Baldwin County’s Digital Renaissance initiative helped land the school system in the national spotlight last week as the trade publication Education Week featured districts at Houston’s League of Innovative Schools.
The national technology initiative that started during the last Bush administration and got backing from the Obama White House includes the League of Innovative Schools — an alliance of 35 school districts across the country committed to increasing student achievement.
Escambia County, Fla. is not one of the 35 districts. The League helps school systems committed to working with entrepreneurs and researchers to find cutting edge, cost-effective technology for education and spread ideas that work. It was launched in partnership with Digital Promise, the new national center created by Congress to advance breakthroughs in education with technology, and the U.S. Department of Education.
Baldwin’s Digital Renaissance began at the start of the 2011-12 school year at Baldwin County High School where each student received a MacBook laptop for instruction. The initiative will launch at the other 6 high schools in the county at the start of the 2012-13 school year.
System leaders said the Digital Renaissance program has so far yielded higher test scores, lower absenteeism and discipline referrals.
Over the last two years, Escambia County received $58 million in federal stimulus funds. Instead of innovation, we got the highest reserves in the state.
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