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March 27, 2012
Hon. Julius Genachowski
Chairman
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20554
Dear Chairman Genachowski:
We are writing to urge the FCC to consider funding Learning-on-the-Go (LOGO) pilot
projects for an additional year to allow the FCC to have sufficient data available to determine the
true impact of the program on student achievement. For students in the San Diego Unified
School District, the LOGO program is having a positive impact, presenting opportunities for
further advancement.
The LOGO project is part ofa pilot program funded by the FCC to support off-campus
wireless Internet connectivity for mobile leaming devices. In the LOGO program, education
doesn't stop at the schoolyard gate or the library door. Through LOGO's 1:1 off-campus 3G
wireless Internet connectivity, students in San Diego Unified now have access to digital
textbooks and other innovative resources that allow them to leam in a real-world context, inside
the classroom and beyond, anytime, anywhere. The LOGO pilot will set the stage for expansion
to other middle and high schools as part of the district's long-range plan.
Innovation Middle School was the first middle school to expand Always-On access using
3G services through a pilot program within the district's i21 Technology Initiative, beginning in
the 2009-2010 school year. Innovation Middle School issued every student a Lenovo Netbook
with built-in 3G and content filtering for 24/7 Internet connection with their schoolwork,
teachers and classmates. Both students and Rarents reported that they believed the school-to­
home access enhanced leaming. At the close of the 2nd year of implementation, academic results
of the program were encouraging with Innovation Middle School boasting a 43 point increase in
the school's API score, the highest gain ofany middle school in the district.
The LOGO FCC grant has since enabled San Diego Unified to scale the program to 10
other middle schools reaching over 3,500 students. For the neediest students and families in
particular, the LOGO program has been particularly helpful in opening doors to quality leaming
opportunities that transcend the classroom.
Once again, we urge the FCC to give full consideration to funding the pilot for another
year while the FCC reviews the data collected from the LOGO program. Doing so will allow
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these schools and students to continue their good work uninterrupted until a final decision can be
made by the FCC going forward.
Sincerely,