A Look Back

Educational Technology in the 1960s

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In today's world of teenage technology, iPads, ChromeBooks, and other one-to-one computing devices reign supreme. Hardly a day goes by when students do not interact with these tools out of convenience or necessity. Yet technology is not just built upon modern microprocessors. Remember, the wheel was once an innovation.

Let's take a look at East Meadow's educational technology in May 1966, based on data compiled by New York State Education Department, and how our district allocated resources compared with the rest of the state. Overall, East Meadow ranked in the 40th percentile for its educational communications program, which means that it had better multimedia technology capabilities than 40% of the state. Using two nearby large districts for comparison, Hicksville ranked in the forty-eighth percentile and Hempstead ranked in the ninety-fifth percentile. (As a reminder, East Meadow's high school students attended Hempstead High School a decade before this survey was completed. Students near the Wantagh Parkway attended Hicksville High School.) If you are reading this column with your kids, you may have to explain what some of the following "high-tech" devices did!

Expenditure per pupil for educational communications

In 1966, East Meadow spent $1.00 – yes, one dollar – per student on educational communications, which put it in the 15th percentile. The median amount school districts spent in New York State was $2.38. The state's basic standard was $20.82 per pupil, which was achieved by less than 3% of schools statewide.

Filmstrip and slide projectors

Who doesn't like a good movie in class? Today, teachers turn on their digital projectors or interactive large screens and stream video right to the class. In my generation, teachers played VHS tapes on equipment they rolled into the classroom on portable carts. In the Sixties, filmstrips provided educational "infotainment" to Baby Boomers. East Meadow had 6.75 teachers per projector (50th percentile), equal to the state median. The state's basic standard was one projector for every three teachers, met by less than 5% of districts statewide. For projection screens, East Meadow had 3.1 teachers per screen (60th percentile); the New York State median was 3.7 teachers per screen, with a goal of one per classroom. East Meadow spent a fair amount on filmstrips in 1966, having 14.3 per teacher (80th percentile); the median state number was 8.4 filmstrips per teacher. The state's goal was between 20 and 30 filmstrips per teacher.

Audiotape recorders and record players

East Meadow had 12.8 teachers per audiotape recorder (40th percentile), which did not meet the basic state standard for secondary schools. At the elementary level, the state's basic standard was one audiotape recorder for every five classroom teachers, met by less than 10% of districts statewide. There were many record players in East Meadow's schools in 1966, perhaps a testament to the outstanding music department for which the district has long been known. The district had 2.7 teachers per record player, ranking in the 80th percentile. The state median was just under four teachers per record player. The state's goal that year was to have one record player for every teacher.

Dimmable rooms

Long Island's classrooms haven't changed much since the 1966 survey. Most still don't have any means for dimming the classroom other than fighting with the window shades! East Meadow had 21 teachers per room that could be darkened, which put it in the low-ranking tenth percentile. The median level was 2.4 teachers per room that could be darkened but the state goal was every classroom.

For students: using primary sources

The information from this article originated in primary sources located in the archives of the New York State Education Department. Encourage your children to look up the amount of money spent by various school districts today by examining Education Department records and local school budgets. Most of these are freely available online. Ask them to prioritize. Where do they think money set aside for technology should be spent today?

Dr. Scott Eckers is the author of East Meadow in Arcadia Publishing's Images of America series. He is Vice President of the East Meadow Board of Education as well as Social Studies Chair for the East Williston School District. Scott is also an entertainer and recording artist.