By Matt Bolch

Administrators in Hall County (GA) schools bought into the idea of technology- enabled curriculum strategies not because of the promise but because of results. “Our philosophy around technology is twofold: how can we use technology to help our kids meet Georgia performance standards, and how can we help our teachers,” says David Moody, director of elementary schools. “We continue to have conversations around how to better leverage the technology that we’ve adopted.”

Students work independently on Lexia’s individualized skills practice.

One of its elementary schools served as the pilot site in 2006-2007 for Lexia Learning, a software program that helps teach primary reading skills at the learner’s ability level. The pilot proved a success, and it rolled out to all Title I schools the next academic year and the remainder of the district’s 21 elementary schools during the 2008-09 year. Last year, 60% of district pupils were reading at or above grade level by the end of third grade (50% of the district’s 26,000 students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, and 19% of students speak a second language at home).

The Hall County district also uses videoconferencing for meetings, staff development, and student development and plans to make greater use of the technology this year. Meetings with principals, coaches, and teachers, for example, can take place remotely, saving time and money. Curriculum also can be delivered from a distance, including Mandarin Chinese instruction for pupils. Fifthgrade science pupils at one Hall County elementary used videoconferencing with Georgia Tech professors last spring, and Moody says that collaboration will continue during this school year.

Lexia motivates students by helping them chart their progress on key skills..

The district uses Singapore Math and is in its second year of utilizing Symphony Math software from Symphony Learning to reinforce those concepts. Moody says the district recently began using the assessment feature, which will help teachers refine the learning process. Teachers and pupils across learning disciplines also have access to Renzulli Learning’s Differentiation Engine, which Moody describes as “high-interest material based on different learning styles.” In the Renzulli Learning System, students “virtually” visit places such as castles, museums, and even the pages of children’s books—all based on a pupil’s learning style and conducted in a safe Internet environment.