When it comes to Internet speed and accessibility, Farmington’s public schools are ahead of the curve.
The school system increased its bandwidth levels last year, providing faster, more reliable service to its 4,000 students.
“It allows us the guarantee that school children across the board will have access to resources in a timely way,” said Ted Lindquist, coordinator of technology for the school district.
By 2014, U.S. schools will need connectivity speeds of 100 megabits per second per 1,000 students in order to meet the growing demand for Web-based educational resources, according to a report published this year by the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SEDTA). Farmington schools are now ready to meet those standards.
Early in 2011, Farmington searched for a way to increase the district’s bandwidth. The system’s four elementary schools had slower connectivity speeds than the middle and high schools. Students, teachers, and parents all needed better service to access resources and run applications.
Farmington switched its Internet provider, signing a contract with Comcast Business Services to replace the school district’s old copper system with a fiber optic Metro Ethernet platform.
“We brought them out of the stone age to deliver a faster, more robust learning environment,” said Brian Mulligan, Comcast account executive in charge of the Farmington sale.
The switch turned out to be very timely, as Farmington schools are on track to meet SEDTA’s faster connectivity standards. The Metro Ethernet platform runs at 50 megabits per second, up from 1.5 megabits per second on the copper system. The contract will allow the school district to scale up to higher levels of bandwidth over time as its needs grow.
Farmington is just one of many schools across the state and the country beginning to rely on Web-based resources. The district uses applications like PowerSchool to check grades and homework assignments, and E-Friday Folder, which emails notices home to parents.
“Not only students, but parents as well will have a very poor experience with schools that have slower service. It helps to alleviate strains,” said Mulligan.
An important incentive for faster Internet is Connecticut’s goal to convert all state tests to online testing by the 2014-2015 school year. Students will take computerized versions of the Connecticut Mastery Test and the Connecticut Academic Performance Test.
Having faster connection speeds now will give Farmington students the time to prepare online for the new testing system. The old Internet service did not have the capacity to handle such a task.
Additionally, the faster service helps with the school’s transition to new computers relying on Web-based software for applications and data storage.
Comcast is benefitting from SEDTA’s recommendation for higher levels of bandwidth, as more school districts nationwide begin to use the Metro Ethernet platform.
“It’s becoming an increasingly popular platform amongst school systems throughout the country. It’s helping to increase Comcast’s national footprint,” said Charlie Tzoumas, regional vice president of business services, western New England.
Comcast works with many other schools in the state, including Wallingford Public Schools and Chase Collegiate in Waterbury. The schools need fast connectivity speeds in order to handle the growing popularity of online learning, researching, testing and grading.
“It’s no longer about what books you have in your library. It’s about the resources you have online,” said Lindquist.
