Five years ago, the state of Michigan implemented “Any Time, Any Place, Any Way, Any Pace” learning, which included online testing. To accomplish this, schools needed access to more computers.

The state knew that schools could not afford enough new technology on their own, so the state adopted a two-pronged approach:

•First, the state put together a group that would work to aggregate school needs statewide, then work with computer and technology companies to meet schools’ technology needs with lower prices. The computer companies realized that if they came down in price and provided good quality products, their overall sales would increase dramatically because every school in Michigan would be purchasing their technology.

•Second, the state provided schools with additional incentives in the form of rebates for every computer they purchased using the statewide purchasing system.

The state of Michigan needed an intermediate school district (ISD) to head this project. The Copper Country ISD applied and was selected. The project was more successful than we ever imagined.

During the four years of the project, Michigan schools have purchased 593,000 devices, with an average savings of 39 percent on their purchases. Some examples of the savings include:

•Chromebooks normally priced at $290 were available for $150;

•laptops that normally cost $800 were around $400;

•desktops saw the biggest savings, with computers that were normally $900 for as little as $350.

The total savings on computers alone was over $132 million statewide, with many millions more saved on accessories, warranties, and training.

The vision for this project was to leverage school purchasing power to make instructional technology affordable for all Michigan school districts, while ensuring that districts have the devices necessary to participate in online learning and assessments.

During the course of the four-year project, the Copper Country ISD managed over $22 million in technology rebates from the state. This money was dispersed to all eligible Michigan schools who chose to participate.

As a result of this project 96 percent of Michigan students and districts are now testing online.

The state of Michigan is no longer providing incentives to purchase new computers and other technologies, but because of the efforts over the past four years schools are still able to leverage technology companies to provide high quality devices at a much lower cost utilizing the framework that was built and implemented.

The Copper Country ISD is now one of five ISDs handling another large state project called Data Hubs. This ambitious project will allow information from different systems to talk to one another, streamlining reports, student rostering, and providing ways to help pinpoint needs faster and more accurately. It will also reduce duplicate data entry and automate state reporting.

The Copper Country ISD has been a state leader in the area of technology and has earned the respect of the Michigan Department of Education. Technology is always changing and growing.

The Copper Country ISD is well prepared to help not only our local districts, but also the entire state.

George Stockero Jr. is the supeintendent of the Copper Country Intermediate School District.