Lessons from the cloud

Math scores soar with Quick-2-Learn

Quick-2-Learn pilot installations expanding

by Thomas Hoffman for EdTech

Budget Crunch
In the face of a $300,000 IT budget cut, the Jennings School District in Missouri is looking for ways to obtain E-Rate funding through the Federal Communications Commission to help pay for up to 400 virtual desktops for its 3,100-plus students, says Technology Director Norris Roberts.

The shift to adding virtual desktops, which Roberts hoped to have funded and started by December 2009, could also help the district save up to $500,000 in Microsoft licensing fees if the virtualization project dovetails with the use of free open-source software tools, such as applications offered by OpenOffice.org, he says.

Dress Rehearsal
The district ran a six-month pilot during the last school year using the Quick-2-Learn cloud-based education platform, which Roberts found to be highly reliable. The platform could save the district additional money because it is supported through terminal services and is covered by E-Rate funding, unlike virtualization software, he says.

“I want to give the district technologies that are sustainable, even without funding,” says Roberts.

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Eligible services range from basic local and long-distance phone services and Internet access services, to the acquisition and installation of equipment to provide network wiring within school and library buildings. Computer hardware and software, staff training, and electrical upgrades are not covered, however. Discounts range from 20 percent to 90 percent, depending on economic need and rural location.

While the U.S. is in the forefront of the technological revolution, there are segments of our society—particularly the poor and minorities—for whom access to computers and the Internet is significantly lower. For many of those separated by this “digital divide,” the targeting of schools and libraries by the E-Rate program is important because these institutions are their primary means of gaining access to what technology has to offer, and the dramatic changes foreseen by many of the proponents of educational technology.

There are early indications that when used correctly, by trained and well-supported teachers, technology can improve learning, especially for the most disadvantaged children. However, new technology is expensive and can force school officials to make difficult choices between investing in technology and investing in other things that will improve learning, such as professional staff development, smaller classes and better curriculum.

This is where E-Rate has its greatest potential effect on education—by helping to build the necessary infrastructure it can ensure that all communities have access to the latest technology, while allowing them to use their scarce resources to support other critical aspects of modern schools.

The Formative Evaluation of the E-Rate

This early look at the E-Rate is part of a new initiative, funded by the Department of Education, intended to expand our knowledge of how technology is changing American education. The report is based on an analysis of E-Rate administrative records covering the first two years of program operation, that were linked to detailed national data on all public and private schools and libraries in the U.S. (a combined total of nearly one million records). More in-depth reports will be released late in 2001 after the completion of large national surveys of states, districts, schools, and teachers.

Findings

The key findings from this initial study were:

Public Schools Have Taken The Most Advantage Of The E-Rate Program. In the first two years, the E-Rate has committed3 nearly $4 billion (and 3rd year requests alone have exceeded this total), with 84 percent going to the nation’s public schools (see Exhibit 1). In part, this is due to differences in the program’s penetration—more than three-fourths of all public districts and schools applied for E-Rate funds, compared to about half of public libraries and 15 percent of private schools. Thus, there were about 13,000 public school districts, 70,000 public schools, 5,000 private schools, and 4,500 library systems participating in the 2nd year of the E-Rate program.

The E-Rate Has Targeted Poor Communities. Given the intent of the E-Rate it is important to see that it has met its goals by encouraging higher rates of application from the poorest communities and getting funds to the places with the greatest need. As shown in Exhibit 2, for example, per student funding to school districts increases dramatically with poverty, and the most disadvantaged districts receive almost ten times as much per student as the least disadvantaged. Similar patterns hold for application rates, total funding, and other types of entities (schools and libraries).

Digital Divide. Application rates of the most impoverished public school districts were lower than those of most other school districts in the first year of the program. This may be a consequence of lower capacity in these communities. However, application rates rose for all types of entities in the second year of the program,4 and by even more for high-poverty districts than for other types of districts.

Size Matters. Larger districts, schools, and libraries are more likely to apply for E- Rate discounts, and when approved receive the largest total amount of E-Rate funds and higher average funding per student (or person). This pattern also holds for application rates even after controlling for poverty or urban location, suggesting that larger organizations may have more of the human, technical, and fiscal capacity needed to apply for, and make effective us of, the E-Rate program.

Quick-2-Learn accomplishes its mission by providing low income school districts with a one to one educational solution that is affordable and effective. Differentiated one to one instruction accelerates the rate of learning in under-performing class rooms using research-based curriculum supplements.

Quick-2-Learn technology provides zero-maintenance desktops within a network computing model to give students access to Internet-based educational resources. The company’s unique technology is faster than standard PCs and requires near zero-maintenance for its desktop workstations.

Quick-2-Learn technology is designed to run flawlessly in urban classrooms with little or no maintenance. The company eliminates obsolescence through a solution designed for a seven to ten year life cycle. Furthermore, our ability to deliver individually differentiated instructional materials through a rapid, non-stop platform changes the dynamics in a classroom, unleashing the intellectual capabilities of each student.

Quick-2-Learn was founded by Jim Hare and Chuck Hale, each of whom have over forty years of experience in the computer industry at companies like IBM, INTEL and Unisys.

Quick-2-Learn meets the needs of low-income urban districts because:

• The solution is largely funded by eRate. (Click here to learn more.) Non-eRateable components can take advantage of up to seven-year leases, dramatically lowering annual costs.
• Technology obsolescence is eliminated.
• The Quick-2-Learn solution is a zero-maintenance desktop.
• The Quick-2-Learn solution is immune to desktop viruses and malware.
• The Quick-2-Learn solution is faster than traditional desktops.
• Quick-2-Learn scales linearly from one classroom to thousands.
• The solution becomes faster over time.
• Windows and legacy application support back to DOS is available.
• Wireless and home computing options are available.
• All form factors are supported: new thin clients, legacy PCs, laptops, netbooks, etc.
• Funding for 90% districts with no compliance issues is nearly automatic.
• One to One solutions consistently raise reading and math scores
• Quick-2-Learn lowers desktop acquisition cost close to zero by supporting legacy and donated devices.

Quick-2-Learn technology makes one to one education possible in low income schools by providing a 100% funding model for qualified districts. With Quick-2-Learn technology you can equip your classroom with a high performance workstation for each student, providing research proven differentiated content that adapts dynamically to that student’s learning style.

Quick-2-Learn one to one classrooms are provisioned with zero maintenance devices, that are immune to viruses and malware.  Quick-2-Learn one to one classrooms boast faster than standard desktop or laptop technology eliminating planned obsolescence. The results of a Quick-2-Learn one to one classroom in your school or district are lower drop out rates and higher test scores.

We are at a critical point in our history. The government is pouring unprecedented resources into education. The country has a serious need for new skills that can be enabled through the ever increasing potential and low cost structure that one to one computing, Web 2.0 and Open Source technologies provide.

Below are links to recent research on the potential of one to one computing.

One to One Classroom Research

	Michigan 2007 1-2-1.pdf (728.97KB)

	Michigan 2004-2005 Evaluation Results (687.08KB)

	Federal Support for K-12 Technology (240.13KB)

	Michigan 2005-2006 Evaluation Results (600.05KB)

	Michigan 1-2-1 (268.11KB)

	21st Century Skills Education & Competitiveness 2008 (1.55MB)

	1-2-1 Teacher and Student Perceptions (165.36KB)

	K12 1-2-1 Guide 2 (1.00MB)

	K12 1-2-1 Handbook (359.36KB)

	America's Digital Schools 2005 (355B)

	Auburn Goal 2 objectives (15.07KB)

	1-2-1 Research Summary 1 (51.15KB)

	1-2-1 Research Summary 2 (1.04MB)

	K12 1-2-1 Guide (924.29KB)

	america's Digital Schools 2008 (355B)

	1-2-1 Lessons Learned Brief (69.72KB)

	2008 Horizon Report (253.69KB)

	COSN 1-2-1 2008 Final (154.24KB)

	America's Digital Schools 2006 (355B)

	Auburn Alabama Intel Paper (3.09MB)

	Auburn Laptop Project Budget (16.00KB)

	Complete Guide to 1-2-1 (924.29KB)

	Auburn Goal 3 objectives (10.89KB)

	Auburn Goal 1 objectives (15.61KB)

	America's Digital Schools 2005 (B)

Jim Hare began developing the company’s technology platform after retiring over a decade ago.  In 1999, he founded Academic Computing Environment (now Quick-2-Learn) to apply the technology within a complete and unique solution for schools.

He has over 40 years of IT experience working as an IBM and UNISYS technology specialist within major corporations including Intel, Amdahl, Memorex, Siemans and IBM. During that time he specialized in large scale Mainframe UNIX while at Amdahl, and later joined AUSPEX to develop their automotive section.

Charles Hale – Founder and Director of Product Development