The Nederland Independent School District encompasses approximately 25 square miles in Jefferson County in southeast Texas. Nederland ISD supports approximately 5,000 students across eight campuses comprised of four elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school campus and an alternative education school. The district houses approximately 2,000 computers, including 24 Internet-connected labs and a mobile lab consisting of 32 laptops.

Nederland ISD was looking for a solution that would meet its educational challenges and grow with the increasing bandwidth needs. Before contracting with Trillion in 2003, all buildings in the district were connected through T1 lines – a solution that was no longer viable, according to the district's director of instructional technology, Cindy Laird.

Laird believes E-rate funds and a wireless network create a technology-rich learning environment where students can expand their knowledge base by accessing, analyzing, evaluating, and communicating information expediently and efficiently, as well as providing a technology-rich learning environment where educators can improve instructional strategies to increase achievement for all students.

The district used E-rate funds to do just that. After implementing a wireless wide area network (WAN), the district's teachers are better able to integrate technology into the curriculum and effortlessly maintain and manage student portfolios and administrative records. "Trillion's wireless solution was easy to install because it did not require the mass burial of lines or cables other providers require," says Laird. "Having a wireless wide area network (WAN) made a big difference when Hurricane Rita blew through. Once power was restored to the city, the district's network was up and running while neighboring districts had to wait on local providers to return and repair their connections."

Trillion's solution has been instrumental in providing a means for the district to implement a variety of educational programs, both network-based and Web-based. There has been an increase in the use and demand of technology, from digital textbooks to online research and network-based applications. "Access to these programs, in correlation with a supportive administration and teachers who implement these resources with new teaching and learning strategies, has had a positive impact on test scores," says Laird. Tracking a sample group from the graduating class of 2007 for the past three years, the class has had a 22 percent increase in math achievement, a 9 percent increase in social studies and a 4 percent increase in English/Language Arts. Students' scores have also increased in reading and science. Texas Education Agency's (TEA) ratings gave Nederland high marks for academic accomplishments for 2006. Individual campuses and the district as a whole have earned due recognition for increased student achievement.

Teachers have become more receptive to technology integration because they know they can depend on it," Laird says. "Failure has not been an issue. A teacher can build a lesson around Web-based information, streaming video and data stored across the network and be confident that those resources will be available when needed."

While 21st century teaching and learning tools make a significant difference in the classroom, Laird adds that "it's important to remember that a technology-equipped classroom is nothing if it doesn't have the network to support and sustain it. Trillion provides my district with a network that supports technological demands that enable us to meet our district, state and national educational goals."