T'ville schools part of state ACCESS grant
From Staff Reports

With the beginning of the new year, 100 more high schools across Alabama are getting connected to the state's ACCESS Distance Learning Program.

ACCESS stands for Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators and Students Statewide. It was a program launched by Governor Bob Riley with pilot sites in 24 high schools in January 2006. The 100 schools being added this month brings the total number of ACCESS schools to 170. ACCESS puts high-end interactive video conferencing technology in participating schools so students can be connected in real-time with teachers in classrooms at other locations across the state. The program also offers asynchronous courses over the Internet.

With ACCESS, students can take courses and electives that may not be offered at their high school, like Advanced Placement courses and foreign languages.

"One thing that held our education system back for so long is that many students, especially those in our rural and hardest to-serve areas, weren't offered these courses just because of where they lived.

"With ACCESS, we solve this problem by putting cutting edge technology into the classrooms," said Governor Riley.

"This is a 21st century approach to learning that levels the playing field and gives these students an equal opportunity for success." The program was featured in the national education magazine Converge last year, which proclaimed that "Alabama has taken aim and hit the bull's eye with ACCESS."

"Unlike virtual school initiatives that attempt to replace or supplant brick and mortar schools, ACCESS builds on the state's existing real world education system, enhancing, enriching and taking it to places never previously imagined," the article states.

Governor Riley was so enthusiastic about that article he recently sent copies of it to every legislator and encouraged them to see ACCESS in action by visiting one of the schools. "This is a program that's working. It expands learning opportunities to kids all across Alabama and improves the quality of education in this state. I want to make sure all legislators understand just how critical it is to fully fund ACCESS," Governor Riley said.

"Just like this article said, 'success stories with this much impact and significance are rare.' We've got to expand ACCESS so more of our students have the opportunity to benefit from this success story." Funding for ACCESS in the Fiscal Year 2008 education budget is $20.3 million.

Governor Riley said he wants to increase funding for this program that works and will propose an increase in the budget he submits to the Legislature in February.

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