is really driving that.
Mr. Krisbergh. I might add that the whole focus on the
schools is excellent, but I also think, as was brought up here,
that bringing the home and the school-home connection into the
equation is important, and maybe opening up the funding to
include not just the school, but the home----
Ms. Eshoo. That may be the next step of it because we can't
leave, as the President says, ``any child behind, any school
behind'', but--it is the equivalent of pencil, you wouldn't
send a child home without a pencil--I mean, we have them at
home. So that is the other bookend in this, but we have to
complete, I think, this round.
It is wonderful to see you here from Brisbane. I don't
represent it, but it is in San Mateo County, that I love, and
have represented for 10 years. Thank you for your outstanding
work. And to the cable people, thank you for what you are
doing. You just added to something where someone didn't even
know that you offer what you do. So, rather than political
beating-up on the floor, this hearing, Mr. Chairman, is
constructive, and I thank you all. I think you are heroes and
heroines in America for what you are doing.
Mr. Upton. I just want to change one little word maybe for
the record. It is not a ``big'' tax cut, it is a ``little''
one. Mr. Green.
Mr. Green. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I don't know if we
will have time because we all have to go vote. I have two
questions I will merge into one.
During the 3 years of the program, the funding level has
been capped at $2.25 billion, and I know the funding requests
are double that. What can we do to provide more funding?
Also, in the concern that Mr. Shimkus has, and I share, is
private and parochial schools seems to be lagging in E-rate
funding behind public schools, can you account for the
differing trends. And if you all could submit that to the
record so we can have it because, in my own district in
Houston, both my parochial schools--although we got a local
Bell provider to wire one of our local schools so they could do
that. But I appreciate it, Mr. Chairman, I know we all have to
go vote.
Mr. Upton. Thank you, and I am not sure that we are going
to have members--this vote is on, and we have about, I am told,
a few minutes, and then a big series of votes will start.
I do have a couple more questions, and I will yield if
members run back and forth, as I did.
Ms. Moore, I have a question. I know that the FCC really
does run the E-rate program. As I have visited my schools and
libraries, I have been most impressed with the work that they
have done, particularly in my district, for a large part, is
indeed a microcosm of the country in terms of rural and urban,
rich and poor, a very good blend of minorities, terrific
learning institutions like Western and a number of community
colleges as well, that Dr. Spencer related to, and we have got
some terrific school districts and we have got some that need a
little help in lots of different ways.
Chairman Powell is going to come testify before our
subcommittee the end of the month, and I know the E-rate will--
a number of members will be quizzing him in terms of his
thoughts about where that program should go. And I don't know
whether he formally will reach out to folks like you for input,
as they look at some changes, but I am going to raise a
situation in a hypothetical sense, though I know in fact that
it is true.
If you have got a school district that perhaps has a
relatively high poverty level among the families whose kids go
to that school, and therefore has a very high breakfast and
lunch program, and yet the property taxes for that particular
area are pretty decent. Maybe they have a large business that
is there and people commute back and forth. They might have a
particular industry that generates quite a bit of property
taxes but, in fact--and it may be a very small community as
well--it may be able to tap substantial dollars for their
program which, let's face it, certainly was--in the context of
a couple of years ago, every school needed that technology.
Is it not true that maybe--and they are at the very top in
terms of the priority level that they receive funding--is it
not true that if that school district decided, ``Well, we did
pretty well. It has been 2 years now since we got this large
chunk of funding and we have put it to good use, but let's
rewire, or maybe go to wireless, so let's go to the next
step''. And then you have got another school district perhaps
in that same county--it doesn't matter really--and they may
have tons more students, but their breakfast rate is
substantially less. They are able to maybe qualify for just a
little bit, and because this other school district, time and
time again--year 4 now, but let's say year 8--maybe they can
revamp a second, third or fourth time.
Should that be the case? Should there be some priority
maybe for the schools that were at the end of the line at the
beginning, the teams, the schools ahead of them get funding?
Should there be a way for these other school districts that
can't participate to the same degree because of the base, yet
they have got maybe eight facilities, can't pass a bond measure
for a variety of different reasons. Should there be some bonus
later on, or at least some take-away points for a school that
perhaps could--I don't want to use the word ``rig'' the
system--be able to get something like that?
Ms. Moore. Let me say, Mr. Chairman, that we are engaging
in a dialog with FCC with respect to the priory system that it
does set and that we must follow. And, indeed, with the
emphasis on serving the neediest schools and, therefore, as you
suggest, the 90-percent discount level, those who are so poor,
in effect, that all they need to do is provide 10 percent of
the cost of the actual services, do have the opportunity to
enhance and build over the years, while those at the, say, 60-
70 percent, who still have a significant portion of their
students in the school lunch program, may never be able to tap
those internal connection support because of the priority
system and the way it is structured.
So we have begun a dialog with the FCC. Now that we are in
the fourth year of the program, we can see the reality of this
dilemma very vividly in the demand estimate that we do have,
and so should the FCC make a decision to alter the priorities,
we would certainly implement that according to their
regulation.
Mr. Upton. This was my second round. When I started my
question, members hadn't come back, but I yield for her opening
here for questions, the gentlelady from New Mexico, Ms. Wilson.
Ms. Wilson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I appreciate that. I
have several questions, and I will be brief because I think
they are going to be----
Mr. Upton. I think we have 10 minutes before they start.
Ms. Wilson. Okay. On WISH TV, I understand that LSU is
doing some kind of study on the efficacy of WISH TV, and I
wonder when you anticipate that being released?
Mr. Krisbergh. It is an ongoing process, we hope to have it
done in the next 4 or 5 months.
Ms. Wilson. With respect to that, and maybe for some of the
other members of the panel here, I was very interested in Mr.
Sawyer's questions about what we are learning about learning,
and how technology is impacting achievement which, as we all
know, is the ultimate goal here.
What kind of--not anecdotal--but what kinds of systematic
evaluation and results can we see when technology is used in
the classroom? With all those professional development and
support mechanisms and so on in place, how does it affect
achievement?
Ms. McHale. I will take a stab at it--and, again, from my
role in the Maryland State Board of Education where we are
actually tracking it. If you would like, I can get you a copy
of the report where they are doing it in conjunction with the
assessments and testing program that they have implemented, and
I can get you a specific report where they are tracking it. The
Maryland Business Round Table has been trying to track the
impact of that, and I will be happy to get you a copy of that
report.
But there is evidence to demonstrate that where all the
things come together, where you have got the use of technology
aligned to the curriculum, and the teachers trained in it, that
it does have a positive impact and is able to sort of really
drive the standards faster. But I can certainly get you a copy
of that report.
Ms. Wilson. I would very much like to see that.
Mr. Domenech. Let me also add, if I may, that when you
mention achievement, the question here is, are you talking
about scores on a standardized paper-and-pencil, multiple-
choice test, or are you talking about higher-order thinking?
And probably the issue is it refers to standardized tests, is
questionable as to whether technology truly affects increases
in test scores. But there is no question but that when you are
dealing with higher-order thinking skills, that technology is
having a big impact. To the extent that it is being used in
research, it is being used in the development of writing
skills. For example, in our school system, we are now offering
online, at the high school level, a Web-based course on
creative writing where students from all 24 of our high schools
are able to participate in a way that truly enhances the way
creative writing was taught in a traditional classroom.
So, the issue of achievement, it is having a significant
impact on achievement, but I don't think we have the evidence
to say the same thing about whether scores are increasing on
standardized tests.
Ms. Wilson. Standardized tests are one thing that is
important, but achievement is really more how you define it
rather than--I am not thinking inside a box here. But I do
know--and maybe this leads to my follow-on question here, which
is--and I was very interested to hear about your program with
some of our science centers, our science museums, in a way,
hands-on museums and things--because it is that higher-order
thinking and solving of problems that is one of the advantages
of technology, whether it is Freddy Fish or Sim Park, and the
ability to make decisions and see the consequences of those
decisions, as opposed to drill-and-kill things that just happen
to be on a CD Rom instead of on a piece of paper. But there is
also something about the way children learn and the way adults
learn and the way the Internet isn't oriented frankly toward
adults rather than children, that is something I think we need
to get over.
I mean, we sit here and we learn from each other in this
way. My children--prepare for boarding--they are going to be
arriving here at 4 o'clock this afternoon--would find this
completely meaningless because they learn in a different way.
And playing with magnets and feeling static electricity raise
the hair on your head and wondering what is it that makes this
water pour if I tip it just a little more, is a child-like
thing and something that is much more difficult to do on a
computer, even though we have gone beyond reading to seeing and
now to hearing on the computer, and even the interaction and
the feedback, but there is still more to be able to make
technology help a child learn. And so I would encourage you in
your efforts.
I thank you for all the wonderful work that you have done,
thank you for Animal Planet and some other things, to help
bring the world to children who often are very, very far from a
science museum on the East Coast, but still would like to hear
what a dinosaur that looks like Snuffalopogus really might have
sounded like because a scientist modeled it somewhere.
So thank you all very much for your work.
Mr. Upton. I thank the gentlelady, and my sense is that
members are staying on the House floor, and we have this series
of votes that are going to start. I just want to say, to sum
things up, I appreciate all of your testimony, your hard work
in getting things done. And I know the folks that you answer to
will be most proud of your presentation today, as they probably
helped write it, but it really was a compliment to you and your
organization as you help us along this road. Again, we are all
on the same side here. Even though these are Republicans over
here, and these are Democrats over there, we are all on the
same side, we want the best for our kids and for the future
workers of this country, and it is great to see so many
different activities, whether it be after-school activities or
those who need it at home. I am sorry, I can rail on my friend
and colleague from the UP that he wasn't here, Bart Stupak, he
would have liked our analogy, but for him, he does have a very
rural district, stretching out. I think it is the second
largest district east of the Mississippi. And for him, whether
it be classroom technology or health care needs, all those
different things, his district will reap tremendous benefits
based on what happens in this subcommittee and committee and
the Congress in the next couple of years. I know his interest
is well-grounded in this issue as well.
Again, we appreciate your thoughts and comments. In
addition to the members that put their statements into the
record, those members that are at other subcommittees may have
additional questions. I know for a fact that some do, and we
will get those to you in writing, if you could respond at an
early point in your process so that we can complete the record
on this, but we thank you for what you do, and we wish you well
in the days ahead, and we look forward, certainly, as a
Congress, to making your job a lot easier and complement your
efforts to-date. Thank you. This hearing is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 12:55 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
[Additional material submitted for the record follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF ADVANCED TELCOM GROUP, INC.
Advanced TelCom Group, Inc. (ATG) is a facilities-based competitive
local exchange carrier that provides voice and data services to medium
and small business in smaller towns and communities. ATG currently
operates in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Connecticut, New
York, Maryland and Virginia.
Since its inception, ATG has recognized its obligation as a
Corporate citizen, to support education for underprivileged youth in
the communities it serves. ATG works closely with schools, government,
and private organizations to bring its resources and communications
expertise to these organizations to create, support, and promote
programs that educate, and otherwise assist our youth, especially those
at risk.In every community where ATG provides telecommunications
products and services, it actively participates in the communities--and
its employees serve on Boards of various local associations and groups,
mentoring and volunteering their free time.
On a national level, ATG is a partner of PowerUp--an organization
that brings computer knowledge to underprivileged youths through
computer learning centers and curriculum under the leadership of
Secretary of State Colin Powell's Digital Divide organization, and of
the Case Foundation. ATG provides and donates the high speed Internet
access for PowerUp centers located in Oregon, Washington, and
Connecticut. ATG has been being instrumental in linking PowerUp with
other organizations and municipalities with similar goals in youth
education, such as the Institute of Student Achievement in Westchester
County, New York, and with the cities of San Rafael, California and
Tacoma, Washington.
In Northern Virginia, ATG has joined with Fairfax County and the
Case Foundation in their Computer Learning Center Youth Education
Partnership to help fulfill their plan to create 20 learning centers in
Fairfax County.
In Santa Rosa, California, ATG has collaborated with two corporate
partners to raise over $200,000 in funds and in-kind donations for
Sonoma State University to receive a grant from the federally funded
GearUp program to promote education at the Cook Elementary School and
Elsie Allen High School--both schools located in economically
disadvantaged communities.
ATG is also the sole sponsor of education programs such as
``telecommunications career pathways,'' computer technology intern and
mentoring programs, and the adoption of a high school classroom by
providing computer equipment, software, and high-speed connectivity.
In Westchester County, New York, ATG supports a program to provide
computer learning to thousands of underprivileged youths under the
leadership of County Executive Art Spano.
ATG supports, with sponsorships, many organization serving at-risk
youths and their families, such as the Domas Foundation in Stamford,
Connecticut, the Sagewind Group in Reno, Nevada, and Family Building
Blocks in Salem, Oregon.
These efforts, and others like them, are only a part of ATG's
commitment to be involved in our communities and to assist these
organizations with financial support, services, and expertise in
marketing and fund raising activities.
ATG's goal is to contribute to today's youth and give back to the
communities we serve.
______
PREPARED STATEMENT OF DAVID C. RUBERG, CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT & CEO,
INTERMEDIA COMMUNICATIONS INC.
Mr. Chairman, members of the Committee, my name is David C. Ruberg.
I am Chairman, President & CEO for Intermedia Communications Inc., a
competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) headquartered in Tampa,
Florida, and operating primarily in the Eastern part of the United
States. On behalf of Intermedia, I respectfully submit this written
testimony for inclusion in the record of this proceeding.
Intermedia Communications (Nasdaq:ICIX) offers broadband data,
high-speed Internet access, and advanced network and voice services to
business and government customers in major markets. It is among the
largest independent CLECs in the country, the nation's fourth largest
frame-relay provider, a leading systems integration provider, and the
nation's largest provider of multi-tenant services. Intermedia is also
a majority owner of Digex, a leading provider of managed Web and
application hosting services for some of the world's most significant
companies that rely on the Internet as a critical business tool.
Intermedia is also a member of the Association for Local
Telecommunications Services, known as ALTS. ALTS is the national trade
association representing facilities-based competitors for local
telecommunications services. ALTS represents approximately 100 CLECs,
most of whom began providing competitive telecommunications services
after the passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act.
Mr. Chairman, you have held this hearing to address the issue of
technology and education, and how various government and private sector
programs have been successful in integrating technology into school
curricula and classrooms throughout America. Access to technology in
schools has always been a top philanthropic priority for Intermedia.
Our company's basic philosophy is centered on the premise that in order
for our company to grow and prosper, we must have an educated workforce
from which to draw employees. Also as our company prospers, it is our
responsibility to share that prosperity in local communities we serve
and within local communities where we may not have a presence, but have
resources and relationships to share.
In 1996, Intermedia chose to lead Florida's efforts to bring
technology to every child through a national project called ``NetDay''
(www.netday.org). NetDay is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation whose
mission is to seamlessly integrate technology into education and
learning, both inside and outside the classroom. To achieve this goal,
NetDay's mission is guided by six objectives aimed at increasing the
penetration of technology in America's schools:
Schools need the appropriate wiring infrastructure to access
the Internet;
Classrooms need access to connections with rich educational
digital content;
Teachers need the ability to integrate technology and
instruction;
Students need the opportunities to take advantage of
technology;
Businesses need to have a workforce that is technology
literate; and
Communities need the benefits of a technology-rich education
for all.
In Florida, Intermedia had an even larger vision. Our goal was to
create a comprehensive high-technology learning environment for all
Floridians--whatever the platform, whatever the needs and wherever the
facility. The plans included fiber and wireless solutions, computers,
software, teacher training, and mentoring programs for students.
Intermedia did not limit NetDay in Florida to just K-12 students in
public schools, but it opened the program to include after-school
programs, community learning centers, adult programs, distance-learning
programs and private schools.
For Intermedia, NetDay is about connecting Americans of all ages to
their futures. That is why we believe community technology centers are
so important. These centers provide computers and access to the
Internet access to grandparents and children alike. They enable people
from all walks of life to be active participants in technology.
A center may be as elaborate as the Hillsborough Education
Technology Center in Tampa, Florida offering state of the art
facilities, libraries, teacher training facilities, a small business
incubator and community out reach programs; or it could be a single
room in a city-owned building like the one in Gadsden County.
Regardless of size or stature, Intermedia believes that we must all do
our part to enable even our neediest areas with the means to secure
access to technology.
Intermedia committed to lead Florida's efforts for NetDay on July
22, 1996. Within three months, more than $9 million was raised and more
than 1,500 schools were wired utilizing more than 20,000 volunteers. In
1997, our estimates showed that 60% of jobs in Florida would require
computer literacy by the year 2000, yet it was estimated that only 20%
of our students would be computer literate. So we adjusted the
program's mission to put an emphasis on students' computer skills. To
ensure that the program would be efficiently managed, Intermedia loaned
out senior executives to coordinate the statewide effort. Over the last
5 years, we have continued a high level of dedication to the program
that we initiated in 1996. Both NetDay96-Florida and NetDay2000-Florida
have been recognized as two of the most successful efforts in the
country.
Intermedia's ongoing support for NetDay activities reaches beyond
our service areas. We have helped with more than 2,500 NetDay events
around the country. Most recently, this February Intermedia donated as
part of NetDay, 250 computers to the Boys and Girls Clubs, Big
Brothers-Big Sisters organization, and the ``Take Stock in Children''
mentoring initiative in the Pinellas County Schools. Each computer was
a Pentium or higher, with Microsoft ME OS and Internet content software
and we're distributed by Intermedia employees and technicians.
One of the unanticipated ``ripple effects'' of NetDay in Florida
has been an on-going network of volunteers. These volunteers may have
initially come for a ``day of wiring'', but found they could continue
to contribute throughout the year in many more ways, including
mentoring students and teachers in computer skills, sharing life
experiences and relating valuable work-place skills. This resource has
helped NetDay far exceed its initial goals.
By partnering together for NetDay, private industry, communities,
educational institutions and government has been able to coordinate,
educate and deliver preset goals in an expedited and timely manner.
Mobilizing the shared and unique resources of all the required sectors
has greatly contributed to the singular success of NetDay in Florida.
It is Intermedia's belief that the involvement of private industry was
a leading catalyst to the success of the program in Florida. I have
attached to this testimony letters of support and endorsement from
State and county leaders throughout Florida whose communities were
positively affected by NetDay activities since 1996. They are a
testimony of what businesses and government can do working together to
bring technology to everyone in America.
I thank the Committee for the opportunity to submit this written
testimony.
______
PREPARED STATEMENT OF WINSTAR
We would like to thank the Subcommittee for the opportunity to
submit for the record, information on Winstar's efforts in education.
WINSTAR FOR EDUCATION
Winstar is committed to using its telecommunications technology for
educationally and socially profound interactive projects such as the
Training Cafe, The Virtual Wall and Teach Vietnam that are available
free of charge for people around the world.
Winstar also uses its broadband fixed telecommunications to create
virtual communities in both Washington D.C. and New York City to
fulfill our mission of bringing people together in extraordinary
interactive ways using our broadband infrastructure.
PROGRAMS
Winstar continues to be committed to education and communities, and
is continuously seeking ways to harness our technology to assist
communities in learning and sharing knowledge and experiences. Winstar
programs include:
LATTICE
Winstar's LATTICE program (Leveraging Advanced Telecommunications
Technologies to Improve Community Environments, uses advanced wireless
technology to provide basic telecommunication services (telephone,
Internet and cable) to people in low income, high-cost communities.
(High cost, in this instance, refers to the cost of installing
traditional telecommunications services.)
Our hope is that LATTICE will serve as a model for a nationwide
virtual community of lifelong learners that eliminates the "digital
divide" in inner city communities by building job skills and spurring
economic, social and educational growth.
Winstar provides Internet services, on-site program management, and
Internet technology using the Training Cafe in the following locations
in a low-income community in Washington, D.C.:
Tyler House (urban housing development)
Walker Jones Elementary School
Sibley Plaza (senior citizens residence)
The result is the creation of a virtual learning and earning
community originating in a low-income housing development and expanding
throughout the community.
The collaboration, which makes up the virtual learning community
includes the owner of the property, the residents, the school district,
not-for-profit organizations, private companies, local colleges and
others to leverage technology to the benefit of children and their
families.
The uniqueness of this project lies in the wireless connection and
in the diversity of the community participation. Because of the
technology, the residents have the opportunity not only to learn job
skills, but to telecommute to those jobs as well. LATTICE exemplifies
community collaboration, bridging the distances between home, school
and work.
Training Cafe
The Training Cafe is a free interactive online learning site that
provides educators with technical skills they can use in both their
professional and personal lives. Training Cafe's multimedia modules
combine interactive instruction with extensive hands-on practice.
This interactive web-based training supports the new International
Society for Technology Education (ISTE) National Education Technology
Standards for Teachers.
Training Cafe offers the Internet Technology series, free of
charge, as of Fall 2000:
Internet Technology Series--17 interactive modules covering a
wide variety of Internet topics, and designed to assist
teachers in bringing technology into the classroom.
Each module is interactive and takes about 45-60 minutes to
complete. All modules are structured as described below. Users can
select which parts of the lesson they want to work on, in their own
time frame.
Instruction--Module instructional content is presented as
interactive multimedia with hands-on exercises.
BrainCheck TM--Users test their knowledge of each
module's content by completing the quiz in the module's
BrainCheck with immediate feedback on each question. Users have
the option of exiting a quiz to review subject material, and
may re-take the quiz.
Resources--Each module includes a Glossary, module-specific
Resources on the Web, and Inside/Outside the Classroom
suggestions for using the information presented in the module.
K-12 Lesson Plans--Each module includes one or more lesson
plans that have been specifically designed to integrate module
concepts into classroom curriculum.
The Virtual Wall
The Virtual Wall is a digital, interactive legacy memorializing the
58,220 men and women who gave their lives in Vietnam. Developed through
a partnership between Winstar and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund,
the original site launch was announced by Vice President Gore during a
White House ceremony on Veteran's Day, November 10, 1999.
This web site allows visitors to upload text, audio or photo
remembrances; participate in chat sessions with noted historians and
journalists; and post information about upcoming reunions.
The Virtual Wall is for families and friends of veterans who lost
their lives in Vietnam, students who come to learn about the Vietnam
War, and for all visitors from around the world.
We are always looking to for ways to make The Virtual Wall an even
more personal experience. On May 30, 2000, a new version of the site
was launched, and offers many new features:
A monthly guest column
A monthly chat session with an expert on Vietnam
Over 12,000 prepared reports that can be downloaded
The opportunity to create and download custom reports
Special sections for newly-added remembrances
A daily update honoring soldiers, seamen, airmen and Marines
on the anniversary of their death in Vietnam.
Teach Vietnam
Teach Vietnam is the cornerstone of Echoes From the Wall, which was
produced under the leadership of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
Presenting history, learning and leadership through the lens of the
Vietnam War Era, Echoes From the Wall provides invaluable lessons about
this divisive period, while also presenting innovative exercises and
useful tools designed to heighten every high school student's sense of
responsibility, leadership, and global understanding. The Echoes From
The Wall curriculum package was distributed free of charge to all
26,000 public and private high schools in the United States. The
complete 156-page teachers' guide and other materials from the
curriculum package are available for educators to download via
www.teachvietnam.org.
Teach Vietnam features a database of government and military
documents and an expanding archive of photographs, audio files, video
clips and newspaper articles about key figures and important events
from 1954 through 1975.
NYBOE Project
The Winstar for Education's New York Board of Education Pilot
Program provides fixed wireless broadband Internet service, Winstar for
Education professional development training software and technology and
curriculum integration assistance for five New York City Public High
Schools for a period of one year.
The high schools receive guidance in integrating technology such as
the Training Cafe into the classroom and curriculum. Also, they receive
a network where they can collaborate with other schools, and WFE
Internet and professional development tools.
This program successfully integrates Internet technology and
software into the classroom while enhancing curriculum and minimizing
distraction. It provides an ideal environment where numerous classrooms
from five different schools can network with one another to create an
on-line community, share information, participate in communal projects,
and create lasting relationships.
The program invites Winstar employees to participate and contribute
their time and expertise as:
guest speakers
online mentors
volunteers in the classroom
Monster Exchange
The Monster Exchange is a program where elementary and middle
school students and classrooms around the world work collaboratively on
technology-based language arts projects The program is structured as
described below:
Classrooms select another classroom with whom to partner in
the Monster program.
Each classroom is split into groups that then design original
monster pictures.
The original monster design is then described using learned
writing skills and the descriptive writing process.
The description is written knowing that the audience will be
another student trying to draw the same monster from reading
the description.
The partnered classes then exchange their descriptions via e-
mail and the Internet.
The students are then challenged to use reading comprehension
skills to read the descriptions and translate them into a
monster picture as close to the original picture as possible,
without looking at the original and only using the exchanged
written description.
The written descriptions, original monster pictures, and
redrawn monster pictures are scanned and uploaded to the World
Wide Web using the browser based Monster Gallery Builder.
The Monster Galleries are then published on the Internet.
TECHNOLOGY TRENDS
Technology is impacting not only the way we live in a digital
economy, but the face of education itself. In 1996, President Clinton
first introduced the Technology Literacy Challenge, whose components
include the Internet, high-quality software resources and teacher
development.
The 1996 ``Does it Compute? The Relationship Between Educational
Technology and Student Achievement in Mathematics'' report from the
Educational Testing Service (ETS), taken from the 1996 National
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), suggests that ``. . . when
computers are used to perform certain tasks, namely applying higher
order concepts, and when teachers are proficient enough in computer use
to direct students toward productive uses more generally, computers do
seem to be associated with significant gains in mathematics
achievement, as well as an improved social environment in the school.''
With the advent of the Technology Literacy Challenge and the
Telecommunications Act of 1996, monies have become available for
schools to start building the infrastructure that would bring
technology into the classroom. However, even with an infrastructure and
equipment, an April 2000 National Center for Education Statistics
Survey ''Teacher Use of Computers and the Internet in Publics Schools
showed that 33% of public school teachers feel well prepared or very
well prepared to begin using computers and the Internet.
To sufficiently prepare our students for adult citizenship in the
Information Age, computer-rated technology must become a tool that
students and teachers use routinely as part of their everyday lives.
The ISTE has established technology standards that include
technological literacy for the effective use of informational
technology in education. These standards work as a benchmark to guide
the instruction to foster student achievement.
In order to bring our teachers up to date in computer and Internet
skills as quickly as possible, teachers need to have easily accessible
learning programs that address multiple learning styles. Winstar and
Macromedia have addressed this need by offering the Training Cafe free
of charge to educators. Comprised of a series of interactive Web-based
training modules, the Training Cafe offers ``anytime, anywhere''
learning by allowing teachers to work at their convenience and at their
own pace to acquire technology skills to be used in the classroom.
Co-developed by Winstar for Education and Macromedia, the Training
Cafe focuses on delivering a professional development platform that
acknowledges the biggest challenge facing our educational system. It is
not simply access to new technologies, but intelligent use of those
technologies to achieve educational goals. As the demand grows, the
trend will be to see the growth of broadband capacity.
ACCESS AND EQUITY
Now that a considerable portion of today's business, communications
and research takes place on the Internet, access to computers and
networks may be as important as access to traditional telephone
services.
In a 1999 survey conducted by the National Center for Education
Statistics (U.S. Department of Education, ``. . . teachers were asked
the degree to which they used computers or the Internet to prepare for
and manage their classes. Thirty-nine (39) percent of public school
teachers with access to computers or the Internet in their classroom or
elsewhere indicated they used computers or the Internet a lot to create
instructional materials, and 34 percent reported using computers a lot
for administrative recordkeeping. Less than 10 percent of teachers
reported using computers or the Internet to access model lesson plans
or to access research and best practices.''
``The Digital Divide'' between certain groups of Americans has
increased between 1994 and 1997 so that there is now an even greater
disparity in penetration levels among some groups,'' stated the NTIA in
its 1998 report ``Falling through the Net II: New Data on the Digital
Divide.'' There is a widening gap, for example, between those at the
upper and lower income levels.
While funding has been made available for infrastructure and
equipment, there is a lack of funding for professional development. To
assist teachers in meeting the ISTE technology standards, Winstar
offers the Training Cafe free of charge to educators. Winstar's mission
is to remove friction from small-to-medium-sized businesses; Winstar
has gone a step further and is now taking the friction out of education
through the use of our broadband fixed wireless services. Winstar is
committed to helping children around the world function in a digital,
frictionless age, and realizes that the most effective way to reach
this goal is by providing professional development tools to the
educational gatekeepers--the teachers.
It is our hope that we will serve as an example to other companies
for bringing their knowledge to our future--our students.
TECHNOLOGY COST
Winstar realizes the challenges of limited funding that face
educators, and is pleased to offer the Training Cafe free of charge. By
providing a technology foundation to teachers, the Training Cafe is the
first step toward incorporating technology into everyday life.
TEACHER TRAINING AND SUPPORT
Dynamic professional development ensures that educators are kept
up-to-date on the latest methods of improving student learning. Ongoing
staff development is critical to improving education through reforms
such as the introduction of educational standards. It is important to
note that effective professional development must be embedded into the
everyday life of teachers, utilizing opportunities for continuous
growth. The ability to access and utilize technology in the classroom
plays a significant role for developing life long learners.
A school district's accountability for training teachers in
technology is becoming more and more a requirement. Teachers need
ongoing exposure to technology in order to integrate technology
successfully into the classroom. A 1999 report from The National Center
for Education found that ``Teachers with more professional development
in the use of computers and the Internet over the last 3 years were
more likely to assign students various types of work involving
computers or the Internet. For example, teachers with more than 32
hours of professional development were more likely to assign problem
solving (41 percent) than were teachers with 0 hours (14 percent) or
those with 1 to 8 hours (24 percent), graphical presentations (31
compared with 10 and 16 percent for the same groups), and
demonstrations or simulations (29 compared with 8 and 13 percent for
the same groups).''
Funding for professional development, however, remains a challenge.
With their new skills, acquired free of charge, from the Training Cafe,
teachers will be secure in their ability to prepare students to live
and work in the digital age and will know how to empower students to
employ higher-level thinking skills in approaching problems and
tackling the demands of the 21st century workplace.
Winstar offers training and support to teachers through another of
its programs, Teach Vietnam. Teach Vietnam is a progressive curriculum
for teenagers which stimulates the imagination using critical thinking
exercises and cooperative learning strategies.
STANDARDS AND ASSESSMENT
The Training Cafe not only offers valuable technology training to
teachers but also meets academic standards and provides assessment
tools for self-evaluation at each step.
Academic standards assist schools and districts with the ability to
set high expectations for student achievement, provide a basis for
student and teacher accountability, promote educational equality for
all learners, develop effective curricula and instructional strategies,
allocate more resources, and create professional development programs
to improve instruction. State education departments have developed
standards for teachers and students to instill a level of
accountability.
The Training Cafe meets two (2) of the ISTE standards:
Basic Computer/Technology Operations and Concepts
Personal and Professional Use of Technology
One of the many pedagogical features of the Training Cafe is the
ability to provide consistent training for all teachers. The content of
the Training Cafe was developed by educators and supports the ISTE
National Education Technology Standards for Teachers. Training Cafe
includes 17 modules covering such Internet topics as browsers, e-mail,
and Web searches. Each module takes 45-60 minutes to complete and
includes hands-on practice in a simulated web environment, Internet-
based teacher resources, and self-assessment quizzes.
E-Rate Program
Winstar is proud to make available our broadband technology to
participate in the E-Rate program by bringing the Internet into the
classrooms of those who are our future - our students. Winstar is
committed to providing the technology tools necessary to prepare
students for the new digital economy, and currently provides Internet
access to schools and school districts across the country.
SUMMARY
Educational reform must serve the goal not only to prepare every
student to compete in the global digital economy, but also to think in
the global digital community. New jobs will be created everyday to
fulfill the needs of this ever-changing digital community. It is the
task of educators to facilitate a learning environment that will assist
with producing citizens that can compete in the global digital economy
of the 21st Century. The Internet is a tool to transform a classroom
into a virtual community that links to resources and people from around
the world. Our hope is that using skills acquired through the Training
Cafe, teachers will incorporate technology into the classroom as a part
of everyday curricula.
Winstar's Web-based educational and social programs provide the
tools that educators, students, and communities need to move themselves
into the 21st Century. Winstar is honored to bring programs such as the
Training Cafe into the classroom to ensure the success of our future--
our children--in the digital world.
ABOUT WINSTAR
Winstar is a leading broadband services company. The company is
rapidly building one of the world's most widely available, end-to-end
broadband networks. Winstar makes this network important and useful to
businesses by providing a comprehensive set of high-quality, digital-
age broadband services. These services include high-speed Internet and
data, Web hosting and design, phone services, Web-based applications,
e-commerce, professional services and Office.com', A Service
From Winstar, the top-ranked online business service for small and
medium-sized businesses.
For more information, we invite you to visit www.winstar.com and
www.win4edu.com.