The Farmingdale School District has made significant strides in its technology program in recent years, and is seeking to continue that trend, administrators reported this week.

Calling the program, "a work in progress," Marc Licht, district director of instructional technology, noted that the district plans to focus on increasing computer resources at the middle and secondary levels.

"Grades two through six in all our elementary schools have five computers and a printer. All our science classrooms in the middle school and the high school have five computers and a printer in each classroom," he said. "Now we're looking to do the math and social studies in the high school next year, and we're going to do English and social studies in the middle school next year." He noted that equipping grade one classrooms with computers is also a priority.

Some outstanding features of the technology program were highlighted last Wednesday night, when district administrators and staff gave the Farmingdale Board of Education an overview of the school district's instructional technology program. The special meeting, held at Farmingdale High School, also included a guided tour of the building's library media center, computer labs, business lab, instructional technology classrooms, and high school grade office.

The board members viewed, for example, the library's online access catalogue, research tools, and websites, including a link to Farmingdale Public Library's site. They also experienced the foreign language lab, in which students tune into television programs in foreign countries via satellite.

Dr. Robert Schultz, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, noted that the aim of the meeting was to give board members a first-hand look at how budgeted money has been spent on improving the district's technology program.

"We're trying to keep abreast of all of the developments in technology, as best we can, with the monies that are made available by the board through the community," he said. "And we're looking now to upgrade some of the various labs that are old. We're also looking into now putting in more technology in the seven through 12 area."

In addition to the facilities viewed during the meeting, the district boasts a new art lab at the high school and two new labs in the middle school.

The district is also developing a web page, a system for assessing how the use of technology affects student performance, and a plan for the use of technology by the board of education, according to Dr. Shultz.

The integration of software applications into curriculum and the state-mandated learning standards is also a major goal, according to Licht. Staff development is key to that effort, he noted.

As part of a multi-year plan to incorporate computers and related technology into classroom learning, Farmingdale School District has invested millions of dollars into new equipment and rewiring. For example, the district's 1999 official budget brochure notes that during the 1998-1999 school year, the district provided funding to add five computer work stations in additional elementary classrooms, completing all regular classrooms in grades two through six, as well as many special purpose rooms. The 1999-2000 budget continued with that expansion, with $1.58 million slated for library and audio visual needs, and $1.68 million for microcomputers, as well as $200,000 for data cabling, and another $200,000 for increasing electrical capacity for technology.

Licht noted that expansion of the technology program remains key for students, because it is a key life skill. "You're going to have to be computer proficient for everyday life," he said, adding, "The district has a very good foundation, and we're building on the foundation that it already has. And, I believe that we've really come a long way."

Requests for technology funding in the 2000-2001 district budget are currently being compiled, and will be discussed in the budget hearings that are scheduled for the next few months, according to Licht.