A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Boston Private Industry Council:
The Boston Compact's Community Learning Centers

Boston Mayor, Thomas M. Menino added a sixth educational goal, Community Learning Centers, to The Boston Compact, a set of teaching and learning goals agreed upon by key stakeholder groups in the Boston community: business, higher education, human services and cultural partners, the teachers' union, school committees, superintendents, and parents.

"By 2001, there will be computers not just in the lab, but in every classroom," said Menino during his State of the City Address at Jeremiah E. Burke High School in January 1996. "One computer for every four students and a computer for every teacher. Every school library will be linked to the six million books of the Boston Public Library. In my visits to the schools, I've seen the difference computers make, the wonder on the faces of those students. I believe it when the experts say that computers offer the breakthrough in learning we've all been waiting for."

The mayor's call to action has resulted in the connection of more than 50 percent of the city's schools and 8 community centers to the Internet with a starter network in place in each school; all 125 Boston schools are on schedule to be online by October 1998. A number of the schools have expanded their networks throughout the entire building, usually with the help of their NetDay partners who have helped wire the schools and connect them to the Internet. Boston is well on its way to putting 4,500 new computers in schools by mid-1998, a 200 percent increase over 1997. This will bring the ratio of students to computers from 63 to 1 (January 1996) to 10 to 1 (January 1997). More than $22 million has been raised from private sector, state, federal, and foundation grants to support this effort. In addition, at least 88 companies have assisted at both citywide and school levels by providing not only major monetary contributions, but also technical expertise, fundraising assistance, computer donations, and ongoing volunteer support. The Boston PIC, the convenor of The Boston Compact, also recruits business support to individual schools.

Parent and Community Involvement

Each school has a technology team that conducted a needs assessment and developed a plan for the school; this team includes parents and business partners. NetDays have been one particularly effective way for schools to reach out to their parents and community. In addition to involving parents in NetDay itself, more than half of the schools that are online have conducted family evenings to introduce parents to the new technology in their buildings.

During the summers of 1996 and 1997, thanks to corporate funding, more than 70 schools participated in a week-long Technology Institute at MIT. School teams included teachers and parents, some of whom took their only week of vacation to participate with their school. Through the institute, parents and teachers learned more about technology and about one another. In most cases these parents continued to participate on school technology teams, have become great advocates for technology in the school, and brought other parents on-board.

Contact:

Jo Corro
Partnership Manager
Boston Private Industry Council
2 Oliver Street
Boston, MA 02109
617-423-3755
jcorro@bostonpic.com

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[Microsoft Corp.]

[AT&T: Learning Network]