Reading teachers across the state, from kindergarten to third grade, will get computer tablets from the state this school year in an effort to track and improve student reading.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson announced the plan Tuesday morning, holding up an iPad for the media, the governor and other members of North Carolina's Council of State. Johnson's office put the statewide pricetag for the devices at about $6 million. It didn't immediately have a per-unit price to quote.
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The money will come from some $15 million in unused money the Department of Public Instruction has from previous budget years. Just why this money has been sitting unused is a matter of some dispute.
"We are very excited about this because this device can help reduce burdens on teachers," Johnson said. "This device can help engage students. It's the future of where our education system is going."
Among other things, teachers will use an app on the devices to track student reading levels, which run from A to Q between kindergarten and third grade, Johnson said. The state plans a campaign to encourage parents to know where their student is on that scale and to work with teachers to boost their child's reading level.
"The goal is to reach letter Q," Johnson said.
Most teachers will get an iPad, Johnson's spokesman said, but a handful of systems use non-Apple products and will get Chromebooks or something similar.
This is part of an ongoing literacy push in the early grades. In March, Johnson announced nearly $5 million to buy books and other supplies for young students and teachers, equivalent to $200 for each K-3 reading teacher in the state.
This is a breaking news item and will be updated.