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The students would have needed another program if the state had ended its contract with PLATO Learning, Inc., a Minnesota-based company that provides the programming. School districts no longer have that worry because the state recently has renewed a one-year contract with PLATO.
Last year, the company's future in Idaho was in jeopardy, and PLATO was given two 90-day contract extensions to bring at least 80 percent of its programs up to Idaho standards. At the time, less than one-third of PLATO's programs were in line with Idaho's math, reading and language requirements.
The state has paid PLATO more than $5 million during the last four years for the programs in elementary, middle and high schools. Now, the company has aligned 84 percent of its language programs with state standards and at least 90 percent of its math and reading programs meet the state's criteria.
The changes involved adding content to meet standards and staff of the Idaho State Department of Education working with the company, said Melissa McGrath, the agency's spokeswoman.
John Graham, superintendent of Filer School District, said he hasn't noticed any changes to the program at this point. But he hasn't found fault with PLATO, either.
"There hasn't been anything that's jumped out at us," he said. "The bottom line is, our kids utilizing it have made growth, and that's the key thing."
Gaylen Smyer, superintendent of Cassia County School District, said the program helps students recover credits and provides an alternate route to graduation if they failed the ISAT tests. It also provides an avenue for gifted and talented students to take more coursework, he said.
Wayne Rush, superintendent at Glenns Ferry School District, said the program's an asset for his district and provides another way to learn.
"If a kid hasn't learned it in a classroom, they need a different way and the computer gives them a different way to really go in and learn that," he said.
PLATO is another tool, not a quick, easy fix for education, he said.
"It's not a fantasy," Rush said. "It's not a silver bullet, but it's an excellent piece to our toolbox."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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