Mountain State Matters

In more serious news, Education Week released their 2008 State Technology Grades. The results? West Virginia was the ONLY state to receive a grade of “A” for their overall use of educational technology in grades K-12. The report deemed that West Virginia was exemplary in providing access to technology, using the technology and  including the technology in its teacher and administrator standards.

From working (temporarily) in a WV public school, I would have to agree. Every classroom had one or more computers, there were several computer labs, and I was generally impressed by the familiarity most kids had with the computers. It’s admirable that the state education system has put so much emphasis on technology in the schools, as there are parts of the state where broadband isn’t yet available and personal computer use isn’t as widespread as it is in more urban areas.

Despite all this technology, the state’s achievement levels are still lagging the rest of the nation, according to the report. The superior technology grade is a great start, but until that technology begins translating into higher student achievement, there’s still work to be done.