iSchool Campus™ has been selected by the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) to continue deploying whole-school technology in Utah public schools through the expansion of the Smart School Technology Pilot Program. The expansion represents the broad-scale implementation of one-to-one mobile technology in the classroom.
Due to the success of the 2012-13 Smart School Pilot Program, the Utah legislature provided additional funding for new schools in 2013-14 through SB 284. The program extension will allow additional schools from around the state the opportunity to implement whole-school technology, including iPads for each student and teacher. Based on a grant application process, as well as the availability of matching funds, schools were selected by the Utah State Office of Education (USOE) to participate in the pilot expansion.
“One of Utah’s four key objectives in economic development is ‘to prioritize education to develop the workforce of the future’ and the Smart School program is an important element in achieving success,” said Spencer Eccles, GOED executive director. “GOED is pleased to continue the partnership with USOE and iSchool Campus, together we look forward to fulfilling the mandate to educate a productive workforce that will keep Utah’s economic future bright.”
The iSchool Campus SmartSchool model provides one-to-one tablet deployment on any platform; security wherever the tablet is used; access even when wireless and Internet may not be available; and software that integrates testing, assignments, learning management systems, analytics, instant messaging, textbooks and collaboration.
Since their initial Smart School Technology Pilot program deployment last December, Jarod Sites, principal of Dixon Middle School in Provo, reports increases in both student engagement and achievement, including gains in their STEM program, with 96% of students scoring at 4 or higher on the CRT test. “We feel fortunate to have benefitted from the first year of the program, and are grateful that the State of Utah continues to recognize not only the success of whole-school technology, but the need for our students to learn in a manner that engages, challenges and excites them,” Sites said. “Our experience at Dixon Middle School has been exceptional and we are well on our way to extraordinary results.”
Based on legislative funding, as well as matching funds from participating schools, iSchool Campus will provide one-to-one mobile devices to approximately 3060 students across the State. Additional Smart School initiatives are underway in other states, with iSchool Campus planning deployments in Colorado, Idaho, Florida and Texas in the coming months.
