TMCnet News
Districts Nationwide Choose Dell Chrome-based Learning Solutions for Common Core Testing and Advanced AcademicsROUND ROCK, Texas --(Business Wire)-- Today Dell (News - Alert) announced schools across the nation are adopting the Dell Chromebook 11 to support Common Core online assessments, individualize lesson plans and increase student and teacher access to technology. Building on Dell's end-to-end education technology portfolio, the Chromebook 11 provides schools with an affordable solution that is secure, easy to deploy and manage and more reliable than competing Chromebook devices. This maximizes school districts' IT investments while creating the innovative, personalized learning environment students need to develop critical-thinking skills for future success. 
Students using Dell Chrome-based solutions for digital learning. (Photo: Business Wire) Dell's end-to-end technology expertise helps school districts develop a comprehensive IT strategy to meet all the demands of 21st Century learning. The Dell Chromebook 11 handles students' day-to-day rigor in the classroom and home while providing a simple approach to online testing. Verified to meet Smarter Balanced and Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessment requirements, the Dell Chromebook 11 offers an all-purpose solution for online assessments that educators can continue to scale based on the number of students and existing IT infrastructure. "When we first launched the Dell Chromebook 11, Chris Lehmann, principal at the acclaimed Science Leadership Academy, said they would be a 'game changer for education,'" said Jon Phillips, managing director of global education strategy at Dell. "He was right. Districts nationwide have found a highly affordable and easy-to-manage solution, which has allowed them to extend access for a wider pool of students than previously imagined. We have also seen the entire ecosystem grow and with so many exciting new partners and additional features, Chromebooks and Chrome-based devices are becoming high-functioning learning platforms. Our customers are enabling teachers and students to imagine and realize their potential, bringing digital access to the learning environment more confidently than ever before." Adding to its line-up of Chrome-based solutions, Dell recently launched the Dell Chromebox to provide schools with a command center for Google (News - Alert) Apps that works with any monitor and is an ideal solution for laboratory environments. The Dell Chromebox for meetings extends its capabilities and offers high definition video that can stream to multiple devices and facilitate collaborative or distance learning opportunities. For schools and districts looking to enhance the functionality of their Chrome-based infrstructure, Dell and VMware offer Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO: RAIL enhancing the flexibility of Chrome-based devices with an easy-to-use, simple to manage and highly scalable virtual desktop infrastructure. This allows schools and districts to run high-performance applications like Autocad or use specialized administrative software from any endpoint. For its comprehensive set of capabilities for student, teachers and administrators, the following districts have selected the Dell Chromebook 11 to support their learning goals and increase access to technology: Hesperia Unified School District will deploy more than 19,000 Dell Chromebooks to enhance learning for the district's students in grades 2-12. The district was able to save more than $3 million by selecting the Dell Chromebook over traditional textbooks and plans to use the devices to enhance classroom instruction while also preparing for Smarter Balanced Assessment testing. According to Director of K-12 Programs and Projects Darrel Nickolaisen, "working every day on the same device that will be used to take the Smarter Balanced Assessment will definitely benefit our students and over time, we anticipate that teachers will develop computer-enhanced activities that complement the Smarter Balanced questions and even better prepare our students for the test." Surry County School District is an economically distressed county where the infusion of technology into education is critical in preparing students to be competitive in a global marketplace and to meet regional labor market demands and needs. To provide better opportunities for its students, the Surry County School System formed a partnership with Dell in 1999. Through the years, the district has transitioned from desktops, to laptops to netbooks, and most recently Dell Chromebooks. The district has a 1:1 ratio for ubiquitous access to technology for all students in grades 7-12 and a 1:1 access in the classroom for students in grades K-6. Graduation rates for the Surry County School System are at the highest level in the district's history. An informal study of dropout rates indicated that there were 78% less dropouts for students who were part of the 1:1 program for six years. David Brown (News - Alert), Chief Technology Officer, said, "Twenty-four hour access to technology allows all students to be on a level playing field no matter status or income. There is no way to measure the residual effects or benefits of this type of ubiquitous access that goes beyond the classroom walls." The Leyden High School District 212 has used Chromebooks in the classroom since 2012 and will supply a new generation of Dell Chromebook 11 laptops to its 3,400 students. After students and staff rigorously tested six different devices, the district selected the Dell Chromebook 11 for its high-speed, 4th generation Intel (News - Alert) Haswell processor and all-day battery life. To ensure that students and faculty are prepared to take full advantage of the Chromebooks' functionality and enhance learning and instruction, Leyden trained two teachers to become full-time technology coaches and implemented a Tech Support Internship program, which gave students the opportunity to gain real-world experience and learn advanced technology skills over the course a school year. "Students will have the most processing power and memory to create video, sound files and other tasks," said East Leyden Principal Jason Markey. "We will have the best technology at our students' fingertips." Affton School District, a midsized district of 2,500 students, is in the middle of a "tech renaissance," according to Dr. Robert Dillon, the district's director of technology and innovation. Over the past few years, Affton has placed a heavy emphasis on using technology to enhance the classroom experience. After almost two years of planning and coordination, the Affton School District will put a Dell Chromebook 11 into the hands of every high school student. Choosing a device was an "arduous process involving our staff, students, and community," Dillon says, but eventually Chromebooks won out. "We realized both the price point and ease of use of the Chromebook made sense to us and that the Dell Chromebook is a hardy device that we see our students using for a long time." Last spring and this fall, Dell instructed teachers on device essentials in comprehensive Professional Development classes and partnered with Affton so it could participate in various upcoming education events, including the Missouri Chromebook Institute, a two-day symposium covering best practices that will be hosted at Affton in 2015. "Dell has been very good at keeping us in partnership. We don't feel like we're calling a sales person when we call into Dell, but we truly feel like we have two-way, open communication. We're both growing because of each other, and that makes a difference." About Dell in Education Dell Inc. is committed to helping students develop the knowledge and skills they need to learn and succeed in an increasingly digital world and a globally competitive workforce. As a top provider of technology and services to schools, Dell listens to and works with students, educators, administrators, parents and community members around the world to deliver innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more in and out of the classroom. Learn more about Dell in Education at www.dell.com. Follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) @DellEDU. About Dell Dell Inc. listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more. For more information, visit www.dell.com. Dell is a trademark of Dell Inc. Dell disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20141119006317/en/ |
