This bar graph shows the steady
improvement of end-of-course
exam scores for Mooresville
High School students across
five consecutive years.
Test scores across individual
schools and subjects continue to
improve with every passing year.
At Mooresville High School, end-of-course (EOC) composite exam
data reveal an increase of 21% since
the start of the program, and this
trend is replicated across age groups.
For MGSD third graders, reading,
math, and composite EOC scores
have all improved significantly over
the past four years. Likewise, for
Mooresville Middle School, EOC
composite test scores improved to
85% in 2011, marking 13% growth
since the program began.
Graduation and college rates. Another
exciting result of our program has
been the increase in our graduation
rate, decrease in our dropout rate,
and increase in college attendance.
In 2011, MGSD’s graduation rate was
second in North Carolina, after improving from a 77% graduation rate
during our first year of the program to
a 91% graduation rate in 2011.
Simultaneously, the Mooresville
High School dropout rate has decreased by 48 students per year since
2005, and the college attendance rate
among graduates has increased by
12% since 2006.
ing that the students had cut their recess short, the superintendent sensed
that something seismic was afoot. The
crew soon clustered around a laptop
computer, eagerly perusing a website
that tracks global earthquake activity.
The rest of their class was out playing, but they had been inside monitoring quakes around the world and
had pinpointed tremors in Southeast
Asia. They said that they thought a
big earthquake was going to happen
somewhere in the area, and about two
weeks later, a devastating quake and
tsunami struck Japan. What’s important about that is that our students
had access to real-time data, so they
were able to make real-time observations. We had never seen kids running
in from recess back to their classroom
before. That type of learning, which is
possible now that our students have
access to powerful technology tools,
has brought everyone to a new place.
Narrowing the Digital Divide
One of the primary goals of our
program was to decrease inequalities
or discrepancies in student learning
driven by factors such as income and
racial heterogenity. Since our implementation, disparities in achievement
have decreased. From 2010 to 2011,
MGSD saw an impressive 15% growth
in math proficiency among struggling
students, an 11.1% growth among
black students, a 4.7% growth among
Hispanic students, and a 5.6% growth
among economically disadvantaged
students.
Qualitative learning. It is only by stepping into a Mooresville classroom
and observing the learning in progress
that the true value of tech integration
and student engagement is apparent.
The following story might illustrate
what we’re talking about.
During a visit to Mooresville Intermediate School, our superintendent
saw a group of fifth graders sprinting
down the hallway in his direction.
Always concerned for students’ safety,
he inquired why the boys were in such
a rush. “Dr. Edwards! You have to see
this!” came their excited reply. Know-
Mark Edwards, EdD, is super-
intendent of the Mooresville
Graded School District
(MGSD) in Mooresville, North
Carolina, USA. He was Vir-
ginia Superintendent of the
Year in 2001 and was named
a Harold W. McGraw Prize in Education recipi-
ent in 2003.
Scott Smith, EdD, is chief technology officer of MGSD. He also serves as an ISTE affiliate representative for the North Carolina Technology in Education Society.
Todd Wirt, EdD, is the execu- tive director of Secondary Education and Career and Technical Education for MGSD. He was selected North Carolina Principal of the Year while at Mooresville
High School before moving to his current position.
