News Article - Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

For Immediate Release
Monday, June 1, 1998
Contact:	Alan Safran

Massachusetts Turns the Corner in Educational Technology Ranking

Malden - A report on Massachusetts educational technology shows that the state has turned the corner in its ranking measuring student access to computers. The ratio of students to computers in the 1996-1997 school year was 9 to 1, which is a marked improvement from the beginning of the decade. By that ratio, last year Massachusetts ranked 41st among the states. This school year, however, the state rank is projected to rise to 35th. The report adds that new spending on technology by Massachusetts school districts of over $160 per student is nearly double the national spending rate of $95 per pupil, and if that rate continues, the state's ranking relative to the rest of the country will improve rapidly. The report, issued by the Massachusetts Department of Education, is based on data provided by school districts in surveys over a two-year period. In releasing the data, Commissioner of Education Frank Haydu III noted "The report takes a quantitative look at the state of technology in Massachusetts. The more important question is how technology affects student performance in the classroom, which we will address in future reports." The Chief Technology Officer for the Department of Education, Greg Nadeau, added, "Massachusetts is definitely on the right track. The state legislature, the Governor, and the Department are working together to provide the financial and technical support and leadership for strengthening educational technology resources available in schools for student learning." Copies of the report have been distributed to school superintendents, and the report is available for review on the Department's website at http://www.doe.mass.edu/odl/.

Last Updated: June 1, 1998