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Illinois
The Illinois Century Network (ICN) is a high-speed backbone that provides high-speed access to internet-based data and video communications to public and non-public K-12 schools, libraries, colleges, universities, public libraries, museums and municipal governments.
The private, statewide network is connected through 18 network points-of-presence (POP's) across the State, providing free, high-speed internet access to all its members. As well, by aggregating traffic at the POP sites, the ICN in cooperation with telecommunications carriers is able to offer significantly reduced T-1 rates to schools by reducing mileage between members and the network POP sites.
All POP sites are connected via DS-3 or faster circuits, with OC-3 circuits in place in all POP's by December 2001. Internet Access is provided through five high-speed (OC-3 or better) connections from distinct providers.
The network currently has over 3700 entities connected, with over 3100 public and private K-12 school facilities and over 150 libraries on the network. The ICN is now branching out to include community networks and non-profit service organizations across Illinois.
The ICN also provides specialized content for K-12 schools through partnerships with private vendors and with its public members such as colleges and universities, local governments, and museums. For additional information, see: http://www.lincon.net/
The Vision for the ICN: The ICN network is being described as "a vast and powerful telecommunications river flowing throughout Illinois, with tributaries to colleges and universities, public schools, libraries, museums, businesses, and homes. It will bring education to students, training to workers, and counsel to people in business, government, agriculture, health care, and a variety of other fields." It will be a telecommunications pipeline sufficiently big, fast, and reliable to transform education and hence fuel economic success for Illinois and its citizens in the next century. The value of the ICN is its capacity to meet a network of needs, all sharing the common thread of education. It will expand access to education and unleash creativity in the classroom and serving to support a vast network of communities and learners throughout the state.
The Illinois School Improvement Web-Site is an inter-active data storehouse of school and district test score and demographic information designed to help educators use data driven decisions in their school improvement process. Through the site, schools and districts can chart their school achievement along subject areas, make comparisons within the district, and make comparisons across the State, and among schools with similar demographics. The web-site provides easy access to excellent resources and tools, all geared towards enhancing communication among educators, parents, and the business community in order to work together towards one vision to make Illinois schools second to none.
The web-site was created through a partnership of the Illinois State Board of Education, the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, and the Illinois Business Roundtable. For additional information, see: http://ilsi.isbe.net/
Contact
Lugene L. Finley, Jr.
Chief Technology Officer
Illinois State Board of Education
100 N. First Street
Springfield, IL 62777-0001
217-782-5596 (p) 217-557-4459 (f)
E-mail: lfinley@isbe.net