Summary: Tablets provided to third grade classrooms in Loveland, CO to improve literacy skills.
The Thompson School District (located in Loveland, CO) has many elementary students below grade level in reading. The District has identified electronic learning devices (iPad Mini's or Chromebooks) as effective tools in literacy improvement. However, the District has a limited budget and has only been able to provide an average of 1 device for every five students. Teachers tell us that to effectively use these devices in their classrooms, they need 1 device for every two students.
In order to address this issue, the Loveland Rotary Club wants to help the schools in the most need achieve the 1:2 ratio. Estimated cost is $4000/elementary school. To cover two schools would require an amount of $4000 from a District Grant plus $4000 matching funds from the Loveland Rotary Club. The School District provides software, teacher training and maintenance. In addition to providing rapid word definition look up capability, the devices can also be used for five other literacy skills: letter sounds, phonics, fluency, comprehension and writing. Teachers would also use the devices for improving math skills and project-based learning using Internet resources. During the 2016-17 school year Rotarians will present the devices to third grade teachers and students. Rotarians will facilitate communication among teachers on best practices of how to use the devices to improve literacy.
Completed
This project is "Completed". This means the project has been implemented and the report was accepted by the district leadership. The project will stay listed on this website as a testimony of the achievements of the project partners.
Approved pending uploading a budget to the Documents file
21-Jun-16
System Entry
Project approved by the District Approval Committee.
28-Jun-16
by Jim Epstein
Report due no later than June 1, 2017
15-Jul-16
by Bill Kehl
System Entry: Check for DDF payment issued by Foundation Treasurer.
16-Mar-17
by Dave Mills
Four Loveland elementary schools (Monroe, Stansberry, Namaqua and Mary Blair) partnered with us. The $4000 District Grant was matched by $4000 of literacy funds from the Loveland Rotary Foundation. Then we offered up to $2000/school if the schools would match this sum toward buying tablets and charging carts up to 1 tablet per 2 third graders. Because of very strong support from the principals and parent organizations, the $8000 from Rotary was actually overmatched with $11,530 from the PTO's and schools. A total of 70 tablets plus 3 charging carts were delivered to the 4 schools in December 2016.
28-May-17
by Jim Epstein
Progress report due by June 1 in order to be eligible for a grant in 2017/18
11-Oct-17
by Randall Looper
Please send a History Log update as to the status of your project.
4-Jan-18
by Randall Looper
Please send a History Log update as to the status of your project.
4-Aug-18
by Dave Mills
A data analysis at the end of the 2016-17 school year showed that students that used the Lexia software at least 30 minutes/day were 20% more likely to be on grade level in literacy that the general population. The Chromebooks and iPads that were provided with this grant and other associated funds allowed 175 third graders to have daily access to the Lexia software (instead of 1 or 2 times/week in their school computer lab). THIS PROJECT IS NOW COMPLETED.
5-Aug-18
by Randall Looper
Dave,
Please upload the recepts for the project and complete and upload a final report. The final report can be found on the district website.
11-Oct-18
by Jim Epstein
Final report uploaded
11-Oct-18
by Jim Epstein
System Entry: Project has been implemented and final report uploaded.
11-Oct-18
by Randall Looper
System Entry: Final report approved by the District Approval Committee.