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Bridging the Digital Divide through PACERS Academy
| Name | Jennifer Boyles | | Situation | Unfortunately South Carolina’s high school students continue to rank at the bottom in SAT scores. Programs have been initiated and educational reforms have been mandated (Educational Accountability Act1998), yet there has not been significant improvement. Technology plays an important role in students’ success. Poorly performing schools do not have the resources to allocate to costly new technology, leaving these students at a distinct disadvantage. | | Response | Through a Congressionally directed grant through the U.S. Department of Education, Clemson University’s Public Service Activities was awarded funding to create University-Community partnerships in order to “bridge” this digital divide that exists especially in the rural areas of South Carolina. During the summer and fall of 2003, a pilot program for SAT preparation, coaching and achievement was tested in Williamsburg and Marion Counties. Computer laboratories were placed in St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Kingstree (Williamsburg County) and in the Marion County Technical and Education Center. We also partnered with the Williamsburg County School District in retrofitting a mobile RV with computers. SAT preparation software was installed on each computer. The pilot model was named PACERS Academy. The purpose of PACERS Academy is to help students develop strategies and skills so that they may achieve higher scores on the SAT and qualify for a Life/Hope Scholarship for college.
In Kingstree, PACERS Academy was a “camp” style format during the summer. Students were out of school and could come every day for a period of two weeks. Each two-week session included sixteen students from Williamsburg County (32 total). The newly installed computer lab at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church provided an excellent environment for the PACERS Academy. The church gave us its full support. We were allowed to use the church building for meetings. In addition, the church members provided meals each day for the students and a full reception of food at the graduation celebration. During the two-week program, students took an initial SAT “pretest.” After daily intense SAT computer drills a “post test” was administered. Other daily activities included leadership development, team building, and character education training. They explored career opportunities while rotating during the day to the mobile RV which was equipped with internet access and was parked at the church. Each session’s group was able to visit the mobile RV lab, take an overnight camping trip to Clemson University’s Outdoor Lab and participate in a group adventure course. A graduation celebration and award ceremony was held as a finale.
The PACERS Academy was held in the fall in Marion County for seven Saturdays beginning in October and ending with graduation in December. Sixteen students from Marion High School were selected and participated in the program. The fall session was based on the same basic format as during the summer. The Marion County Technical and Education Center provided technical expertise and staff by providing the installation of the sixteen computers and software packages.
| | Impact | In all three pilot locations, SAT scores on the average were higher after taking the post test. Some students showed remarkable improvement with over 200 point increases. The community, school districts and church worked hard to make this pilot project a reality and a success. It was a collaborative effort that worked. Further projects should be implemented and expanded upon, given the preliminary results thus far. The computers have remained at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Kingstree and Marion Technical and Education Center. These computers are available for use by Clemson, the local school districts, church and community.
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Last update4/24/2008
This website is maintained by Marion County Extension.
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