Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Carol Mann

LGHS seeks community input on how to spend grant money

By John Pancharian

Armchair educators in Los Gatos have something new to talk about. Los Gatos High School has been chosen to receive $438,000 through the state's Digital High School Grant Program, and the school faculty wants community input about how to spend the money.

The program came about in 1997 when the California Assembly passed AB 64, which called for disbursing grants of $300 per student to all California high schools in the next four years. Random high schools were then selected throughout the state to receive funding during the first year of the program, and LGHS was among those selected.

The project application states the program's goals: "It is the intention of the Legislature that all high schools in the state become 'digital high schools' by the end of the first year of the 21st century and that these schools fully integrate computers, networks, training and software to achieve computer literacy in all pupils and faculty and to improve academic achievement."

Thus LGHS technology coordinator Carol Mann finds herself in the joyful yet difficult position of navigating complex application paperwork before the money starts rolling in. The grant proposal she must submit to the state needs to detail just how the school intends to spend the money, and for this she is seeking public input.

"We're blessed with a really technology-rich community," Mann said, "and I'm hoping for as much community feedback as we can get."

The plan she has developed begins with brainstorming by community members and LGHS faculty. After ideas are in, Mann will endeavor to create a consensus about which ideas work best for the school. The next step will be to complete the application and post it on the LGHS Web page for final comments. She will then submit the application, which will go through a review by the California Technology Assistance Project, the agency that oversees digital high school funds.

"I think we have a good chance of getting in by the May 6 CTAP review," Mann said. "We should be funded by July or August."

Current ideas about how to spend the money include putting in a student server at the high school that could be tied in to the public library, Mann explained. By using the server, a student could save work in one computer lab, travel to another, work on the same project by calling it up off of the server, go to the library for research and add to the project there, then go home, dial into the server from a home computer and work there. Teachers could also access work to critique it before the student turns it in.

"This money gives us the chance to really upgrade and expand how technology is integrated into the curriculum," Mann said. "It lets us bring technology to the students."

Los Gatos community members who wish to share ideas with the high school are encouraged to visit the LGHS Digital High School Page at www.lghs.net/dhs. Those without internet access may call Carol Mann at Los Gatos High School.

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