Ask a student and you will get one perspective. Any teacher would give you another. It is hard to make big decisions based on what could be faulty or biased data. We have a significant community investment in technology within the schools, especially with the 1:1 initiative at the middle and high school. It should be expected that some good analysis is being done.
One of the assessment tools that the Grinnell Schools will use this year is a Clarity Survey. It is given to students and teachers in grades 3-12 to provide a glimpse of technology use in 4 categories: Classroom, Access, Skills, and Environment. (K-2 data is not collected since this tool requires both student and teacher reporting.)
The analysis provides a valuable way to indicate the strengths and gaps in how our district serves our students. It is used in decision-making by the district technology team and the administrative team. It provides insight into what technology resources students have available at home and school, as well as how they are used and supported.
The service is free to the district and is given to schools across the State of Iowa. We will have analysis support of our data from experts at AEA267 after it is complete.
Here is a great video provided by Clarity that provides a little more insight:
