perm filename PAUSD.CMN[1,JMC] blob
sn#005289 filedate 1971-01-20 generic text, type T, neo UTF8
00100 For the last ten years, some high schools have been offering
00200 some of their students training in programming computers and applying
00300 this knowledge to problems in mathematics and science. In PAUSD,
00400 the first such use of computers was in 196x. In the last m years,
00500 the three Palo Alto high schools have always managed to offer some
00600 such program. Sometimes this has been via government grants for
00700 experimental programs, sometimes through Stanford, and sometimes by
00800 begging computer use from local time-sharing firms. Always this has
00900 been on a hand-to-mouth basis with no assurance of being able to
01000 continue a steady program from year to year. The possibilities for
01100 being able to support such programs by claiming that they are
01200 experimental has just about run out, and it is time that PAUSD
01300 adopted a systematic plan for offering its students this needed
01400 education.
01500
01600 At least two kinds of education are involved - a limited
01700 exposure to computing for 11th and 12th grade students and a regular
01800 course in computer programming for a smaller group. There are several
01900 ways of meeting the needs - small computers in each school,
02000 subscription to a commercial time-sharing service, and an educational
02100 computer for the school district. The capabilities of the CDC1700 in
02200 this direction are still uncertain and probably too limited to meet
02300 the needs given the other requirements that are imposed on it. It is
02400 not possible to estimate without further study which method is most
02500 cost-effective and what these costs will be. However, there have
02600 recently been considerable reductions in some computer costs, and the
02700 competitive situation is such that quite attractive proposals are
02800 likely from computer firms and time-sharing service bureaus. We
02900 recommend that the mathematics teachers concerned be authorised to
03000 form a committee, get outside technical advice, and to solicit
03100 proposals from manufacturers and service bureaus for the
03200 consideration of the Administration of the school district.