Madison School District of Phoenix  

Challenge

District IT managers planned to leverage technology to improve student learning and achievement. The IT executives' plan called for increased usage of online learning content and tools for both students and teachers. However, the district's existing communications infrastructure lacked the bandwidth to adequately support these applications.

Solution

Following a stringent state procurement process, managers implemented the Qwest^® Metro Optical Ethernet service (QMOE^®) at each of eight schools and two district sites. The 100 Mbps circuits provide data transport across the district's WAN . Managers also leveraged the QMOE solution to support a cost-saving voice over IP solution.

Benefits and Results

• The QMOE solution provides the bandwidth and leading-edge technology to support the school's 21st-century educational goals:
   
  • Teachers now leverage Internet instructional resources for students that the legacy network could not support.
  • Teachers can now access professional development distance learning programs.
  • The Qwest implementation helped qualify the district to receive a professional development grant from Arizona State University West.
• The high capacity circuits enabled server consolidation that saved the district $90,000:
   
  • Consolidation dramatically reduced tech support volume-labor hours were shifted to classrooms.
  • Web-based systems replaced paper-based solutions to accurately count attendance and ensure proper funding to the district.
• 100 Mbps circuits markedly improved the performance of finance and HR Web-based applications.
• Qwest representatives helped the district leverage E-rate discounts to stretch its IT budget.

Client

The Madison School District's mission is to promote continuous student improvement through the implementation of a rigorous curriculum and the use of effective instructional resources and strategies that challenge students to maximize their potential.