When the Freedom to Learn program began its third year in 2006, more than 23,000 students and 1,500 teachers had been issued laptops with wireless capabilities. The statewide initiative, coordinated by the Michigan Department of Education and Ferris State University, targets underperforming middle schools in 100 of the state's 500 districts. A strong professional development program focuses on instructional models centered on inquiry and project-based learning. The state dedicated $7.5 million to the start-up program, but districts must fund many of the needs to sustain the program.

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