Strategic Plan of 2011 called for a 1:1 program.
Technology Plan of 2010-2013 called for a 1:1 program.
Need for a 1:1 program cemented with the PARCC assessment.
Goal is to enhance students’ education by opening additional learning opportunities through Technology.
There are two District goals set by two different entities in the District that called for a 1:1 program in order to enhance student education.
First, in 2010 the District Technology Committee developed a District Technology Plan which included the following goal and objective:
Goal: Students, teachers and administrators will have equitable access to educational technology in personalized and ubiquitous learning environments.
Objective: All students will be assigned a mobile device to enable research and collaboration at any time.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, the 2011 Strategic Plan created by the District with assistance of NJSBA, community members, parents, staff and students, includes the following strategy and major activity as part of the Educational Excellence goal:
Strategy: By 2014, develop and incorporate new technologies to improve productivity and educational opportunities for both students and staff.
Major Activity: After researching affordable devices [..] assign all students a mobile device to enable research and collaboration at any time.
These goalsmade it clear that the basic motivation behind the implementation of a 1:1 program was to enhance students’ education by opening additional learning opportunities through Technology. Indeed, our District already provided high quality education to our children and the 1:1 program has been a step to further this high quality education and maintain its relevance for our 21st century learners.
Finally, as we were planning for this initiative the state started preparations to switch from the former paper-based HSPA assessment to the PARCC assessment, which was carried entirely online. The implementation of the 1:1 program became then even more important as it alleviated the technological needs to comply with the PARCC assessment. The new NJSLA state assessment that replaced PARCC is also conducted online, and the chromebooks continued to be used to take this assessment every year.
