RURAL NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS CONNECT RESOURCES
State: Pennsylvania
Grantee: Northern Tier Rural Distance Learning Consortium (NTRDLS)
Borrower Name / ID: Common-Wealth Telephone Company (PA 551 )
Counties: Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wyoming & Tioga
Subject:

In 1992, six school district superintendents from northern Pennsylvania formed the Northern Tier Rural Distance Learning Consortium (NTRDLC) to identify solutions to improve the quality of education in their rural and economically disadvantaged communities. Their research revealed that small, rural school districts on average have half the money available per students than do suburban school districts.

NTRDLC believes that the answer to improving the quality of education in their schools is combining the resources of the schools and utilizing distance learning technology. In 1993, the NTRDLC applied for and was awarded a Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant award for $500,000. Common Wealth Telephone Company, a RUS borrower, lent their financial support to the project as well.

RUS funds were used to develop a two-way interactive television network that permits six rural school districts, two colleges, and the State Museum of Pennsylvania to share personnel and access resources in ways not previously not possible. The project serves over 15,000 students in the six rural area school districts. The technology has also assisted the six rural school districts to enhance teacher training and improve high school curriculum. One hundred and ten students are enrolled in high school credit courses shared among the project’s schools and 9 students are participating in dual enrolled high school level course work and college level courses. In the 1995-96 school year, 30 students will have earned college level credits prior to their high school graduation. Penn State, for example, plans to offer at least 25 college level courses to high school students.

Small, rural school systems across the country are facing the similar problem of being unable to deliver a quality educational program to these students because of geographic isolation, insufficient funding, limited course offerings (especially advanced courses) and shortages of qualified teachers. RUS funds assist distance learning projects such as the NTRDLC resource sharing network because new avenues of opportunity become available that help rural students prepare for their future.