"Dr. Jerry Weast, superintendent of Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools, has spent more than 40 years in education. Although he says he's 'ust a farm boy,' his successes are noteworthy and his understanding of technology as the cornerstone in building this distinguished school district is evident.

So begins this article from Tech & Learning magazine describing how MCPS went from a district with "no vision of how technology would help people work smarter instead of harder" to an environment in which "a solid technology infusion provides access to the world."

"We started our journey in Montgomery County 11 years ago," Weast says, "when we needed to build relational databases, like in the public sector, to keep track of and sustain all aspects of our school system. We began with student information systems, human resources, cost accounting, professional growth systems, and electronic grade books."

The investment has paid off in many ways—including cost savings, improved teacher quality and morale, and an increase in the number of students bound for college. "Our African American and Latino students score higher [than African American and Latino students in the country as a whole]—we track students through college—and they take AP courses at a much higher rate than the nation, and they perform better than the nation."

Read the complete article: The Big Picture: A Conversation with Jerry Weast