Mooresville, NC: ConnectED Schools Supported by Connected Communities

This post is the second of a four part series, covering four priorities for modernization of the FCC’s E-rate program. Given the rapid rate of technology adoption in schools—everything from blended learning and one-to-one initiatives that ensure all children have a device of their own, to the use of open education resources and online assessment—it’s essential that we make the most of this opportunity for reform. In the first post, I focused on the need for fiber infrastructure to support 21^st Century learning.  In this post, I highlight examples from around the country that demonstrate the potential of these reforms to promote connectivity throughout communities—not just within school or library walls.

In the wake of the State of the Union, the Administration’s ConnectED initiative has emerged with incredible momentum. The President followed up shortly after, announcing a new private sector initiative partnering with Apple, AT&T, Autodesk, Microsoft, Sprint, and Verizon to provide $750 million worth of hardware, software, and technical expertise to schools throughout the country.

The bigger news—in terms of the ConnectED goal of increasing high-speed broadband access—has been Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler’s announcement last week that the E-rate program will be redirecting the program’s funds to prioritize high-speed connectivity, to the tune of $2 billion. As I previously highlighted, many schools and libraries throughout the country want to prioritize high-speed broadband through investment in fiber infrastructure, something we hope the Commission will support with these redirected funds.

In addition to investing in fiber, we also hope that E-rate reform will start to recognize the role of Internet access for supporting learning within a school’s broader community. Learning doesn’t stop at the school or library walls... and neither should connectivity. That is why the President’s choice of Mooresville, NC as the location to announce the ConnectED initiative last summer is particularly meaningful. Though overlooked in much of the press coverage at the time, which focused on Mooresville’s impressive 1-to-1 initiative, the city demonstrates how ubiquitous Internet access can extend learning beyond the walls of schools and libraries to build digital communities that support 21^st Century learning.

For those unfamiliar with the Mooresville story, the district started what it has called its digital conversion in August 2007, rolling out 500 laptops on carts for its high school English classes. As the district expanded its efforts, it moved to a one-to-one initiative beginning in the fall of 2011, providing laptops for every student in grades 4 through 12. The initiative was supported through additional investment in professional development and digital resources for teachers.

Mooresville students can use their laptops in school, at the library, throughout the community, and within their own homes.

The commitment to connectivity was not just made by the district, but also the community at large. Working with local partners and town officials, school leaders were able to secure agreements for free Wi-Fi at the local library, in all municipal buildings, and in parks throughout the district. Additionally, businesses all over the community are also providing free Internet access to the public.

Further, recognizing that approximately one third of the district’s students lacked Internet access at home at the beginning of the digital conversion, the local cable company, MI-Connection, offered discounted Internet packages to students’ families. This past fall, MI-Connection went one step further with Internet REACH, a program that provides free high-speed Internet service to families of students in the district who qualify for free or reduced price lunch. Importantly, Internet REACH is available to any qualifying household in MI-Connection’s service area, even if they are already MI-Connection customers.

As a result, Mooresville students can use their laptops in school, at the library, throughout the community, and within their own homes. By addressing the problem of connectivity outside the classroom as well, the district has helped to ensure that its schools don’t need to delay or forgo the use of innovative tools and technologies for learning.

Throughout the country, it’s become increasingly clear that schools and libraries serve as anchors for community connectivity, which can in turn lead to greater digital inclusion. That’s why it’s essential that these institutions have the flexibility they need to connect their communities to high-speed Internet access. Efforts to bolster community connectivity should not be hindered by current program restrictions that needlessly limit their ability to share access to only during regular operating hours or, in some cases, within institutional walls. E-rate reforms can be structured in a way that allows schools and libraries to leverage existing infrastructure to help students—and all life-long learners making use of public libraries—have equal access to digital learning."