School Board Receives Update on 1:1 Digital Device Study

During the Feb. 20 School Board meeting, staff presented the findings of Phase 2 of the 1:1 Digital Device Initiative Study, an external evaluation of APS’s transition from shared devices to 1:1 devices conducted by the Friday Institute of NC State University.

The presentation focused on the impact of devices on student learning; professional learning; operational impacts; lessons learned and opportunities for improvement. Phase 2 took place from July 2019 to December 2019 and included classroom observations, in-depth teacher interviews, and surveys of teachers, students and parents. Overall, the study shows that students and teachers value the impact of devices on student learning:

• 85% of teachers and 75% of students surveyed said using devices made learning more interesting
• 77% of teachers and 74% of students surveyed said using devices enabled students to get the help they need on assignments.

Since Phase 1 (spring of 2019), APS has increased the number of technicians to provide more immediate technical support at the school level and has created a loaner device program to support zero downtime for students.The presentation also noted opportunities for improvement, including the need to:

• Offer teachers more professional development opportunities and unrestricted time to create, practice and experiment with technology to build technical and pedagogical skills.
• Provide ongoing support for students’ digital literacy.
• Incorporate strategies for balancing screen use with non-screen time into instruction.
• Systematize expectations for students’ use of devices.

The full presentation is available on BoardDocs. Findings will be used to inform future APS technology and budget decisions. The Phase One study summary report, presented in March 2019, is also available on BoardDocs.

Action Items:
The School Board approved the following items at its meeting:

• Approval of Additional Funding for Fleet Elementary School for Accessibility Improvements – The Board approved a transfer of $500,000 from the Capital Reserve to fund several accessibility improvements. The majority of improvements will be completed this summer. The addition of a new elevator from the parking garage to the main entrance is expected to be completed next spring and requires approval from Arlington County. Read more here.
• Revisions to School Board Policy B-3.6.30 School Board Advisory Committees – The Board approved revisions to SBP B-3.6.30 School Board Advisory Committees.

Monitoring Items
The Board discussed the following items:

• FY 202 Mid-Year Fiscal Monitoring Report
• Career Center Animal Science Program Update

The full presentations on these items can be found on BoardDocs.

Recognitions
The School Board honored the 18 APS teacher who earned National Board Certification this year. To date, there are more than 200 APS teachers who are nationally certified. The Board also recognized Clerk Melanie Elliott and Deputy Clerk Claudia Mercado during the meeting.

NEXT SCHOOL BOARD MEETING:
The School Board will meet on Feb. 27 to hear the Interim Superintendent’s FY21 Proposed Budget presentation. The School Board will hold its next Regular Meeting (2110 Washington Blvd.) on Thu, March 12 at 7 p.m. The agenda will be posted one week before the meeting on BoardDocs.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Citizens who want to comment on any items discussed at the School Board meeting should email the Board at school.board@apsva.us or call 703-228-6015. Citizens may call 703-228-2400 on the Monday after the School Board meetings to listen to a meeting summary. School Board meetings are also broadcast live on Comcast Cable Channel 70 and Verizon FiOS Channel 41; live-streamed on the APS website, and re-broadcast on Fridays at 9 p.m. and Mondays at 7:30 p.m. immediately following the meeting. All materials and minutes will be posted to the website at aps2016.apsva.us/schoolboard upon School Board approval at a subsequent meeting.