PELL CITY – Two girls stood in front of the classroom, talking to one another using American Sign Language.

Taquisha Meadows and Gretchaen Wyatt have signed in Carol Webster’s distance learning class at Pell City High School before, but Friday’s class session was different. Sitting along the front row of the class was Gov. Bob Riley, watching the two Pell City High School students complete a classroom exercise.

“I’m going to voice for you,” said sign language interpreter Dee Johnston on the large screen in front of the class.

She was talking to the governor from the Alabama School for the Deaf campus in Talladega, one county away.

“You’re a little late,” Riley joked. “I certainly appreciate it. They lost me after their smile…I had no idea what they were saying, but it was evident they knew what they were saying.”

Riley said he didn’t know facial expression played such an important role with sign language.

“These two young ladies were really good at it,” he said.

He questioned the sign language teacher, ASD’s Jessica Olsen, about ASL and whether it was a universal language.

She said there are regional variations of ASL, but for the most part it was the same across the country.

“So in Alabama, you would sign slower?” Riley said.

All the students in the class laughed.

Riley watched another pair of students, Ben McDaniel and Lauren Moreland, complete an ASL exercise before he left the classroom.

This was one of several classes involving advance computer technology Riley visited during his Friday morning tour of Pell City High School.

The Pell City School System is one of 34 school systems which recently saw upgrades with computer connections, providing a more reliable Internet connection at faster speeds.

“These faster speeds are critical for connecting students to online learning opportunities, video conferencing and multi-media education resources,” Riley said. “Our teachers are incorporating technology more and more into their lessons and downloading educational resources from around the world to help their students learn. By integrating technology resources throughout the classroom, we are improving the quality of learning and instruction provided to Alabama’s students.”

As Riley went from class to class Friday morning, he used words like fabulous, remarkable and great.

At a press conference held in the school library, Riley commended the school system for its dramatic decrease in its dropout rates.

Superintendent Dr. Bobby Hathcock said in the past eight years, the school system reduced its dropout rate from 27 percent to 3.7 percent, which is now well below the state average.

School officials say the use of computer technology through distance learning classes, grade and credit recovery classes, and computer graduation examination preparation classes, as well as other computer lab programs have helped reduced the dropout rate and provide a way of keeping children interested in school.

State officials say advance usage with Internet programs is also helping meet the needs of every child in the state.

“Our goal is to graduate every student on time,” said Alabama State Board of Education Superintendent Joseph Morton.

Morton joined Riley for the tour and press conference at the high school.

He said the state has 60 Internet classroom programs, and distance learning classes are extremely cost effective.

“It’s great utilization of scarce tax dollars,” Morton said.

Officials say because of the computer labs at Pell City High School, students are able to regain credit for courses and/or grades they have failed to meet.

Pell City High School Principal Helene Bettinger said students were able to recover 255 credits last year alone.

She said because of computer remedial programs, no student will fail in the new ninth-grade academy.

Randy Fulmer, chief executive officer for the Alabama Supercomputer Authority, said the authority monitors each school system’s Internet usage.

He said as a school system begins to max out their available bandwidth, the Supercomputer Authority provides upgrades.

Fulmer said Pell City was upgraded to 50 Mbps (mega-bit) in January, and is one of 34 schools in the state to receive upgrades.

Officials say the upgrades did not cost the school systems any money.

“As local school superintendents know, technology isn’t cheap. This support from the Supercomputer Authority is absolutely critical so schools can continue the progress they’ve made,” Riley said. “This new, faster connection speed is providing schools with enhance access to information. These faster speeds also provide students taking ACCESS Distance Learning courses with a more seamless classroom experience.”

Riley said he was amazed that one teacher, Pell City High School teacher Brandon Darby, was teaching calculus to a classroom of students but at the same time, helping a student, Bridget Benson, complete an advanced course in physics.

“Alabama is truly leading the nation in programs like this,” Riley said. “This is really fantastic.”

Riley said there are more students participating in distance learning classes in Alabama than any other state, with the exception of Florida.

Fulmer said it takes about 30 days to upgrade a school system’s computer connection.

State officials say last year Alabama became the first state in the country to have both video conferencing and Web-based distance learning capabilities in all its high schools.

ACCESS, Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators and Students Statewide, uses online and interactive video conferencing technology to like classrooms and offer coursework to students in schools where those courses may not be available. ACCESS allows student from any part of the state to learn in a virtual classroom setting.