Northbrook Middle
School, Houston, Texas
Northbrook Middle School in Houston, Texas, is a model school that has focused on a high level of connectivity to ensure technological equity for students and teachers. Its 641 sixth- to eighth-grade students come from increasingly low-income ethnic families. Only about 5 percent of the students have home computers.
The building originally was a junior high school, but it was closed in the 1980s because of declining enrollments. When enrollments began to rise, the school was renovated for technology use. Significant funds were allocated for education technology. Reopened in 1991, the building was divided into several areas, each of which contains five classrooms for core courses. Each area also contains an office with a computer, printer, scanner, and printer for teacher use.
For student use, more than 400 networked computers were installed. Each classroom has 4 to 6 computers, and various labs throughout the building have about 30 computers each. To ensure adequate access to technology, the school has developed 90-minute block scheduling of classes enabling team teaching and extended access to technology. The district emphasizes high standards for all students.
Each teacher has a 90-minute planning period, which is used for team meetings on alternate days. Teachers have the opportunity to collaborate when mastering technology skills and developing student activities. The district also provides professional development activities to ensure teacher skill in utilizing technology in meaningful ways in the classroom.
For further information, refer to Northbrook Middle School in Technology and Education Reform (Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 1994)
