Grant Details

The primary goal of this program is to improve student achievement through the use of technology in elementary and secondary schools. Additional goals include helping all students become technologically literate by the end of the eighth grade and, through the integration of technology with both teacher training and curriculum development, establishing research-based instructional methods that can be widely implemented. Local activities include the support of continuing, sustained professional development programs and public-private partnerships. Activities also include: the use of new or existing technologies to improve academic achievement; the acquisition of curricula that integrate technology and are designed to meet challenging state academic standards; the use of technology to increase parent involvement in schools; and the use of technology to collect, manage, and analyze data to enhance teaching and school improvement. The Minnesota Department of Education has established four categories of projects that can be supported under E2T2. Projects may focus on any one category or a combination of any of these four: (1) Technology Integration. The use of technology for instruction designed to increase student engagement and improve student achievement combined with corresponding training for administrators, teachers and other instructional staff in using technology with their curriculum to help students achieve the Minnesota Academic Standards; (2) Distance Learning/Online Learning. The use of technology to deliver educational opportunities to students that might not otherwise be available to them and corresponding staff development for teachers to deliver distance learning/online learning courses; (3) Professional Development. Professional development programs for teachers, school library media specialists, other professional instructional staff, and administrators that focus on the integration of technology with instruction to promote student engagement and increase student achievement; (4) Information and Technology Literacy. Projects involving administrators, teachers, school library media specialists, and students that focus on building 21st century information and technology literacy skills, increased access to online information resources, and application of information and technology skills to achievement of the Minnesota Academic Standards.