Jennings School District
HOMEPAGE

Beginning in the summer of 1997, the Fairview Elementary School of the Jennings School District was selected to participate in a Missouri pilot project known as MINTs, Multimedia Interactive Networked Technologies. MINTs trained the teachers, delivers high-speed Internet connectivity into the classroom, and places technologies on the teachers' and students' desks. The purposes of the MINTs project were to eliminate the technology barriers, change (reform) teaching styles and strategies, and significantly improve student performance in historically high "at risk" and low achieving urban school districts.

Missouri funded two classrooms in each of six high "at risk" urban school districts. Two classrooms--a fourth grade and a fifth grade--in Fairview participated in the technology project. Each class was provided with a student to computer ratio of two to one, a teacher workstation consisting of a computer, electronic white board (smart board) and projector, two printers (one color and one black and white), a scanner, and a video camera. In addition, each classroom was connected to the Internet with a 1 0-Mbps line.

One classroom focused on student improvement in science and the other classroom focused on the improvement of reading and writing skills. However, as will be evidenced in Section 3, there was significant improvement in student performance in other areas as well as significant reform in teaching styles and strategies.

In addition to the technology available in each classroom, new student desks (workstations) were designed and purchased. The student desks were ergonomically designed and also provided workspace for a student on each side of the monitor. The newly designed student desks are visible in the video accompanying Section 4.

The project is now being expanded to 14 additional (16 total) classrooms throughout the district. Fourteen teachers have volunteered for the ongoing teacher training program necessary to replicate the hi-technology classrooms. Each of the 14 classrooms will be equipped essentially the same as the pilot classrooms with the exception of the connectivity. The new classrooms will have a T-l connection to the Internet.

At the same time, the district was piloting the technology in the classrooms and expanding the hi-tech classrooms throughout the district, the district was also expanding its technology support staff. Therefore, for the 1999-2000 school year, the district will have 16 hi-tech classrooms grades 4-12; two technology instructional specialists will be available full-time to insure efficient integration of technology into the curriculum; and three technology support staff will be available to insure efficient operation of the classroom technology.

NOTE: The district has two to three modern computer labs in each building. The labs are not considered innovative and are, therefore, not part of this profile.