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“It allows us to extend the classroom beyond these four walls,” said Larry Reiff, an English teacher at Roslyn who now posts all his course materials online.

“I think this could very well be the biggest thing to hit school technology since the overhead projector,” Mr. Wolfe said.

many of the districts are paying for their iPads through federal and other grants, including money from the federal Race to the Top competitive grant program

In contrast to the most common math programs in the United States, Singapore math devotes more time to fewer topics, to ensure that children master the material through detailed instruction, questions, problem solving, and visual and hands-on aids like blocks, cards and bar charts.

SingaporeMath.com,

But school officials caution that Singapore math is not easy or cheap to successfully adopt.

The kids took to it instantly, churning out a storm of interactive content. "We had 75 videos generated in the first week about solving linear equations," Gross says. "The students started forming communities, working together, and highlighting where they were running into problems."

"The kids are able to explain the material, and when they can do that, that's when they really get it," Kliewer says. "Sometimes it doesn't click when I do it." And opportunities for reinforcement are ever present. Students can take the phones home with them, so they're able to ask Kliewer or their classmates questions about math concepts virtually 24/7. "The connectivity has been the critical element," says Gross. "The device allows them to continue to use instructional resources when they're on the school bus or waiting for a parent at work. If they have a specific question, they always have access to an expert, whether it's a student peer or a tutor."