News Article - Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

For Immediate Release
Thursday, October 1, 1998
Contact:	John Costello

Massachusetts School District Partnerships Receive $10 Million for Educational Technology Training

Malden - Massachusetts Education Commissioner David P. Driscoll announced today that Massachusetts has been awarded a $10 million federal grant ($2 million per year for five years) to support professional development training for teachers to improve their use of educational technology in the classroom. The Massachusetts program was one of 20 school district partnership proposals selected by the U.S. Department of Education from more than 300 applicants nationwide. The grant, Massachusetts Empowering Educators with Technology (MEET), is designed to support improved teaching and learning by providing high quality professional development opportunities to educators, industry partners, communities, parents, and others who are using new technologies to help bring high quality education to every classroom and every community. Four public school districts, Chicopee, Lowell, Pittsfield and Springfield, will receive $100,000 each year for the next five years to serve as demonstration sites, and numerous business and educational partnerships throughout the Commonwealth will provide professional development opportunities. Commissioner Driscoll said, "Teachers need to have opportunities for educational technology training so that their students get effective instruction in the classroom. This program provides educators with the level of support they need to incorporate technology for higher student achievement." Project MEET will compliment the state's five-year goal for technology professional development to improve student learning by assuring that 85% of Massachusetts teachers are proficient in using technology effectively in the classroom. Training will focus on relating the use of technology with the state curriculum frameworks.

Last Updated: October 1, 1998