Texarkana, TX – Texarkana Independent School District is pleased to announce that two of their campuses have been selected to receive an Apple grant as part of the ConnectED program. Only 114 schools in the U.S. were selected. The award will enable Theron Jones Early Literacy Center and Westlawn Elementary campuses to provide a comprehensive 1:1 technology solution for every student and teacher, including Apple hardware, software and services.
“By providing these two campuses with Apple technology, we will be able to enrich the classroom experience for all and expand opportunities for our students,” shared Paul Norton, Superintendent of Schools. “This grant will have a tremendous impact on our students and our greater community.”
TISD began the two-step application process in June 2014 when they were notified by Apple of their campuses eligibility. From there, Apple selected which schools they would like to open the application to and then TISD submitted the completed grant applications for each school.
“According to Principal Kassie Watson from Westlawn Elementary School, “We will work one-on-one with our Apple team to determine the best solution for our school. That will include an iPad for every student, an iPad mini and MacBook for every teacher and an Apple TV for every classroom.”
Apple is also providing the schools software and educational content based upon their specific classroom needs and will offer ongoing professional development for teachers and school leadership.
“This is a chance to give equal access to technology for all our students and enhance teaching and learning for our students and teachers,” commented Jennell Ingram, Principal of Theron Jones Early Literacy Center. “Our schools will determine what curriculum is used based on the educational needs of our students and in compliance with any requirements of the state and district.”
Parents of benefitting students will play a vital role in their child’s success. TISD will work closely with parents and the community to ensure that students have the support they need to succeed and be successful in the classroom.
“We are working closely with Apple to determine the infrastructure requirements in order to ensure that our school is ready to implement the Apple grant solution for the 2015-16 school year,” continued Norton. “When we applied for the grant, one of the key points we made in our grant application was our ability to plan for scalability and sustainability beyond what Apple is providing as part of the grant solution.”
The Apple grant includes AppleCare+ for iPad, which provides coverage for three years.
Additional information about Apple and ConnectEd is available at www.apple.com/education/connectED.
