Georgia Schools Win Grants for Blended Learning Infrastructure
Forty-eight local education authorities (LEAs) in Georgia have won more than $8.2 million through the state's Connections for Classrooms grant program.
This
is the third round of the Connections for Classrooms grant program,
which has provided more than $70 million in grants to 157 LEAs since it
began in 2014. The LEAs receiving the round-three grants include 47
school districts and one state school.
To be eligible for the third round of grants, LEAs had to have remaining E-rate eligibility for school- and classroom-level network upgrades after the
first two rounds of grants. They were also required to describe their
network infrastructure plans and how the upgrades would support digital
and blended learning programs with the goal of improving student
outcomes. By qualifying for the Connections for Classrooms program, the
48 LEAs are also eligible to receive $16.8 million in federal E-rate
funds, for a combined state and federal investment of $25 million in
school and classroom network infrastructure upgrades.
The Connections for Classrooms program is a collaborative funding effort between the Governor's Office of Student Achievement (GOSA), the Georgia Department of Education (GaDoE) and the OneGeorgia Authority.
The three organizations established the program as "part of a broader
statewide effort to expand classroom high-speed broadband access in
response to Governor Deal's Digital Learning Task Force recommendations as well as the GaDOE's efforts to enable personalized learning for Georgia students," according to information on the GOSA site.
Further information about Georgia's Connections for Classrooms grant program is available on GOSA's site.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].