1:1 iPad questions from Admins

[AndyBeaver]

We have currently deployed around 5k iPads, and our district is considering going completely one student one iPad. That would put us somewhere around 13k iOS devices for students alone. My administrators have asked me if I could reach out to other districts with larger deployments and ask some very specific questions. If anyone would like to hit me off board or feel free to answer on here I would be most appreciative.

1. What grade levels have iPads?
2. Do they allow the students to take iPads home or do they stay at school?
3. How do they manage and deploy iPads, do updates, etc.?
4. Do they lock down the iPads (can students install apps, delete apps, etc.)?

5. What do they use for content filtering (on and off-campus)?

6. How do they check-out/check-in iPads to students and assign loaners as
   needed?

7. How do they handle broken iPads: collecting for damages, insurance, facilitating repairs, etc.
8. What is their level of staffing to support the iPads at the school and District level?
9. He also would like to know what their student mobility rate is (if they have this information). This is the percentage of students who leave or enter during the school year. He wants to see how they compare to the SJSD student mobility rate, which is over 60% at some of our elementary schools.

[brandonusher]

I currently work at a School District and we are implementing a 1:1 program right now, so I hope my answers will help you out a bit too. Please keep in mind though that we are only about 2 months into starting the 1:1 program.

1. All iPads in the whole district would be grades 2nd through 12th. This includes non 1:1 too.

2. Grades 2 through 4 are allowed to take them home with them, along with a couple classes in grades 9 to 12

3. Right off the back, we realized there was an issue with our way of doing app deployment etc as we were using Apple's "Automatic Downloads" feature. We killed our bandwidth for about a full month before coming up with a fix. Now we are starting to implement a "Library" style of deployment of Apps and Updates with Apple Configurator on one laptop in the Library. Each teacher brings the iPads to the Library and plugs them in and since the devices are already grouped according to classroom it is easy to change what teacher wants which app(s).

4. As of right now, students are able to install apps, delete apps etc. but with Apple Configurator we may be looking into changing this shortly.

5. On campus we use iBoss (http://iboss.com/) for our internet filtering. Currently off campus we do not filter as Admin has seen that as something for the parents to monitor.

6. For check-in and out we as Technology Dept. have a FileMaker database that registers the devices in a teachers name, then the teachers assign a device to a child using a Google Spreadsheet shared with the entire Technology Dept.

7. For insurance we have a self-insurance program. Parents have to attend a training about the iPads and at this training we give them a contract too. The contract basically states that the student is being issued an iPad and they have two choices: 1.) Pay a $50 co-pay that "covers" any damages done to the iPad; 2.) Don't pay anything, but if something happens they reimburse the District for a brand new iPad. For replacements, we give each site secretary 5 extras so they can be replaced easily.

8. The level of Staffing would really go something as follows: First point of contact is TOSA'S (Teachers on special assignment). Second point of contact is an Technology office. As of right now, that is how it goes.

9. Student mobility rate is unknown to me, but I can start asking around and see if I can find out for you.

Also our District has 4,154 students as of October 3rd.

I hope I answered all your questions :) Please let me know if you have any more questions that I may be able to help you out with.

[AndyBeaver]

Thank you so much for the response, as far as staffing goes roughly how many iPads would each tech or TOSA be responsible for? Again thank you.

[brandonusher]

For staffing, we only have 3 full time TOSA's and 2 part time. The part time ones spend the beginning of each day teaching classes, then after about noon they help the other TOSA's.

We have not assigned a TOSA to a specific device amount or anything. The way teachers ask the TOSA's for help is through our eHelpDesk in which we have added a separate group for just them. The teachers have to choose that group in order to ask for help from the TOSA's.

No problem, glad I could help :) Let me know if you have anymore questions by just replying on here.

[thom]

We've got 4k.

The largest single purpose group (around 1400) are specific for our K, 1 and 2 grade classrooms. After that, it's a mixture of 1:1 admin, carts and a few 1:1 student assignments.

1. All, in one fashion or another.

2. At this time, student devices do not leave the district. Admins "own" their devices.

3. Everything comes through me. Technicians are (slooooowly) being put on the burner to manage the devices in their schools.

4. It entirely depends on the deployment. In certain locations, yes, devices are locked. In the majority of situations, iTunes accounts have been created for the devices (typically as groups). Instructors are urged to browse and try free apps.

5. iPrism.

6. Case by case basis. We've got a bank of 140 that regularly cycle through short term assignment. Those are now checked via Configurator for their initial image. Assignee's employee ID is matched to a barcode and their AD record imported to the device record for tracking.

7. We're struggling with Apple on this one now.

8. In truth? 2. Myself and my colleague who primarily manages the K2 population (he's an instructor that trains instructors, in our district Instructional Technology). We're trying to broaden the scope of responsibility, though. I can't remember the last time I got to really focus on Macs...

9. Not really in my field of view. I could bring it up with my colleague to ask.