FULFILLING LAPTOPS’ PROMISE

The evidence continues to mount that Maine’s school laptop program is working. Report after report has found that students are more interested in their studies, do better work and can access a wider range of materials.

The latest study, by the George J. Mitchell Scholarship Research Institute in Portland, focused on Piscataquis Community High School, the only high school in the state to provide laptops to all its students. The institute found that the computers benefited all, but helped low achievers the most, by improving their interest, quality of work and classroom participation. Yet, when Gov. John Baldacci announced in his State of the State address last week that he planned to expand the program to include ninth-graders and, eventually, all high school students, the funding was met with resistance. This should not be the case.

Maine continues to face tough economic times. But, that is all the more reason to expand, not shortchange, this successful program. One of the program’s most stunning aspects is the equity of access to information it provides. With a laptop, a student in a school, no matter how poor, how remote, has access to the same information as his peers in more affluent and cosmopolitan areas. Take away the computers when the kids get to high school and the educational disparities the state tries so hard to ameliorate will be back.

Fortunately, the state’s lawmakers are finally seeing the benefits of the laptop program. Too many, however, still balk at funding it. Piscataquis Community High School can again show the way. Perhaps even more important than the Guilford high school’s experience with laptops was how it paid for the technology initiative. The school was able to provide laptop computers to all its 285 students thanks to a state grant and contributions from Guilford Industries. This should be the model for the statewide initiative going forward. Private donors won’t provide the money to buy the machines – the state must do this – but foundations and corporations can be found that will provide funds for teacher training, curriculum development and other things necessary to the program’s continued success.

The federal government is prepared to spend $2.7 billion on such initiatives, which are now being implemented in Michigan, New York, Virginia and New Hampshire – based on Maine’s model. Former Gov. Angus King, who tirelessly fought to convince lawmakers of the benefits of the laptop initiative only to watch them chip away at it, will head up the private fundraising effort.

On the state side, Education Commissioner Susan Gendron said she plans to accomplish the governor’s goal of having laptops for ninth-graders this fall without using money from the state’s General Fund. Instead she’s considering using money from a revolving loan fund that typically uses state and local matching money for renovations to school facilities. Installing wireless networks and other hardware for the laptops would qualify as learning space upgrades under this program.

Gov. Baldacci’s suggestion that the laptops also be used by students’ parents to assist with job training was a brilliant one. Working with his predecessor, the governor has the chance to expand the successful laptop program to the state’s high schools, which, it should be pointed, was envisioned when the program was launched two years ago. Lawmakers would be wise to assist him.