The goal of the Long Range Plan for Technology 2006 – 2020 is for schools in Texas to produce well educated and technologically savvy students who are able to be productive in the high paced technology driven world in which they will live. The 2008 update show statistics that still have room for improvement. The majority of students still only use technology, in particular computers, to download music, play video games, and send emails. Parents were surveyed as well, and the technical skill levels of Texas parents mirrored those of other states.
Texas was awarded funding for a Technology Immersion Project. This program produced better communication between all stakeholders in the community. The TIP program also produced higher TAKS scores, especially in math and reading.
The report states that the Virtual School Network allows students at all levels of intellect a way to recover credits, take advanced courses that might not otherwise be available to them, and allows access to highly qualified teachers who live in more populous areas.
The Electronic Course Pilot (eCP) was one of the earliest (2005) attempts at incorporating online learning. eCP was followed by TxVSN (2007), which is a virtual school network that provides online courses. The TxVSN courses were made available online in 2009. Demographics and enrollment trends of these two programs are included. Funding for virtual schools continues to be a problem.
The report breaks down and updates all areas of the Texas STaR Chart. In the Infrastructure for Technology section information on specific school district’s implementations is detailed.
Lastly, there is information regarding all 20 regional educational service centers in Texas, including their locations and services offered.
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