Harford County Schools Receives Digital Conversion Grant
Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) in Maryland has received a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Partnership Grant Program. The district will use the grant for its digital conversion initiative in five schools.
The
schools — Aberdeen High, Aberdeen Middle, Roye-Williams Elementary,
Meadowvale Elementary and Churchville Elementary School — are in close
proximity to the Aberdeen Proving Ground, a United States Army research
and development facility located in Aberdeen, MD. The schools currently
have limited access to technology and will use the funding to purchase
network equipment and devices.
"As curriculum transitions to an
online platform, there is a pressing need for increasing the ratio of
devices to students in our schools," said Barbara P. Canavan,
superintendent of Harford County Public Schools, in a statement..
The
district's digital conversion initiative will implement blended
learning reading and English language arts (ELA) programs that combine
traditional classroom instruction with online learning. The blended
learning program is intended to help teachers individualize reading and
ELA instruction for their students by allowing students to progress
through the material at their own pace. Canavan said she believes the program
will "significantly increase students’ academic success in reading,
English and language arts."
Many of the students in the schools
have parents who work for the military or the federal government. The
school district has previously received four other grants through the
DoDEA Partnership Grant Program, which was established in 2009 with the
goal of "influencing successful educational outcomes for
military-connected students," according to information on the DoDEA
site.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].