However, district officials said there were students who faced technical difficulties at home and in school.
In a nutshell
KISD staff released a survey to students, teachers and parents Nov. 18-Dec. 20 to gauge the progress of the Class 1:1 Chromebook program, established at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year, Chief Communications Officer Andrea Grooms said at the Jan. 13 work study board meeting.
The program gave every student in third through 12th grade a Chromebook to use in and out of the classroom. KISD spent almost $16.21 million to launch the program from the November 2023 bond, which allocated funds to classroom and campus technology through Proposition B, Community Impact reported.
There was between a 11% response rate for parents and a 28% response rate for teachers. While 73% of elementary students and 53% of junior high schools responded, only 21% of high schoolers took the survey, Grooms said.
“You’ll see a common message that most people believe that it's been beneficial,” Superintendent Ken Gregorski said. “For the smaller percentage that it does not seem to be working for them, ... we can try to figure that one out. But I think overall, I’ve been really pleased with the rollout.”
The overview
Among elementary students, 81% agreed they liked using their Chromebook and agreed their Chromebook helps with their learning, Grooms said.
Among junior high students, 71% said Chromebooks have improved their understanding of course material and that it makes it easier for them to complete class assignments. However, only 49% said they believed the Chromebooks have made a positive impact in their learning, results showed.
Meanwhile, results showed high school students’ agreed at lower rates than junior high students on the same questions.
- Up to 59% of parents said Chromebooks have improved their student’s understanding of the course material
- Up to 68% said the Chromebooks support their child’s learning
Going forward
Among campuses, more high school students reported experiencing problems with their Chromebooks at school, Grooms said. School WiFi connection, battery lifespan, unexpected shut down and taking too long to start were among the problems reported.
Gregorski said students who face issues with their laptop could submit a help desk ticket or swap out their laptop for another at their library.
“Where else can you get the kind of customer service out there where your device is not working you can put a help desk ticket, you can call somebody, they are going to fix your problem right away and if they can’t fix it, you can walk down to the library and hand it to somebody and they’re going to get you a new device that is working?” Gregorski said.
Next steps
Chief Information Officer John Alawneh said the Chromebooks are on a five-year life cycle, and staff will consider a lighter Chromebook model for future purchases, as some students reported the computer was too heavy to carry in their bag all day.
“We are on the lookout for the lightest device,” Alawneh said. “Every five years we [will] replace those devices with the next bond.”
