SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced 227 school sites will share nearly $27 million in Broadband Infrastructure Improvement Grants BIIG to help school districts enhance their network connectivity so they can successfully administer the states new online tests.

“These state grants provide the critical last step needed to connect an additional 63,000 students to the state education network that will give them access to technology, which will prepare them for college and careers, and let them take the new computer-based California assessments,” said Torlakson.

California public schools administered field tests last year to determine their readiness for implementing California’s new computer-based assessment program. While the vast majority of schools were successful, about 300 sites either lacked the online capacity to administer the Smarter Balanced Field Test or were able to only accommodate the tests by shutting down all other online activities. Of these 300 sites, 227 will be awarded BIIG funding to connect to the California Research and Education Network [http://www.cenic.org/page_id=66/] . The K-12 High Speed Network [http://www.k12hsn.org/] K12HSN is continuing to explore connectivity solutions for the remaining sites.

via Broadband Grants Awarded – Year 2015 CA Dept of Education.