State tracks school computer growth

As technology has grown more important in education, local school districts have upped the number of computers students have access to by as much as 400 percent in the past six years.

The 2003 Computing Census, released this week by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, shows that schools added a total of 37,560 computers to classrooms, libraries and computer labs between 2002 and 2003.

The computing census tracks the growth of computer technology in Missouri's 524 school districts back to 1997. The annual report includes statewide information as well as data on individual school districts.

Since the first year of the report, the number of computers in Missouri schools has more than doubled from 116,846 in 1997 to 270,368 this year.

This year's report shows that the Cape Girardeau School District lost 208 computers between 2002 and 2003. But officials there say this year's numbers are inaccurate because of a new inventory system the district was installing at the time the data was gathered for the census.

Patrick Dunham in Cape Girardeau's technology department said the number actually increased to 1,700 this year, a growth of around 500 computers.

In 1997, less than 2 percent of Cape Girardeau's classrooms were connected to the Internet. Now, all of them are, and educators say that has opened up new possibilities.

"This is starting very young. It's a different way of doing things, but it fits in to how kids live nowadays," said Helen Gibbar, director of federal program in Cape Girardeau.

Curriculum director Pat Fanger said Cape Girardeau schools have embedded technology in every aspect of curricula.

"Technology makes it fun for the kids," Fanger said. "It's part of the instructional process and it makes sense because that's what our society is about now."

Jackson School District had 198 computers in 1997, 31 of which were connected to the Internet. This year's census shows 1,003 computers in Jackson schools, spread among 4,623 students. Only one of 293 classrooms there is not connected to the Internet.

Rob Goyette, director of technology in Jackson, said the growth over the past seven years has been impressive.

"Probably the most significant improvement I've noticed is the increase in frequency and speed of communication and information," Goyette said.

Goyette said the district's computer growth is due largely to grant funding.

"This has definitely given students, teachers, and administrators more tools to do more work in less time," Goyette said.

The number of computers in Scott City has grown by 120 percent since 1997, when they had 115 computers, only 56 of which were connected to the Internet.

The 2003 census shows 254 computers spread among 1,025 students. All classrooms there are connected to the Internet.

Donna Conaway, a high school vocational business teacher at Scott City, said having computers in the classroom helps students become technologically literate.

"In this day and age, computer knowledge is a must in order to keep up with the real world," Conaway said. "The workforce demands workers and consumers who have that knowledge, and it's also a prerequisite for higher education."

cclark@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128

CONNECTED SCHOOLS

Since 1997, Missouri school districts have added Internet-connected computers to lower student-computer ratios

Number of students per Internet-connected computer for 1997 and 2003

Cape Girardeau Jackson Scott City Statewide

1997 35 127 17 24

2003 4.82 4.81 5.54 3.3

SOURCE: DESE