Highline Public Schools: Goals for Going 1:1
Highline Public Schools' strategic plan is focused on personalized learning enabled by shifts in instructional methods and technology, including a 1:1 device-to-student ratio achieved over time. The ultimate goal is for every student in Highline Public Schools is 1:1 access both at school and at home.
What gets measured gets done
Chief Technology Officer Mark Finstrom needed an organizational solution. With a district that spanned five cities and 22,000 students, and a 1:1 initiative underway to guarantee each student access to a device, he needed a tool to help him maximize his technology spend, and monitor device usage in and out of school. "We were heading into a 1:1 initiative with students, and needed a product that could monitor engagement so we could get the most from our technology initiatives," shares Finstrom.
After looking at three or four other products, Finstrom finally found what he was looking for in GoGuardian. "For one, I was able to separate out all my OUs the way I wanted so I could differentiate user groups and modify the settings for each school, grade, and even classroom," Finstrom shares. "I was also able to get an immediate footprint of each school, see what their general activity levels were across devices, and then use that information to fine-tune operations," said Finstrom. With GoGuardian, Finstrom could immediately see what apps and programs showed the highest level of engagement from students and teachers - both in and out school. Reversely, Finstrom could also monitor the services that were under-performing.
When it comes to edtech, many schools struggle to determine what technologies are giving them the highest return on investment. Ultimately, the granular monitoring and detailed reporting of GoGuardian allowed for Finstrom's team not only to evaluate the most effective apps and technology programs for the classroom, but to truly understand student behavior online and ensure safety in the process. When you can measure things, you can improve them. GoGuardian gave Highline Public Schools the ultimate performance-measurement tool.
The challenge
With an initiative underway to go 1:1 with Chromebooks, Chief Technology Officer Mark Finstrom needed a software solution that would allow him to manage 22,000 devices across 5 cities and make the most of their technology programs. He needed a comprehensive solution or "mission control" from where he could track all devices, monitor programs, and assess student usage.
The plan
GoGuardian allowed Highline Public Schools to oversee how Chromebook devices were being used and better understand student behavior and learning. GoGuardian's Chromebook monitoring software let Finstrom track and view activity by whatever organizational unit he needed. From the entire district to schools to classroom to individual students, his team could see historical and real-time Chromebook activity, which gave him a comprehensive view of what programs were most effective… and which were not.
The impact
GoGuardian provided Highline Public Schools with more visibility into and control over student technology usage. What's more is the district now had a tool to measure engagement, and see which programs were most impactful for their students, teachers and classrooms. With GoGuardian, the district not only fast-tracked its 1:1 device-to-student initiative, but made their devices more manageable and their technology spend more impactful. With real-time monitoring and device usage analytics, the district was no longer in the dark about the effectiveness of their programs. "I wanted to be able to see the t analysis of how students are using the curriculum and how they're using websites." says Finstrom. With GoGuardian, he found what he was looking for.
*Data is based on the 2017–18 school year as of 10/24/2017.
Smart technology needs smart management
As more schools implement technology programs, either through 1:1 initiatives or shared carts, the need for powerful, easy-to-use device management tools is greater than ever. From device assignment and repair tracking to web filtering and classroom management, many districts often end up using a patchwork of tools and apps to accomplish their strategic technology goals.
With a full suite of position-tailored products designed and built just for Chromebooks, GoGuardian makes it easy for school districts to manage large or small device deployments, keep their students safer online, and gain valuable insights into how their technology programs are working.