Schools Get State Tech Grant

New Haven Public Schools got almost half a million dollars in technology grants from the state to give students more access to computer-based learning.

New Haven is one of 171 districts that received a grant, approved Friday by the State Bond Commission, as the state Department of Education continues its efforts to get schools prepared for the Common Core-aligned Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) exams.

The commission awarded New Haven $475,740 out of a total $10.9 million, according to a Friday afternoon release.

New Haven received the largest individual award out of all other districts, followed by Bridgeport at $463,892 and then Hartford at $460,950. This is the second round of technology grants, after the state distributed $24 million to 128 applicants in 126 cities in July 2013, the release states.

“If we want our students to thrive in school and have the skills and knowledge to succeed in the high-tech world they will enter after high school and college, we have to teach them technology skills,” Commissioner Dianna Wentzell said in the release.

Superintendent Garth Harries told the Independent that the award reflects ​“our aggressive pursuit of technology to support our kids and what, from the state’s perspective, is good solid planning about tech needs.” District leaders have invested in ​“background capacity” such as installing wireless in all schools, which allows them to build on resources such as desktops and computers in more classrooms.

Though the intent of the grant is to support computer-based testing for the SBAC, New Haven has been ​“trying to emphasize the use of technology in day-to-day instruction,” he said. They invested in Google Chromebook carts for the newly inaugurated Saturday ​“technology and gaming academies” and in a new set of computers at the end of the last academic year.

“We’re hard at work to ensure students can access content and take tests in way so much of learning is happening now — online,” Harries said.