Springfield taps into laptops.

Byline: Anne Williams The Register-Guard

SPRINGFIELD - As of this week, Springfield Middle School is "plugged in" like no other school in Oregon.

Under an expensive, cutting-edge initiative meant to boost student engagement and achievement, every one of Springfield Middle's 290 students and 18 teachers has a brand-new Apple iBook. It's theirs to use, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through the end of the school year.

"My mom has control of our computer at home, but this one is mine," gushed eighth-grader Casandra Compton, who was using a spreadsheet with decimals on her iBook in math class Friday morning. She's among the 60 percent of students at the school who have computers - but not necessarily Internet access - at home.

Only a couple of hundred other schools around the country have made the leap to "1-to-1" laptops, said Dan McCormack, an educational development executive for Apple Computer, which is based in Cupertino, Calif. But more soon will, he said, as they recognize the technology's potential for improving student behavior, attendance and academic achievement.

"It's like a wave and it's about to come," McCormack said Friday following a kickoff celebrating the Springfield Teaching and Reaching Through Technology initiative.

The district hooked up with Apple last spring after the company invited Superintendent Nancy Golden to a conference to learn more about the possibilities for a laptop project. Instead, she persuaded a team from Apple to come to Springfield, and invited administrators and community members to a presentation.

"We actually did the stuff, and you can see how wonderful it is," she said.

The district has made a four-year, $1.2 million commitment to Apple. The bulk of the money - about $720,000 - will come from federal Title I funds, which go to Springfield Middle because of its high poverty rate. More than 75 percent of the students qualify for the federal free and reduced-price lunch program.

The district also will use some state lottery, technology and textbook dollars to support the program. In addition, the district successfully applied for $1.2 million worth of Qualified Zone Academy Bonds, which are federal, no-interest bonds that can be repaid over 12 years. Spokesman Jeff DeFranco described the bonds as the "ace in the hole" in case other funds are insufficient to carry the program through the four years or in case the district wants to extend the program.

Teachers have been training on the laptops since the beginning of the school year, and students and their parents all attended sessions this month to learn how to use and care for the machines. Nonetheless, the first week "felt a little hectic," math teacher Wendy Sanders said.

But she and other teachers are excited about the potential, she said.

"I find that every kid participates when we're using them - every kid," said Sanders, who's been teaching at the school for 24 years. While the laptops will never take the place of textbooks and teachers, she added, "the hope is that it will engage students more."

At Friday's celebration, which drew State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo and a host of local education and community leaders, McCormack demonstrated some of the laptops' capabilities. Through a search engine called NetTracker, students have easy access to hundreds of educator-approved Web sites. They can find interactive textbooks, he said, that help make learning more immediate and exciting.

Students can get instant computer analysis and feedback on their reading comprehension and writing, he said, and can send assignments to teachers electronically.

While 1-to-1 laptop projects at other schools are still in the early stages, the results look promising so far, he said. Most schools are reporting better attendance and fewer discipline problems, he said, and at least one - Henrico County schools in Richmond, Va., where laptops have been phased in at both high schools and middle schools over the last four years - have seen across-the-board gains on standardized test scores.

The most immediate result at Springfield Middle School has been a collective giddiness among students, Principal Jeff Mather said. Many are staying after school to do homework, send e-mails or surf the Net, wanting to be close enough to the school's new wireless network for Internet access.

"Kids have been totally jazzed," Mather said. "One thing that we're finding is this is a way to also get families and parents involved."

Eighth-grader Jarod Mowrer said he loves his iBook, and was cranky that he was one of the last students to be issued one last week.

"And then it was kind of disappointing because we didn't get to use them on Monday," he said. "So my laptop collected dust in my locker."

The district will be able to monitor use of the computers, and all the students have been given clear guidelines on acceptable use and are aware of penalties for misuse.

The district has taken out insurance policies to cover loss, theft or damage, although other schools with laptop initiatives have lost very few, McCormack said.

CAPTION(S):

Math teacher Wendy Sanders helps Craig Major, 13, compile a spreadsheet during class at Springfield Middle School. The school district has purchased laptop computers for each student and teacher at the school in a bid to get kids more engaged in learning. "I find that every kid participates when we're using them - every kid." - WENDY SANDERS, MATH TEACHER Superintendent Nancy Golden watches a student demonstration of Springfield Middle School's new laptop computers. State schools chief Susan Castillo joined local education and community leaders Friday at a kickoff celebration. "Kids have been totally jazzed," says Principal Jeff Mather. The computers are connected to the Internet through a wireless network. Thomas Boyd / The Register-Guard