July 2004 — SETDA
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West Virginia: Integrating Technology to Improve Student Learning
West Virginia Works to Create a Statewide Technology Infrastructure With Student Achievement as the Ultimate Focus of Leadership
Known for its rich mountain heritage, rugged individualism and coal-based economy, West Virginia is a rural and economically challenged state. But West Virginia is also widely recognized as a national leader, a state where education technology has been proven to advance student learning and increase academic achievement. How can this dichotomy be explained? How could a state with one of the lowest average incomes in the nation be transformed into the test bed for instructional technology, where documented research proves that when technology is implemented appropriately, students achieve?
The answer is clear: strong leadership at the state and district levels; in the schools; and, ultimately, in the classroom. West Virginia's leadership demonstrates that the state's geographic and demographic characteristics, typically characterized as weaknesses, form the basis for success because its small size uniquely positions it to succeed in statewide initiatives. Where resources are scarce and every penny is precious, the state will improve education by making strategic investments in education technology. West Virginia's teachers deserve opportunities to learn to integrate technology into instruction so that our children will be prepared for lifelong learning opportunities. The state's leadership says our students deserve a technology infrastructure that matches those of private industry, for as our traditional farming and mining jobs dwindle, our students must be prepared to work in an information-based society. Finally, our leadership says that in education, it d'esn't happen until it happens to a child.
Meeting State Goals
Striving to meet the needs of a changing world, West Virginia set a goal to place modern technology into every classroom, connect every school to the Internet, and use effective software and online learning resources. Another part of the state's goal was to provide staff development for administrators and teachers in order to enhance student learning and prepare students to advance beyond technological literacy. The West Virginia Board of Education; the West Virginia Department of Education's (WVDE) Office of Technology and Information Systems (OTIS); and former West Virginia Govs. Gaston Caperton and Cecil H. Underwood, as well as current Gov. Bob Wise have worked diligently to create a statewide technology infrastructure. Many stakeholders are involved in this process, including students, teachers, administrators, parents and community members.
To meet these goals, West Virginia has chosen to implement statewide educational technology programs on a "turnkey" basis to ensure that planning, hardware, software, local area networking, staff development, and maintenance provisions are in place to meet the educational, legislative and state policy stipulations. Primary benefits of this approach are equity for all recipients and the realization of economy-of-scale advantages.
The largest statewide initiative includes West Virginia's Basic Skills/Computer Education program that provides funding for a comprehensive K-6 solution to help students learn the basic skills of reading, composition and mathematics.
