Lt Governor Rell Forwards

Recommendations On Computer Education

Lt Governor Jodi Rell today forwarded to Governor John Rowland the results of her three-month study on computer readiness in Connecticut’s schools and libraries. The Lt Governor’s report makes 19 recommendations to ensure Connecticut’s students and teachers are prepared to meet the information technology needs of the next century.

The recommendations have been accepted by Governor Rowland and will be incorporated in his budget and legislative package for the next session of the General Assembly. “The Lt Governor’s report to me is comprehensive and looks beyond the need for hardware and wires to the need to properly train teachers and parents in the use of computers. That’s important if we’re going to make sure our kids are learning more than video games when they log on,” Governor Rowland said.

The chief goal of Lt Governor Rell’s policy recommendations is to make Connecticut students cyber-ready by sixth grade. The term cyber-ready means Connecticut students will have the basic skills they need to use and learn with computers throughout their school careers and beyond. The Lt Governor recommends that the Department of Education develop model benchmarks to measure the results of computer education by July of next year.

This comprehensive plan “will take an investment not just in financial terms, but in commitment, vision and planning,” Lt Governor Rell said. “Our efforts will lead to a renewed overall investment in education and a major investment in the workforce of tomorrow.”

Lt Governor Rell is recommending the state invest $10 million a year for the next three years to ensure that all of Connecticut’s classrooms are wired to the Internet by the year 2004. The Lt Governor’s report also recommends:

Require teaching students to meet minimum computer proficiency standards before obtaining a teaching certificate; provide a $1,000 tax credit for licensed teachers who purchase or upgrade home computers; create a teacher-to-teacher technology mentoring program; encourage local school districts to dedicate up to two percent of their budget to technology related items; etablish a Parent Academy to help train parents in the use of computers; establish a centralized Web site for teachers to exchange computer-related lessons and curriculum; offer full college degree programs online; create a statewide Education Network and Digital Library.

Governor Rowland thanked the Lt Governor for her work on this issue. Lt Governor Rell’s recommendations will serve as the foundation for the governor’s computer education initiatives in the next legislative session. The state Department of Education and the state Department of Information Technology will be chiefly responsible for implementation.

The full text of the Lt Governor’s report and recommendations is available. It may be faxed or e-mailed in Word format directly to you. Please call Lisa Moody in the Lt Governor’s Office at 860/524-7384 to request a copy.