• School-Based Technology

    Effective January 12, 2015
    Updated August, 2019
    Version 1.4

    Overview
    The District's standard school-based technology equipment for staff, students, labs, and common areas is defined in the Education Specifications (EdSpecs), and will be updated on an ongoing basis to reflect new technology programs and budget allocation.

    Information regarding current Hardware Standards is available on the IT Purchasing website.  Requests for computer hardware other than what is in the Purchasing Standards will be considered on a case-by-case basis in conjunction with the educational or business need.  If you have any questions or concerns relating to this information, please contact your building administrator or the OTIS Department.

    Background
    District funding for school technology is currently available through the Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission TechSmart grant for the program, through Career and Technical Education grants for the CTE program, and through the School Building Improvement Bond program for the schools being modernized.  School and department budgets may also be used for technology as appropriate.

    Planning is underway for a District-wide technology bond program to refresh student and staff technology on an ongoing basis.

     Staff equipment

    Teachers
    Classroom teachers are receiving a new Chromebook at the start of the 2019-20 school year.  These Chromebooks are lease-funded over a four-year term.
     
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    School Counselors
    School Counselors received a "Counselor Bundle" during the 2015-16 school year, consisting of a laptop, monitor and docking station.  The laptops were updated over the summer of 2018 with new batteries and additional memory to improve performance.  Requests for equipment for newly added counselors can be submitted to the Service Desk.

    Cafeterias
    Cafeteria workstations were refreshed during the Summer of 2016.

    Classroom, Lab, and Common Area Equipment

    Classroom Equipment
    "Technology bundles" were deployed to all active District classrooms during the 2014-2015 and 2015-16 school years. The bundles include a cart, monitor, monitor arm, Windows PC, projector, document camera, speakers, and cable locks. Equipment for added classrooms can be requested through the Service Desk. Replacement projector bulbs can also be requested through the Service Desk.
    Modernized school classrooms have ceiling-mounted projectors, voice amplification, and wall-mounted displays.  The classroom technology equipment design is reviewed and updated for each modernized school as part of the School Building Improvement Bond program.

    Common Space Presentation Equipment (Gym, Auditorium, etc.)
    These spaces are larger and generally require customized solutions that cannot be met by the traditional classroom technology bundle.  Common spaces with missing or non-functional technology may qualify for refurbished carts and projectors through the School Technology Resource Team program, with requests submitted to the Service Desk.
    Fixed Labs
    High school lab and library computers were updated during the 2016-17 school year, and the age of computer lab equipment at other schools varies widely across the district. Due to increasing demands for facility space, schools are moving from fixed labs to mobile labs unless specific programmatic requirements exist. Older and non-functional fixed lab computers may qualify for replacement with refurbished equipment by the School Technology Resource Team.
    Mobile Labs
    Most schools have one or more mobile labs, consisting of 10 - 36 devices, a charging cart, and a wireless access point if the school network has not been updated.  (As of August, 2019, modernized schools, TechSmart schools, and new middle schools have updated networks.)  Funding was allocated by the board in 2015 to assure an adequate student-to-device computer ratio for Smarter Balanced state assessments. and additional mobile carts have been purchased to support certain curriculum.  Older and non-functional lab equipment may qualify for replacement through the School Technology Resource Team program.
    Visitor and Volunteer Sign-In Systems
    New visitor/volunteer sign-in workstations are being installed in all school buildings at the start of the 2019-20 school year, along with a new volunteer management system.

    Kiosk and Security Monitoring Systems
    Schools may have dedicated kiosk and monitoring systems in their front office and/or common spaces that are used for security camera monitoring or digital signage. The age and condition of these systems varies widely. Older and non-functional kiosk and monitoring computers may qualify for replacement with refurbished equipment by the School Technology Resource Team.

    Library Systems
    School libraries received a new PC-based workstation and barcode scanner during the Summer of 2014 as part of the Destiny Library Management system implementation. Additional systems in the library that are available for student use are considered as a library lab.


    As of the 2014-2015 school year, changes have been made regarding specific equipment as follows.

    Smart Boards – Interactive whiteboards are no longer part of the district’s education specification and will not be provided or replaced. Non-functional Smart Boards should be e-wasted and replaced with traditional whiteboards through the Facilities Department.

    Wireless Access Points     – In 2010, wireless network access was deployed to all district sites, however it was sized to support internet use by teachers and small groups of students. It was not sized to support entire classrooms or schools of students using wireless devices concurrently. A district-wide wireless availability survey was completed in October 2014.
    The modernized schools, TechSmart schools, and new middle schools have updated network infrastructure with greater capacity for classroom use, and planning for updates at all remaining schools is underway.