ROCKHILL FURNACE, HUNTINGDON COUNTY - In the summer of 2012, the Southern Huntingdon School District learned it would be receiving a Keystone to Opportunity Grant.
It's a $1 million dollar grant that allowed the school district to add new technology such as iPads and video boards to classrooms, add book-rooms with thousands of books for elementary students and provide students with individual reading programs complete with instructors so they can learn at their own pace.
"We thought it would be a great opportunity to get the resources we need in our district," said Kim Watkin, a teacher at Rockhill Elementary. "There were a lot of cutbacks."
The school district managed to be 1 of 24 schools picked to receive the KTO grant in the entire state of Pennsylvania.
"We felt we had the opportunity to get the grant," Watkin said, "We had to get our PSSA scores up and we had some struggling readers who needed help."
Watkin said she's seen progress in reading now that many of the students at Rockhill are able to receive individual attention and personal reading instructors.
"Before it was just the core program and students don't learn at the same pace," she said. "Some of the students were frustrated and couldn't keep up."
Watkins added she's noticed an improved reading moral and performance at Rockhill since the grant allowed the school personalize reading instruction.
Over at Southern Huntingdon High School, the new iPads have excited both teachers and students.
"They really helped us," said Tom Jones, a 10th grader at the high school. "I've used it for science, chemistry, biology classes, and I've even used it for Spanish class."
Jones said his biology grade has improved since the iPads were introduced into the curriculum.
If Southern Huntingdon School District is able to show academic gains toward the end of the 2013 academic year, there's a chance the district could receive the grant again next year.
It's a $1 million dollar grant that allowed the school district to add new technology such as iPads and video boards to classrooms, add book-rooms with thousands of books for elementary students and provide students with individual reading programs complete with instructors so they can learn at their own pace.
"We thought it would be a great opportunity to get the resources we need in our district," said Kim Watkin, a teacher at Rockhill Elementary. "There were a lot of cutbacks."
The school district managed to be 1 of 24 schools picked to receive the KTO grant in the entire state of Pennsylvania.
"We felt we had the opportunity to get the grant," Watkin said, "We had to get our PSSA scores up and we had some struggling readers who needed help."
Watkin said she's seen progress in reading now that many of the students at Rockhill are able to receive individual attention and personal reading instructors.
"Before it was just the core program and students don't learn at the same pace," she said. "Some of the students were frustrated and couldn't keep up."
Watkins added she's noticed an improved reading moral and performance at Rockhill since the grant allowed the school personalize reading instruction.
Over at Southern Huntingdon High School, the new iPads have excited both teachers and students.
"They really helped us," said Tom Jones, a 10th grader at the high school. "I've used it for science, chemistry, biology classes, and I've even used it for Spanish class."
Jones said his biology grade has improved since the iPads were introduced into the curriculum.
If Southern Huntingdon School District is able to show academic gains toward the end of the 2013 academic year, there's a chance the district could receive the grant again next year.
