The Microsoft K-12 Connection 

December 1997

1.  Connected Learning Community    http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/clc.asp 

“Understanding the E-rate.” If you're a K-12 school or library, billions of federal dollars in technology discounts are coming your way. Read this comprehensive article on how to prepare and apply for E-rate funding, beginning in January 1998.

2.  Desktop & Network Operating Systems   http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/desk_net.asp  

“Network Computing: How Thin Do You Really Want to Go?” You've been hearing a lot about NCs and NetPCs, but what does the controversy mean for K-12 education?

3.  Internet/Intranet  http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/int.asp. 

“Operating Without a Safety Net?” On the first day of school this year, one school district in Washington State found out the hard way just how critical network security is. In this fictionalized account of a very real event, Rodger Seabourne, Microsoft software engineer and volunteer consultant, describes damage to the district's computer system caused by what he believes was an "inside job." 

If you're running Microsoft® Windows NT® Server as your network operating system, Seabourne offers how-to advice so that you can make sure your district never finds itself facing the same problems.

4.  Classroom Corner   http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/cc.asp 

“Putting the Future in Our Children’s Hands.” This school year, more than 20,000 students and teachers in nearly 225 K-12 schools are using laptop computers as personal learning tools available to them 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Building on dramatic improvements in teaching and learning seen by the 52 schools that pioneered the approach last year, 172 additional schools are implementing the Anytime Anywhere Learning vision this year. 

The Snohomish School District in rural Washington State enrolled nearly 300 fifth and sixth graders in the Anytime Anywhere Learning pilot program. That figure has doubled for the 1997-1998 school year.. 

1.	Connected Learning Community
Understanding the E-Rate

By Peter H.R. Sibley and Chip Kimball, Ph.D.

Billions of dollars in technology discounts are coming your way. How do you qualify? You already do qualify if you’re a K-12 school or library. Applications will be available soon, and the program begins January 1, 1998. Every school and library stands to be a winner, but if you follow the guidelines described here, you could get funding sooner, save more money and take less time to complete the requirements. Here’s what you’ll find in this article:

•	What's the E-Rate?
•	Getting Schools Connected
•	What’s Covered by the E-Rate?
•	What's Not Covered by the E-Rate?
•	E-Rate Discount Calculations
•	Your Place in Line
•	E-Rate Application Process
•	Seven Steps to Prepare
•	E-Rate Guiding Principles
•	Resources
•	Glossary
•	Time Line

What’s the E-Rate?
The Education Rate (E-Rate) is the result of a regulatory decision made by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on May 7, 1997 to implement the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The FCC decision means that starting in January 1998, K-12 schools and libraries will be eligible for up to $2.25 billion a year in discounts for a wide range of telecommunication services.

These discounts are intended to help K-12 schools and libraries throughout the United States establish high-quality connections to the Internet. Although the E-Rate, the common name for the Schools and Libraries Universal Service Program, is not exactly a secret, many schools and libraries are unprepared to apply for discounts that will be allocated  in year one (1998). The discounts will range from 20 to 90 percent on all eligible telecommunications services, Internet access and internal connections. Schools will receive the savings through discounts from telecommunications services and hardware providers. 

To receive support, a school or library must:

1.	

Self-certify that it has a plan for securing access to all necessary resources. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has established a self-certification process for applications that is an honor system of sorts. The application consortium (for example, a district) selects an individual to be responsible for determining that the consortium has complied with the rules. The FCC will audit the certifications based on a process not yet developed. The consortium must comply with all state and local laws governing procurement and will be asked to demonstrate proof of compliance.)

2.	Submit a request for support that can be posted to attract competitive bids.

3.	Sign a statement that it is eligible and will observe the rules associated with the universal service funding mechanism.

This article is intended to identify the criteria and information necessary to complete the application, FCC Form 470 and FCC Form 471. Gathering this information should be a priority for every district or school that intends to apply. The final approved application will be posted at www.fcc.gov/learnnet, the FCC’s informal education page. Please refer to this application and procedural information prior to submission. The final application is also expected to be mailed to all schools and libraries the week of December 15. 

Completed applications cannot be submitted until the new E-Rate Web site is up and running, currently anticipated to happen during the week of January 12. The opening of the site will mark the beginning of the 75-day window period.

Getting Schools Connected

Numerous programs have been initiated to assure that every K-12 classroom in the nation is connected to National Information Infrastructure (NII), more commonly called the Internet, by the year 2000. These include the Technology Literacy Challenge, the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Program (TIIP), Challenge Grants, Distance Learning Grants and many other state and local initiatives. 

While significant progress has been made, much remains to be done. For example, in 1994 only 35 percent of public schools were connected to the Internet; a year later, that figure had risen to 50 percent. However, only 9 percent of our classrooms are connected, severely limiting children's access to this critical teaching and learning tool.
 
Access to the Internet in our schools varies widely. Based on a U.S. Department of Education survey, Advanced Telecommunications in U.S. Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, only 31 percent of schools with large proportions of students from poor families have access to the Internet, compared to 62 percent of schools with relatively few students from poor families. Access is also related to school enrollment sizefrom 39 percent for schools with fewer than 300 students to 69 percent for schools with 1,000 or more students. This same survey also reveals that "funding and inadequate telecommunications access points were the most frequently cited barriers to acquiring or using advanced telecommunications in public schools." 

School funding shortfalls and inadequate or costly infrastructure services combined with record school enrollment have created significant barriers to using advanced telecommunications in the classroom. This year, total public and private school enrollment set a new national record of 51.7 million students. Because of the “baby boom echo,” enrollment will continue to rise for the next 10 years to a record 54.6 million in 2006. As a result, school districts all across the nation are under enormous fiscal constraints in meeting the demands for more classrooms and teachers, and many find themselves unable to move forward in meeting their technology needs.

What's Covered by the E-Rate?
The E-Rate plan correctly identifies nontelecommunications costs as requiring the majority of funds. Schools (and eligible libraries) are encouraged to have technology plans that include hardware, software, training, technical support and building upgrades to permit both access to the Internet and its effective use to improve learning. 

Telecommunication Services 
Schools have maximum flexibility to choose among different types of commercially available telecommunication services for both voice and data. Examples include regular telephone lines for teachers to receive phone calls in the classroom, pagers for security officials, high-bandwidth telecommunication services, satellite delivery for distance learning and coaxial cable. 

Internet Access
Internet access services are eligible for discounts. For example, e-mail and access to the World Wide Web are subject to discounts. Content, such as a paid subscription service, is not covered. 

Internal Connections
Connecting the classroom is the goal, and that includes discounts for basic installation and maintenance of a network. Examples of eligible technologies necessary for establishing a network include routers, hubs, network file servers, wireless local area networks (LANS) and software needed for operation of file servers. Personal computers used solely as switches or file servers are eligible; however, personal computers for teachers and students are not. 

What's Not Covered by the E-Rate?  
Schools will need to plan to purchase computers for teachers and/or students, fax machines, modems, software and professional development, and, if necessary, budget for asbestos removal. Resale of discounted services is prohibited. 

The broad nature of what is covered, and the seemingly short list of what is not covered, should not be interpreted as an opportunity to reduce budgeted levels of site funding for technology. Discounts will require computers for student and teacher access. The FCC has not yet defined the meaning of "sufficient computers" for student and teacher access, but plan on three to five in every classroom. Support and training are ongoing expenses that have been inadequately funded in many schools and districts. The discount rates still require most districts to share a significant portion of the cost.

E-Rate Discount Calculation
Every eligible school qualifies for a 20 percent discount on approved services. The level of discount for schools and libraries is based upon their level of eligibility in the federal free and reduced lunch program:

Percentage of students eligible for the national school lunch program
	Estimated percentage of U.S. schools in the category	Urban discount (%)	Rural discount (%)	
<1	3	20	25	
1-19	31	40	50	
20-34	19	50	60	
35-49	15	60	70	
50-74	16	80	80	
75-100	16	90	90	

You can determine your school/district designation (rural or urban) by checking the U.S. Census Bureau at www.census.gov/population/www/methodmet.html.

Your Place in Line
An applicant's "place in line," or seniority, is determined by the date on which the applicant submits a contract (FCC Form 471) to the administrative corporation rather than the date the initial request for service is posted on the Web site. The administrative corporation cannot determine the amount of funding to allocate prior to the date it receives a signed contract that includes the total contract price and information necessary to confirm the discount rate. 

During a  "window" period of  75 days, all FCC Form 471s received by the administrative corporation will be ranked equally. (The window period will begin once the new E-Rate Web site—expected to open Jan. 12—is available.  Call  the E-Rate hotline at 1-800-733-6860 to confirm this date.) After the 75-day window period, all FCC Form 471s received by the administrative corporation will be treated on a first come, first served basis.

E-Rate Application Process
Applications will be reviewed for completeness and for pertinence to the educational mission. 

•	Completeness. The fund administrator or a subcontractor to the administrator will be responsible for collecting applications and ensuring that they have been completed by the applicants. 
•	Review and approval. In cases when a state education agency (SEA) cannot review and/or approve a technology plan, other entities will be made available to provide review and approval. For example, a private school may need a different review and approval body than a public school district. The U.S. Department of Education, in partnership with many national education associations, is working to provide advice to the FCC on alternative review mechanisms. 

Where do you apply?  
Applications will be distributed by mail and  will be available from the FCC Web site at http://www.fcc.gov/formpage.html#470. At the time of publication the application forms were still in draft. The final application process had also not been defined. The proposed process indicated that approved technology plans, along with the application forms, should be submitted to the fund administrator, who will be responsible for collecting and posting requests for services on an electronic clearinghouse. 

Seven Steps to Prepare
Here are seven steps you can take immediately to prepare for the E-Rate application:

1.  Form the Consortium
•	Identify who will be members of your consortium. Members can belong to only one entity that submits an application. 
•	Select a contact person who will receive and disperse information.
•	Select an individual who will be authorized to sign official documents.
•	Develop a letter of membership for formalizing the consortium.
•	Allocate funds to support the consortium.

2. Identify Your Technology Plan Authorization Agent
Every applicant must have a technology plan approved by the state or other authorized body before seeking funding. Independent approval of the technology plan is required. (Entities that have submitted plans for participation in federal or state programs such as Digital High School, Goals 2000, and the Technology Literacy Challenge will be accepted in year one without independent approval.) 

Identify your technology plan authorization agent (usually the state agency that regulates schools), and ask when you can submit your technology plan. The authorization agent may vary from state to state. Authorization agents have not received special federal funding for this service. Anticipate that some authorization agents will become back-logged because of inadequate funding for staffing. Get the specifics of your submission procedure, and submit your plan early.

Note: The initial application, but not the request for FCC Form 471, may be submitted prior to state approval.

3.  Review Your Technology Plan
The FCC has identified minimal requirements for technology plan elements for certification. State authorization agencies have the responsibility of interpreting these elements. Criteria for authorization are likely to vary widely for certification of the technology plans in the initial year of discounts. The minimum elements required by many authorization agencies are identified below. Including these elements will get certification for your plan by most state authorization agencies. 

The minimal elements required in your technology plan are:

•	Vision. The vision must refer specifically to the integration of technology into the curriculum. The vision statement describes what your district will “look” like when your plan is complete.
•	Mission. The mission must reference the use of technology to reach your educational goals.
•	Inventory. You must identify the technology resources currently available and those budgeted for acquisition.
•	Multiyear planning. The plan must include time lines and milestones that span more than one year.
•	Curriculum integration. Describe how you will use technology to support student learning.
•	Staff development. Identify how you plan to support staff development to ensure effective use of  technology.
•	Assessment. Indicate how you plan to assess the impact of the use of technology.

You may wish to compare your plan with the Technology Plan Analysis Rubric, a research-based rubric for developing powerful technology plans. Plans based on this rubric will not only meet E-Rate criteria, but provide a strong foundation for effective use of technology in your institution. The rubric can be found at http://www.edmin.com/techplanning/.

4. Identify the Services to Be Requested
The application will require you to identify the services requested. Services eligible for discount are:

•	Internet access, except for proprietary content.
•	Internal connections when classified as an essential element in the transmission of information.
•	Items required to switch and route messages within a school.
•	Installation and maintenance necessary to operate internal connections.

No equipment is discounted that does not expressly support the transport of information to individual classrooms.

5.  Develop a Request for Proposal for Services
All applicants must seek competitive bids for all services eligible for section 254(h) discounts. The services requested must be described in sufficient detail to enable potential providers to formulate bids. If an existing contract is still in effect, the request for proposal (RFP) used to procure these services must be made available. Some tips for developing the RFP are:

•	Services that are based on a preexisting contract are generally still eligible for discounts. The existing contract cannot extend beyond December 31, 1998.
•	The RFPs can be posted to your Web site as a way to comply with the requirement that services be published.
•	You must comply with all state and local laws governing procurement. You will be asked to certify to this requirement.

6. Complete the Application
FCC Form 470 is the application. This form is not yet final; keep checking at http://www.fcc.gov/ccb/universal_service/  or with your authorization agent. The applications will be processed by a contractor to the SLC (School and Library Corporation) and posted on a national Web site to make the services available to potential bidders. (The contractor has not yet been selected.) 

Here are some tips for filling out the application:

•	Existing services must have a contract.  If don’t have a contract for your existing telephone service, for example, then you need to procure one. Otherwise, the service will be considered a new service.
•	Existing service contracts that extend beyond December 31, 1998, will not qualify for discounts. 
•	Applicants with existing services that have a contract (if the contract does not extend beyond December 31, 1998) are permitted to submit FCC Form 470 and FCC Form 471 simultaneously.
•	Each new service requested requires an RFP, bid specifications or a summary description. This information must be posted on the school/district Web site as well as sent to the administrator.
•	Audits will occur regularly to prevent fraud in this largely self-certified process.
•	The FCC considers five computers to a classroom to be a tentative benchmark to establish "sufficient quantity" for student and teacher access.
•	Training programs should encompass all staff, including classified staff.

7.  Receiving the Discounts
The application must be posted for four weeks on the school Web site before you may sign binding contracts for discounted services. Once the contract is signed, a copy is sent to the administrator’s subcontractor with an estimate of the funds that will be requested for the following funding year (FCC Form 471). Here are some tips for completing the service request:

•	Funding requests must be submitted for each funding year. The administrator will place all requests in a queue based on the date and time they are received. 
•	Assuming sufficient funds are available, the administrator’s subcontractor will set aside the necessary funds for your use. You will be notified when the funding has been approved.
•	All contracts should contain a phrase that states something to the effect, "Subject to E-Rate funding."
•	You must submit a separate FCC Form 471 for every site that will be receiving a bill for the goods or services.
•	The contract expiration date cannot exceed the discount time frame, which is December 31, 1998.
•	Once you have been notified that funding has been approved, you may notify the provider to begin service.
•	You must notify the administrator that service has begun and to approve the flow of funds to the provider.

E-Rate Guiding Principles

Clearly, the goal of connecting every classroom to the Internet (NII) by the year 2000 could not be accomplished without new levels of support. The goal of connecting every classroom has similar characteristics to the goals addressed by the Telecommunications Act of 1934, which created a support mechanism to fund nationwide access for voice communication. This became the Universal Service Fund (USF). Rather than a tax, the USF is funded by a surcharge that is collected by communications carriers to encourage market forces to provide competitive services to under-served populations. 

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was fashioned to address the barriers to access of all schools, but in particular of small and rural schools that are historically underserved populations. The six principles that form the foundation of the E-Rate plan and the Universal Service Fund (USF) are:

1.	Telecommunications and information services made available under an E-Rate plan must meet recognized educational objectives, including the need for adequate bandwidth and transmission speed in order to support educator-designed curricula. 
2.	In designing a plan to implement the E-Rate, there must be a dynamic and open process utilizing advice and counsel from all groups that have a stake in the future of our educational system. 
3.	All schools and libraries must have flexibility in procuring needed telecommunications and information services, while demonstrating an educationally sustainable plan. 
4.	The most efficient use of the Universal Service Fund (USF) support system should be promoted through the use of market-based techniques wherever possible. 
5.	The support must be technology-neutral and not favor a particular technology. 
6.	All competitors seeking to serve schools and libraries must have equitable and nondiscriminatory access to the USF.

The E-Rate presents an unprecedented opportunity to integrate technology into every K-12 learning environment in the nation. The initial challenge of realizing the discounts and navigating the bureaucracy will give way to the real work of improving educational opportunities.

We must prepare our teachers, our administrators, our staff and our communities if we are to gain real benefits from the rising sea of technology in which we find ourselves. Our mindset and our planning mechanisms are oriented to insufficient learning resources. Scarce resources are a genuine barrier to improved learning environments. Yet, the tide is turning. The nearly 10 billion dollars of expenditures by schools for technology in 1998-1999 yield four times the technology purchased in 1995. The primary challenge will be effective use of sufficient resources. This challenge represents a new beginning for educators and better opportunities for our students.

About the authors: Peter H.R. Sibley is the executive vice president of EDmin Open Systems, Inc.  EDmin’s mission is to assist educational institutions in bringing to fruition the benefits that technology holds for improving students’ learning environments and increasing the effectiveness of student support systems. Sibley is presently immersed in final testing of a Web-based instructional and administration support system called Virtual ED.  For more about EDmin, see http://www.edmin.com/, or you can reach Peter Sibley at psibley@edmin.com.

Dr. Chip Kimball serves as an assistant superintendent with the Lake Washington School District in Redmond, Washington. Kimball’s work focuses on creating "the most information-rich school district in the country" by effectively integrating the many dimensions of instruction, staff development, classroom technologies, infrastructure, networking, assessment and data processing. Kimball has led several major technology initiatives for the district's 39 schools. These have included selecting and deploying a curriculum management system, integration of technology into the district's curriculum framework, development of the district's intranet and Web presence, upgrading the messaging and scheduling systems, rethinking current assessment systems, developing a recognized staff development program, moving to a Windows NT server platform, and upgrading/building facilities in the district for use in the 21st century.

Sibley and Kimball have also developed the Technology Maturity Model (TMM). The TMM is a comprehensive school improvement methodology that promotes the effective use of technology in educational institutions.  The TMM has received support from educators, institutions and organizations nationwide.  Institutes and seminars on the TMM have been sponsored by California Center for School Restructuring (CCSR), Association of Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), Kansas Department of Education, Iowa Area Education Agencies and many individual schools and districts. Sibley and Kimball have also authored The Technology Use Plan Primer, which has been well received by educators as a practical guide to developing a sustainable technology planning process. Many of the technology planning tools are available online at http://www.edmin.com/techplanning/.

Resources
The following are resources to assist you in completing the E-Rate application:

American Library Association
This site lists states that have passed the required legislation for participation. Under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, states have the responsibility for setting the discounts on intrastate services as well as for designating which carriers will be eligible for receiving universal service support. 
http://www.ala.org/oitp/stategrid

California Department of Education
Information on the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) E-Rate and the California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC) California Teleconnect Fund discount programs for telecommunications services to schools and libraries.
www.cde.ca.gov/ftpbranch/retdiv/k12/telecom/index.html

Census Bureau
You can determine your school/district designation (rural or urban) by checking the U.S. Census Bureau. www.census.gov/population/www/methodmet.html

EdLiNC
Your source for the latest updates on universal service is EdLiNC’s new E-rate Web site at http://www.eratehotline.org and the hotline itself at 1-800-733-6860. EdLiNC publications and action kits are also available at http://www.itc.org/edlinc/discounts.

For general information on EdLiNC, visit http://www.itc.org/edlinc/links.html.

EDmin: Technology Use Plan Primer
Developed by Peter H.R. Sibley and Dr. Chip Kimball, this guide is available directly from EDmin Open Systems, Inc. E-mail requests to techplan@edmin.com. Visit EDmin’s site at http://www.edmin.com. 

E-Rate Central
This site summarizes the most recent activities of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. http://www.yolo.k12.ca.us/erate.htm

FCC Web Site
http://www.fcc.gov/ccb/universal_service/fcc97157/

FCC FAQ Site
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Public_Notices/1997/da971374.txt

NECA
The National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) is the interim administrator of the Universal Service Fund.
http://www.neca.org

This site has information updated daily:
http://www.neca.org/wawatch/

Recent rulings:
http://www.neca.org/funds.htm

Northwest Educational Technology Consortium
An overview from the Northwest Educational Technology Consortium (NETC).
www.netc.org/fcc.

Schools and Libraries Corporation (SLC)
SLC will provide functions, such as administering the application process, creating and maintaining a Web site to post service applications, and performing outreach and public education functions needed to administer the schools, libraries and rural health care programs.
http://www.neca.org/slc.htm

Tech Corps
Volunteers from the technology community who advise and assist schools in the introduction and integration of new technologies into the educational system.
www.ustc.org

U.S. Department of Education
www.ed.gov/Technology

www.ed.gov/Technology/NTIA/erate.html

Washington Department of Education
Guide to federal Universal Service Fund, discounts and subsidies for schools, 
libraries and rural health care providers.
http://www.wa.gov/dis/discountinfo/

Glossary of Terms

Administrator
The National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) will be appointed temporary administrator of the support mechanisms.

Authorization Agent
The agency that provides independent approval of the technology plans required with each application. The authorization agent must ensure the technology plans are based on the reasonable needs and resources of the applicant and are consistent with the goals of the E-Rate program.

Authorized Person
Individual authorized to submit the application on behalf of the named institutions that make up the entity.

Building
Individual structure located at a school or library site.

Consortium Members
Entities may be formed from consortiums. Consortiums may include both eligible (schools and libraries) and ineligible (not an eligible school or library) members.

Contact Person
Authorized individual to receive correspondence from the administrators of the Universal Service program.

Discount
The amount of discount the entity is entitled to. This based on the % of students eligible for the national school lunch program.

Percentage of students eligible for the national school lunch program	Estimated percentage of U.S. schools in the category	Urban discount percentage	Rural discount percentage	
<1	3	20	25	
1-19	31	40	50	
20-34	19	50	60	
35-49	15	60	70	
50-74	16	80	80	
75-100	16	90	90	

Entity
Each application describes one entity. The entity may be an individual school (or library), a complete school district, part of a school district or any combination. Entities may include both eligible and ineligible members.

FCC
The Federal Communications Commission.

Ineligible Services
Effective use of the discounted telecommunications services will require services and facilities not eligible for discount. These include but are not limited to communications software, electrical systems, computers, computer maintenance and training.

Internal Connections
The infrastructure (cable, fiber, etc.) used to connect buildings and rooms to the Internet.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)
The organization that provides the connection to the Internet. You may use a different organization (e.g., a telephone company) to connect to the ISP.

Library
A library or library consortium eligible for assistance from a state library administrative agency under the Library Services Technology Act of 1996 that does not operate as a for-profit business and receives its funding through an elementary school, secondary school or university.

RFP
Request for proposal for services requested. If you have existing services you wish to have included for discount, the RFP that was used to request the services is appropriate. If you are requesting new services, a description of the services is sufficient. 

Rural Area
Rural areas are defined in accordance with the definition adopted by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Rural Health Policy.

School
An elementary or secondary school, as defined in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1985, that does not have an endowment of over 50 million dollars.

Universal Service E-Rate Program
The May 8, 1997 FCC Report and Order (FCC 97-157) as provided at http://www.fcc.gov/ccb/universal_service/fcc97157/

Time Line
The E-Rate is a new program of incredible magnitude. Be prepared for a few bumps along the way, though, as the electronic highway is not yet paved. Information is being distributed daily by federal, state and local agencies all trying to help. The time line is subject to change for anticipated milestones.

•	1934: Enactment of the Telecommunications Act of 1934, granddaddy of today's E-Rate legislation.
•	1994: Only 9 percent of classrooms are connected to the Internet.
•	1996: Enactment of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. 
•	Feb. 8, 1997: President Clinton signs the Telecommunications Act of 1996. This legislation authorizes the establishment of the E-Rate program.
•	May 8, 1997: The FCC establishes new federal universal service support mechanism (E-Rate).
•	July 18, 1997: The FCC establishes the structure of the three corporations charged with administering the universal service support mechanism (E-Rate).
•	Oct. 30, 1997: The FCC establishes a funding window. All applications received will receive equal treatment. The window period will be 75 days beginning from the availability of the applications.
•	December 15, 1998: Anticipated date for availability of applications. 
•	Jan. 1, 1998: Payments for eligible services made by school and libraries will be considered for discounts from the E-Rate fund from this date. Approvals will not be sent to schools until March (estimated) but will be retroactive to January 1, 1998.
•	Jan. 12, 1998. Anticipated opening of Web site and beginning of 75-day window period.
•	Jan. 13, 1998: Anticipated first date for accepting bids (28 days from December 16). Summaries of bid specifications must be posted on a Web site for 28 days to ensure all vendors have the opportunity to bid. 
•	Feb. 15, 1998: Anticipated first day for submission  of FCC Form 471, the request for services ordered. Approval of this form is necessary to receive the discount. Funds are reserved based on these requests.
•	Dec. 31, 2000: Goal of having every classroom connected to the Internet (NII).

© 1997. Peter Sibley and Dr. Chip Kimball. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission of the authors.

2.	Network & Desktop Operating Systems
Network Computing:  How Thin Do You Really Want To Go?
By AnnMarie Flynn Kelly

If you’ve been keeping your ears open, you’ve probably heard about NetPCs (network personal computers) and NCs (network computers), and you’ve probably had a hard time figuring out the differences between the two. 

A good place to start is to look at where the concept originated. Both the NC and the NetPC came about in response to customer demand for a lower “total cost of ownership” (TCO), meaning the cost of installing maintaining and managing a fleet of PCs over a period of time. TCO also includes the cost of training people to use those PCs.  

NCs have no standard architectural design; rather, a variety of vendors offer multiple, proprietary architectures and operating systems*. Among the computer vendors offering NCs are Sun Microsystems Inc. (JavaStation);  IBM, which has partnered with NCD (WinCenter Pro); Neoware (@workStation), and Oracle’s affiliate, Network Computing, Inc. (NC Network in a Box).

The NetPC effort is a program introduced by Microsoft and Intel, with support from over 100 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and other vendors. This effort is part of the Microsoft® Zero Administration Initiative for Windows and Intel’s Wired for Management Initiative. System guidelines for the NetPC were co-authored by Microsoft and Intel, along with Compaq, Dell and Hewlett-Packard.

Just the Facts
So now that you know where NCs and NetPCs originated, let’s go over the differences between them.

The Network Computer
The NC has a sealed case, no internal hard disk drive, no CD-ROM drive and no floppy disk drives. In the NC scenario, applications and the operating system rely 100 percent on the server, which also acts as the central repository for data for all users on the network. 

The NC Reference Profile* requires that an NC have a central processing unit (CPU), memory and a network connection mechanism. It does not specify an operating system (OS), but the most common configurations chosen by the hardware vendors are the Java OS and the combination of the NC operating system and Java Virtual Machine (JVM).

The Network PC
The newest member of the PC family, the NetPC, comes with an internal hard disk drive that is totally sealed; it does not have a CD-ROM drive or floppy disk drives. Because the NetPC has an internal hard disk drive, applications can be run from the server or locally.

NetPCs are required to include certain underlying hardware components that support the manageability guidelines and features outlined in ZAW, a set of core technologies that gives network administrators new levels of control and manageability over their Windows-based environments by automating such tasks as operating system updates and application installation, and by providing tools for centralized administration and desktop system lock-down. (Running the Microsoft Windows NT® Server operating system is a prerequisite for ZAW.)

“Zero Administration” are the words to pay attention to here. With the Zero Administration Initiative for Windows, administrators will be able to set policy from the server instead of having to go to each computer periodically and ensure that the user has not changed things beyond recognition. This ability to establish a central policy means that groups of users will have consistent, predictable hardware and software configurations, thereby removing the guesswork from technical support efforts.

The early implementation of the Zero Administration Initiative for Windowscalled the Zero Administration Kit or ZAKuses the power and flexibility of system policies and user profiles to: 1) allow administrators to lock down desktops, 2) provide centralized configuration of the desktop, 3) eliminate end-user access to system files and features and 4) remove the ability to install unapproved applications.

NetPCs marry the best of the PCpower, stand-alone functionality and the ability to run Windows-based and Java-based applicationswith the best that the NC offers: enhanced network management features and increased desktop security.

Reducing Costs
So now you understand the differences between the NC and the NetPC, but you’re probably asking: What does it mean to me? 

Let’s talk about reducing costs first. For the NetPC, support costs are reduced primarily in three ways:

1.	Maintenance: The NetPC’s sealed hard drive and lack of CD-ROM and floppy disk drives mean curious minds can’t tamper with the desktop: For example, no modifications can be made to the desktop hardware configuration; installing and using unapproved software such as games are prevented, and the threat of infection from contaminated floppy disks is eliminated.  In addition, ZAK allows network administrators to alter the Start menu and easily control the display of desktop icons (by using  templates that come with the kit). System files cannot be unintentionally deleted; system settings like colors, background and desktop arrangements cannot be touched, and the control panel or registry cannot be modified. All these improvements significantly reduce maintenance costs. 
2.	Setup: Since ZAK greatly simplifies the initial task of installing a desktop operating system and applications, your network administrator or technology coordinator saves valuable time. 
3.	Training: Because the NetPC shares the Microsoft Windows 95 interface with all the Windows-based client solutions and has the processing power to run 32-bit applications, teachers and students familiar with the Windows environment require no training to get up and running.

The NC also reduces costs since it is managed entirely via the network. As with the NetPC, the sealed case prevents tampering with hardware and software. The initial hardware outlay is low (although today most of these devices are in the $1,000 range where low-end PCs also live), but even this enticement is somewhat in dispute according to the recent Window NT Magazine cover story “Thin Is In,” which reports that “many NC vendors are adding multimedia hardware…to the device, raising the cost of an NC to that of a PC.” The centralized administration and configuration offered by the NC, which are supposed to result in lowered TCO, are answered equally well by the NetPC and the Zero Administration Initiative for Windows. ZAK helps solve the significant customer issues of cost, ease of use and manageability by offering a sealed box, a software lock-down feature and remote administrative upgrades and control.

To realize a lower TCO, the NC requires large servers, fast networks and administrators dedicated to maintaining them. Microsoft’s Jim Kuhr, Technology Initiatives Manager of the Customer Education Unit says, “It can be generally assumed that you will need larger servers and higher speed networks to support this kind of environment. That means that any dollars you save on the cost of the desktop device might be transferred directly to the network and server, resulting in a zero dollar cost savings.”

NetPCs and NCs in Education
With regard to the network computer’s use in education, the facts are clear: NCs have a narrow application in an education environment. They could be useful, for example, in administrative positions that require performance of certain repetitive tasks, and they might also work well in libraries as information delivery devices. 

In the classroom, however, where the computer is primarily a learning tool, the NetPC is a better fit. In one scenario, a teacher could plan her multimedia curriculum on her own PC while the students use the leaner NetPCs to complete the assigned project: for example, conducting research on the Internet and writing a report on flying mammals.

One of the biggest drawbacks to the NC in the classroom is its vulnerability to system problems: If the network goes down, so go the NCs. For example, if the network crashes while students using NCs are working a group project, they may lose their work, class is disrupted during troubleshooting or restarting, and teachers have to improvise the rest of the lesson on the fly. Using NetPCs, which can be set to automatically save, loss of work is minimal. If the applications are stored locally, students can continue working. 

Regarding education applications, Microsoft’s Jim Kuhr says, “There are no major curriculum developers that are currently providing or have plans to port their software to a Java environment that we are aware of, and I’ve spoken to a lot of them directly.” The networking choice that will allow you the richest variety of applications, including 32-bit applications (over 1,800 Windows curriculum solutions at last count), is once again a Windows-based solution, the NetPC. 
When you add it all upfamiliar user interface, ability to function as a stand-alone PC, ease of running 32-bit applications, increased desktop security, compatibilityyour bottom line looks a lot better with the NetPC.

The NetPC, a Realistic Response to a Real Problem
The NetPC, one of a range of Windows-based client solutions, is the first step toward “managed PCs,” the next evolution of networked computers. Lowering the total cost of ownership for education users and offering superior security measures, the NetPC has a role to play in answering the demands of the education environment. Clearly, in the near future we can envision secure, managed Windows-based PCs ranging from the handheld Windows CE to high-end performance PCs. The NetPC will carry you successfully along the road to this vision.

*Note: The definitive authority on the NC is the Network Computer Reference Profile, first published in July 1996 by Network Computing, Inc (NCI), a subsidiary of Oracle Corporation, and endorsed by Apple, IBM, Netscape, Oracle, and Sun Microsystems at that time. Like the industry PC 97 Reference Guidelines for personal computers, or the NetPC Reference profile recently announced by Microsoft and Intel, the NC Reference Profile is intended to define what an NC is, specifying hardware guidelines and required protocols.

Resources

•	For more information on TCO, see “Making Network Computing Work in an Educational Environment” at http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/desk_net.asp
•	For information on the Zero Administration Kit for Windows see http://www.microsoft.com/windows/zak/.

About the author: Annmarie Flynn Kelly is a technical writer for IKON Office Solutions/Technology Services/Valinor.

© 1997. Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. 
4. Internet/Intranet
Operating Without a Safety Net?

By Rodger Seabourne

On the first day of school, Sheila Brown, district technology coordinator, arrived in the district administration office bright and early.  She was looking forward to the new school year and felt ready to tackle the district’s computer upgrade project. After starting a pot of coffee, Sheila walked to her workstation and logged on to her computer, expecting several messages to appear regarding the nightly backup, mail synchronization and so forth. 

To her surprise, she saw only a few messages displayed. “Hmmm,” she thought, frowning, “that’s strange.” When Sheila connected to the mail server, a pop-up window informed her that Error 53 had occurred:  “The network path was not found.”  

“Not good,” she said to herself. A brief check of the mail server revealed that everything but the operating system had been erased! No mail directories, no gateway software, no directories holding users’ messages. Gone. All of it.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Sheila tried to log on to several individual school servers. Many of the machines were not booting at all. She tried some teachers’ workstations—these too were missing critical files such as assignments and lesson plans.

By seven o’clock that morning, Sheila had stopped answering phone calls. The entire operations staff was present, and the office was in complete chaos. As a school volunteer and professional security engineer, I was called simultaneously by various members of the staff.  Sheila was the first to get through. Knowing it was far too late for a graceful shutdown, I told her to pull the network cables out of the routers that led to the T1 line and out to the Internet. Then I went to the district office and spent a full day simply trying to get all of the computers back online. 

It ended up taking several days to recover what could be restored, and it was a good three weeks before everything was running smoothly again. Much individual work done by the teachers was lost for good. The lost work and interrupted lesson plans caused nearly everyone in the district untold frustration.

So what had happened? Deliberate sabotage. A hacker (or several) gained access to the district’s computer network via a school Web site and erased everything they could get to. Because of the extent of the damage, we believe the hacker had knowledge of the administration setup and was possibly a student volunteer.

While this incident is still under investigation, we do know that the attacker used simple NetBIOS connections (Net Use \\computer\sharename), FTP and other fairly straightforward methods to connect to district resources over the Internet. To prevent this scenario from happening in your district, this article offers information and tips on securing a network that provides Internet access.

The first section details practices to protect the network gateway. The second section covers network administration security practices. Although practices at the school level are not covered, some or all of the suggestions may apply.
 
Protecting the Gateway 
The gateway normally comprises a router and a Web server. Additionally, there may be a proxy server for caching purposes, a domain name server, and a firewall. The state may also be administering your district router, for example, through an information systems group or perhaps a university, but security must start and end at the district level. You cannot assume a university or state administration has the time or the resources to manage the security of your network in a robust, efficient fashion. 

•	Start with the router: Block nonessential inbound TCP/IP ports. If a server running Microsoft Windows NT is highly exposed, with the mission of offering services such as Web and FTP, then only two inbound paths need to exist from the router to the server: HTTP on port 80 and FTP on port 21. The router should block all other inbound traffic. If DNS is “inside” of the router, then UDP and TCP ports 53 should also be enabled. 

If the state or another entity is managing the router, consider introducing a routing product such as Microsoft Routing and Remote Access Service into your production environment to give your district administration staff control at the district level. It includes enhancements such as virtual private networks (VPNs) using point-to-point tunneling protocol (PPTP). VPNs allow students and teachers to securely connect via the Internet to school resources such as an online library, or a “homework” server. This product is a bargain for schools—it’s free! Software and documentation can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/routing&ras. 

•	Disable NetBios over TCP/IP. Under no circumstances should you allow Internet packets into or out of ports 137,138, and 139. These are the NetBIOS ports and should be shut down. By simply disabling these ports, you have stopped amateur hackers in their tracks. 

You can also disable the bindings for NetBIOS. NetBIOS networking operations require a syntax of the form \\Computer_Name. These networking operations include directory and printer sharing, NetDDE and remote administration. Connecting to a drive or editing a registry across the Internet requires only that someone map, in the local LMHOSTS file, the remote machine's NetBIOS name to its IP address. You can control the use of NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NBT) in the Control Panel by double-clicking Network, selecting the Bindings tab, and disabling any of the bindings between NetBIOS-based services and TCP/IP. This way no one can try to mount drives or edit registries remotely. Windows NT networking services run over multiple transports, so your machines can still talk to each other internally over the NetBEUI protocol, which does not go over the Internet.

•	Bind IPX only on the internal netcard, and TCP/IP only on the external netcard—if you are using the proxy server and have two netcards on the proxy (which is recommended). This stops anyone attempting to use IP from further intrusion into your system, a great way to administer your proxy servers remotely and securely. 

For information on commonly used ports, see the %system32%\drivers\etc\services file on your machine running Windows NT.

District Security
The following suggestions will help you tighten security at the district level. 

•	Use domains. Many sites do not apply domains to their maximum benefit. Ideally, one would employ the two-tier single master domain model, where each student, teacher and administrator account is kept in a master domain. Each site (school or department) would be the resource domain that trusts the master account domain. 

•	Carefully assign account privileges. Do not allow students, parents or other non-paid or non-tasked individuals to become domain administrators. Although it would seem the easy and perhaps even the right thing to do, don’t do it. At best, these types of folks should have account operator or backup operator status. Though they may have the best intentions, they can accidentally delete files, for example, because of unfamiliarity with the system day-to-day. Make this a firm policy regardless of how well trained or honest you feel an individual is. 

By default, every workstation or server running Windows NT in a domain allows domain admins full privileges over that resource. Make sure this privilege is not deleted by the owner of the resource in the User Manager. 

•	Use NTFS volumes. Use Windows NT File System volumes for file security. In addition, make sure you have good backup, restore and emergency-boot procedures. 

•	Run only the services you need. The fewer services running on your system, the less likely a mistake will be made that could be exploited. Use the Services applet in Control Panel to disable any services not absolutely necessary on your system. Also, if FTP or Gopher services are not needed or used, turn them off using Internet Service Manager.

To detect any unauthorized servers,  use Internet Information Server to see what Internet servers are running in each domain. 

•	Unbind unnecessary services from your Internet adapter cards. Use the Bindings feature (select Control Panel, Network, and then click the Bindings tab) to unbind any unnecessary services from any network adapter cards connected  to the Internet. For example, if you use the Windows NT Server service to upload new images and documents from computers in your internal network, but don’t want users to have direct access to the Server service from the Internet, disable the Server service binding to any network adapter cards connected to the Internet.

You can use the Windows NT Server service over the Internet; however, you should fully understand the security implications and comply with Windows NT Server licensing requirements issues. When you are using the Windows NT Server service you are using Microsoft networking; that is, the server message block (SMB) protocol and all Windows NT Server licensing requirements still apply.

•	Check permissions set on network shares. If you are running the Server service on your Internet adapter cards, be sure to double-check the permissions set on the shares you have created. It is also wise to double-check the permissions set on the files contained in the shares directories to ensure that you have set them appropriately.

I strongly suggest disabling the Server service on dedicated Internet servers. 

•	Revoke "Access from Network" privileges. By default, Windows NT grants the Everyone group the right to access server shares and printers. By revoking this right you can block all networking services but maintain support for the Web service (since the Web server runs either as a system or local user).

•	Rename the Administrator account, and limit the membership of the Administrator group. Rename the Administrator account in User Manager by clicking the User menu and then clicking Rename. By limiting the members of the Administrator group, you limit the number of users who might choose bad passwords. Do not grant admin privileges or accounts to students.

•	Enforce strict account policies. User Manager for Domains provides configuration options called security policies, such as one that allows a system administrator to specify how quickly account passwords expire (forcing users to regularly change passwords), and another that determines how many bad logon attempts will be tolerated before a user is locked out. Use the User Manager for Domains security policies to configure the server against exhaustive or random password attacks.

•	Choose passwords carefully. Although this may seem obvious, a stolen or easily guessed password is the best opportunity for someone to gain access to your system. Make sure all passwords used on the system, especially those with administrative rights are difficult to guess. In particular, be sure to select a complex administrator password (long, mixed-case, alphanumeric) and set the appropriate account policies. Passwords can be set in User Manager for Domains.

Windows NT 4.0, Service Pack 2 includes a new DLL file (Passfilt.dll) that lets you enforce stronger password requirements for users.* Passfilt.dll provides enhanced security against "password guessing" or "dictionary attacks" by outside intruders. This functionality is not available under previous versions of Windows NT or under network clients running operating systems such as Windows 3.xx, Windows for Workgroups 3.xx, or Windows 95.

Windows NT is the only Microsoft operating system that is case-sensitive when sending a password across the network for authentication. Thus, information sent to the Windows NT Server from clients such as Windows 95 and Windows for Workgroups will not be case-sensitive and therefore be easier to break.

It is my hope that other school districts will follow the preventative measures I have outlined here and avoid the disaster Sheila Brown’s district faced. Better safe than very sorry… as the saying goes. 

About the author: Rodger Seabourne is a network security software engineer at Microsoft. As a “virtual” employee, he provides assistance with network security for a Washington State school district. 

* Note: Passfilt.dll works as follows:

1.	Passwords must be at least six characters long.

2.	Passwords must contain characters from at least three of the
following four classes:

Description			Examples
English upper case letters              	A, B, C, ... Z
English lower case letters              	a, b, c, ... z
Westernized Arabic numerals          0, 1, 2, ... 9
Nonalphanumeric symbols		#, %, *

3.	Passwords may not contain your user name or any part of your full name.

Resources

For information on how to implement strong passwords, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (see http://www.microsoft.com/kb, and type in the article number).

—Q161990   How to Enable Strong Password Functionality in Windows NT

—Q151082    Password Change Filtering and Notification in Windows NT

© 1997. Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

4.	Classroom Corner
Putting the Future in Our Children’s Hands

In the 1996-1997 school year, the Snohomish (Washington) School District introduced an Anytime Anywhere Learning program using laptop computers to 270 fifth and sixth graders in seven schools throughout the district. To make the program successful, the district combined in-depth teacher training with a variety of funding options that ensured equal access to the new technology. 

The program was so successful that more than twice as many students and parents signed up this year (grades five through seven). "The kids light up when they use the laptops to learn," says teacher Kimberlee Spaetig. "The laptops make learning relevant, and the students know it.” The students are using Toshiba laptops to calculate and graph the trajectories of rockets, and then share the information in multimedia presentations to classmates. Students who shied away from the burden of writing, editing and rewriting compositions are now crafting creative poems of self-discovery. Students are also teaching younger children, teachers and even their parents how to use the machines at home. 

"The ownership issue is really important," says Emerson Elementary principal Maureen Cornwell, emphasizing the distinctive advantages of Anytime Anywhere Learning over more traditional computer labs or classroom desktop machines. "Having students share computers is just not the same. With a laptop, the computer becomes a personal computer really fast. Students can store their diaries, do their homework and record thoughts for later use. None of that is possible with any other type of instructional technology. 

Preparing for a World of Technology
Snohomish's exploration of laptop computers began more than a year before the 1996-1997 school year. The 8,500-student school district had never been big on the use of instructional technology. A couple of its newer schools were minimally networked, and upper-level schools had computer labs, but computers in the classroom were a novelty, and the community had recently shot down a school technology bond issue. The school board, teachers and administration knew that things had to change. 

The district's once sleepy, rural setting was transforming as high-tech workers from nearby Everett and Seattle settled in the area. Parents who designed computers and software, as well as those that used them daily, were among those who wanted their children to experience technology in the classroom. The private, nonprofit Snohomish School District Foundation, established to accept donations on behalf of the schools and to award scholarships and teaching grants, began asking what the district was doing to prepare students for a world of technology. In the district’s new strategic plan, there was broad support for the increased use of instructional technology. 

Then Snohomish officials heard about a pioneering laptop learning program in Australia. They sent a delegation including principals and teachers—those closest to the students—to learn more. "When we saw the possibilities, we were really psyched," recalls principal Cornwell, who went on the fact-finding trip. "We immediately saw two advantages to laptop learning: Students could learn anytime, anywhere, and it created important partnerships with parents and business—and that made it easier to get support for the schools." 

Teacher Training 
In addition to the approximately 270 laptops the district bought for students, it purchased another 100 for faculty and administrators. Putting laptops in the hands of the teachers, not something that every district has done, has been an important step in Snohomish's success, according to administrators and faculty there. But it was only the first step.  

To learn Microsoft Windows 95 operating system and Office Professional, the teachers received half-day and evening in-service training from a local Microsoft Authorized Training and Education Center. To encourage exploration and development of ways to use laptops in class, teachers involved in the program have also received a half-day of in-service time per month to share ideas and work together as a team. 

In addition to developing a body of successful examples, this once-a-month group has developed an enthusiasm that's bubbled over into evangelism for Anytime Anywhere Learning. These teachers are now helping to train the larger corps of faculty who'll participate in the program during the 1997-98 school year. In anticipation teachers have already undergone 50 hours of training this spring and summer. 

Providing Equal Access to Technology 
As a public school district, Snohomish was committed, and required, to provide equal access to education. In a district where one in five students was on the federal free or reduced lunch program, financial help had to be found to enable families in tight financial circumstances to participate if they wished. "Our first thought was to try this as a pilot in one school, and we chose the school with the highest proportion of students on free and reduced lunch, to demonstrate our commitment to fairness," says Kathy Klock, executive director of curriculum instruction and assessment for the district. "Then we began to publicize the program, and we had strong interest throughout the district. We knew that with technology so limited in most of our schools, setting up one school as 'the laptop school' would be a mistake. So we opened the program to every school that was interested." 

To make it possible for every interested family to participate, the school district relied on a combination of community donations to the Snohomish School District Foundation, private and public funding and parent support, including a grant from the state of Washington (which supported equipment purchase and infrastructure). The district set up a multitiered system in which parents could buy the computers outright, rent them from the district over four years or, if they qualified, participate in the district's low-cost subsidized rental program. 

Parents who felt they could afford the $2,000 computers, nearly half of the first-year group, paid the district's vendor directly by cash or check. Many families signed up for the four-year rent option. They paid a $30 contract fee, a $70 deposit and $58 monthly payments. Forty-two families qualified for and participated in the subsidized "equity rent" program by virtue of their previous qualification for the free/reduced lunch program. They paid the same contract fee, deposit and insurance, but only a $10 per month rental fee. 

The Financial Challenges 
Arranging the financing proved to be one of the toughest parts of the program, according to district business manager Mike Schroeder. Originally, Snohomish was prepared to participate in a seven-district consortium to lease the computers through a private corporation. Then, the consortium fell apart, and the district spent considerable time and money to set up a program in which it would lease the computers itself. Coming up with a program that met the requirements of state law was a challenge. So was working with a leasing company inexperienced in public sector education.

Ultimately, the district switched to a low-interest bank loan, bought the computers outright and rented them out to parents. "It was a very complex problem because there are strict state requirements on district financing, and this had never been done before," says Schroeder. "What kept us going was our commitment to the vision of Anytime Anywhere Learning and our certainty that we could find a solution. Now that we've been through the process, it will be much easier in the future. And we hope to let other districts in the state take advantage of what we've done. We have a full model of the required documents, lease structure and programs that a district needs." 

Getting Ready for Laptops 
The district chose to work with fifth and sixth graders because, says Klock, "the students have the basics down, so they're ready for laptops, but their ways of learning are still forming." With the pilot grades narrowed down, the district next had to face the question of how to organize the use of laptops.

One of the district's key decisions was to group the participating students into laptop-only classes, rather than including them randomly with non-laptop students. "It's tremendously limiting to teachers if they have to care for the needs of students with laptops and students without laptops in the same classroom. It would require double planning on the part of the teacher and would slow things down to have two separate approaches to learning in the same class,” observes Emerson principal Cornwell. “That's because we don't just teach application software at the beginning of the year and move onwe use the software to teach the curriculum all year long." 

That software is Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Office Professional. "From the onset, we decided to furnish the laptops with open-ended software, not closed instructional software, because we wanted the laptops to be blank slates for the students' creativity," says teacher Kelly Starr. She participated in the fact-finding mission to Australia and the subsequent Snohomish committee to implement Anytime Anywhere Learning. "We saw demonstrations of Microsoft Office and quickly settled on that suite. It had everything we could possibly want in application software." 

What's more, parents saw a real advantage in having kids use the same software they'll find in the workplace. Currently Microsoft Office is used by 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies. "Microsoft Office may have been designed for adults, but our students have no trouble with it at all," Klock says. "It's amazing to see how quickly the students take to it."  

Increasing Parent Interest 
"Whenever a parent spends money on a child's education, that parent is going to be interested in knowing what's going on in the classroom," observes Klock. "We know that parental involvement affects student achievement." Both the administrators and faculty are delighted with Snohomish parents’ active interest in the program. When the laptop is the first computer in the home, everyone in the family wants to use it. 

Parents and students are sitting down together, learning together and working together. Students are teaching their parents how to use the computer, and the parents are volunteering to help implement the program. The district's Parent Advisory Committee helped get the machines ready for delivery on Open-the-Box night, and they've already agreed to help implement the next major software upgrade. It's a far cry from the days when parents did little more than stuff envelopes for their kids' schools. 

"Unlocking Doors to Learning" 
"We are seeing things that make us tremendously excited," says Klock. "Students are engaged in ways they weren't before. The laptops are unlocking doors to learning, so that students who weren't doing well now are succeeding. Parents are much more involved in their children's education. And our community business partners are commenting on the tremendous student collaboration now taking place in the classroom, because that's exactly the way they want them to act in the workplace." 

"At the beginning of every school year, I ask students what they want to learn because I want to motivate them by matching their desires to the curriculum," says teacher Gary Evans. "The laptop program, with its individual access to technology, makes that match fully possible. My classroom is now truly student-centered." And everyone in Snohomish—students, teachers, parents and administrators—appreciates the difference. 

Program profile

District: Snohomish, Washington
District size: 8,500 students
Program size: 270 students, seven schools
Grade level: fifth and sixth grades 
Free/reduced lunch: one in five students

Products used:
•	Toshiba 400 laptop 
•	Microsoft® Windows® 95
•	Microsoft Office Professional 

Resources

If you are interested in Anytime Anywhere Learning, our third annual laptop summit will be held in Seattle on February 13-15, 1998.  Information on Summit '98 and more is available via our Web site:  http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/aal

© 1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.