Accepted Papers from TCEA Symposium 2007

Five Years of One-to-one: Lessons Learned
from Applying New Technologies in a Large Public
School District

Gerald Knezek, Ph.D.
University of North Texas

Rhonda Christensen, Ph.D.
University of North Texas

Alice Owen, Ph.D.
Irving ISD

ABSTRACT: The Irving Independent School District in northern Texas began a district-wide one-to-one laptop initiative for high school students in 2001. As of 2005–06 it maintained approximately 9600 laptops for students. Beginning in 2003–04, the district employed external evaluators to conduct needs assessments and convey suggestions for improvements to the initiative. This effort was augmented by external evaluation and research activities related to participation in the state of Texas Technology Immersion Pilot Project that spanned 2004–06. This paper contains major findings from the three-year longitudinal study of the Irving Laptop Initiative, based on surveys completed by teachers and students, focus group interview sessions with teachers, and annual observations of approximately 30 classrooms by external reviewers. 

Introduction

One-to-One in Irving ISD. Irving Independent School District (ISD) is an urban public school district in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan area of Texas comprised of 58% Hispanic and 66% economically disadvantaged students. The school year 2005–06 marked the fifth year Irving ISD provided laptops to high school students in a one-to-one environment—over 9,600 Windows-based laptops in the hands of students, to take home and use in the classroom for instruction in school. Two bond propositions had been passed to fund technology infrastructure and equipment for the district since 1996. In 1996 the district began providing laptops to all teachers in its 32 schools. The Irving school district has a corridor of technology businesses within its boundaries, so there has historically been a community commitment to helping students gain the knowledge and skills they need for future work (Owen, Farsaii, Knezek, & Christensen, 2005).