"Since Maine's groundbreaking program began, teachers and students have told us about the excitement that laptops have injected into the classroom, and the expanse of learning opportunities that are now available to them," said the Senators in a joint statement. "This research will help educators to see what is working well in districts across Maine to best serve our students, particularly those in low-income and rural communities. It will also help showcase the success of the laptop program for other states who have shown interest in following Maine's lead."
The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Education for a three-year research program under the Evaluation of State Technology Program. The proposed research will take place in Maine schools that serve low-income and rural communities. The research will investigate the impact of the laptop program on student achievement, teacher classroom practices, and student and teacher use of technology to strengthen mathematics learning.