3 Glendale Unified middle schools are undergoing a technology update
Students and teachers at Roosevelt, Toll and Wilson middle schools are receiving free Chromebooks with a four-year data plan through the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program.
In addition to free internet access in the classroom and at home, teachers have access to a technology-based curriculum and professional development. Although the teaching standards are not changing, Chromebooks are expected to be integrated into students’ instruction.
The program also partially funds a full-time technology coach in each school to provide teachers support in implementing the technology in the classroom. Coaches will provide in-person or virtual learning sessions, lead discussion groups and one-on-one mentoring.
“The Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program will give our students the capacity to expand their digital literacy and continue learning beyond the classroom, while empowering teachers to guide them along the way,” said Glendale Unified Supt. Vivian Ekchian in a statement.
Verizon partnered with Digital Promise — a nonprofit authorized by Congress in 2008 through the Higher Education Opportunity Act to address inequitable gaps in education technology. The program is open to school districts that have public or charter middle schools with 65% economically disadvantaged students. It aims to give students the tools and skills needed to excel in a digital world.
During a school board meeting on Feb. 4, principals from each middle school talked about how excited their students are to have their own laptops and how the possible impacts can go beyond students.
“It’s not just an amazing opportunity for our students. It’s also an amazing opportunity for their families,” said Roosevelt principal Kyle Bruich. “With our specific school, 80% of our students qualify for free or reduced lunch. We know that there are a number of families that don’t have internet at home at any capacity.”
According to the Glendale Unified educational services team, the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) goal is to maintain a three-to-one student-to-Chromebook ratio. More than 8,700 Chromebooks have already been funded through the district’s General Fund, and many school sites have also purchased additional Chromebooks using various other funding sources.
Although Chromebooks are the most widely available and used resource in Glendale Unified, students at some schools have to wait for a shared Chromebook to become available and aren’t allowed to take the devices home.
Verizon’s 2018 data report found 76% of teachers said the program enhanced student engagement, 54% of students thought having the technology makes science more interesting and 47% of students think that having the technology makes math more interesting.
The program’s website notes, “We work hand in hand with nonprofit partners and our team of education and technology experts to build and administer STEM-focused programs that create the kinds of transformations that change lives.”
Verizon Innovative Learning Schools launched with eight schools in 2014 and expanded to 152 schools across the country in 2019. Verizon officials estimate they’ve helped more than one million students get a free tech education, and they plan to help two million more by 2021.
The program was a competitive process, in which the school district had to apply and participate in multiple interviews and site visits.
Lydia Logan, executive director of Verizon Innovative Learning Schools at Digital Promise, said that after four years, “the schools keep their devices and remain active in the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools network by participating in webinars and our online community, but they no longer receive the monthly data plan or professional development or technical support.”
Teachers are expected to begin training in May and students will start using Chromebooks this coming fall.
