Equitable Access for All Students – 1-1 Initiative

In 2019, while envisioning the three-year technology plan for the district, the Technology Committee identified a couple areas of focus for the 2019-20 school year. One focus is a 1-1 initiative, in which every student has a device to augment his/her learning.

"We agreed that a 1-1 initiative would remove some barriers to education and give all students equitable access to modern technology and online resources," said Director of Curriculum, Assessment, and Technology Courtney Sayward. "When every student has his/her own device, they learn "soft skills" such as ownership and responsibility while also improving their writing, research, and keyboarding skills."

Research

A small group of teachers from the Technology Committee visited two neighboring school districts last year to view their 1-1 programs. They learned how the districts manage their programs and how the initiative helps improve student achievement.

Planning

The Technology Committee decided to keep the devices and distributions that are already in place.
• Students in pre-k through grade 3 are issued iPads for use during the school day
• Students in grades 4-8 are issued Chromebooks for use during the school day
• Students in grades 9-12 are issued Chromebooks for use in school and at home during the school year

The committee agreed that iPads are more suitable for younger grades, but a device with a permanent keyboard is appropriate for upper grades.

The committee will investigate different types of Chromebooks with more features in the future as the district begins to cycle through older devices," said Mrs. Sayward. "These should provide more crossover opportunities for those who also enjoy tablet types of programs and experiences."

Implementation

Grades K-3 have had their own iPads to use during school. The iPads are charged in the classroom overnight and when not in use.

Chromebook carts/charging stations for grades 4-8 are housed in students' homerooms. Each Chromebook is assigned to a specific student, and this device will remain with the student for several years. Chromebooks will no longer be shared between students. Students are expected to pick up their Chromebooks each morning and carry the device with them to all of their classes every day. Students will then return their Chromebooks to their homerooms at the end of the day to charge.

Chromebooks have been issued to all students in Grades 9-12 during their back-to-school grade-level meetings. Students were issued a Chromebook, a case, and a charger. Chargers are to be kept at home, while cases are to remain on the Chromebooks at all times. Students are expected to take their Chromebooks home with them every day and bring them back to school the next day fully charged.

Chromebooks will be collected at the end of the year for updates and repairs. They will be re-issued to the same student the following year.