| State: Washington | Number of Students:15,861 |
| School Type: Public School District | Free and Reduced Lunch:51.8% |
| Grade Level: PK-12 | English Language Learners: 16.9% |
School Context
Funding: Renton Public Schools received $33 million in 2008 from a Technology Levy which will go to provide new computers, training and wireless internet. In additionthe district raised another $24 million from a 2012 Technology Levy.
Achievement: Renton has a deep belief in closing the achievement gap. Therefore, the district’s target is for all students tomeet state and district standards and graduate with a postsecondary education plan. The district will use data to promoteimprovements and interventions to ensure all students are achieving at a high level.
Support: The district doesn’t just value academics, it also prioritizes the social-emotional well being of their students. It aims foreach student to feel valued and connected. To do this, it promotes cultural competence, consistent expectations, actions andpractice.
About the Biz: Business operations are a high priority for this district. It aims to support the educational process, increasestudent achievement and provide value through efficient and effective allocation of operational resources.
Talent: The district’s human resource department will support the district by recruiting, training and retaining a diverse, high-quality staff for schools. To do this, it promotes professional learning communities and builds capacity through collaboration. ,
State of Technology
Connected: The district has made a number of infrastructure improvementsover the past couple of years. They provided a high-speed fiber connectivityaccess point in every classroom in the district in order to eventually supporta 1:1 initiative. The district recently completed a Wi-Fi upgrade so that everyclassroom has an access point. The district network has over 1200 APs.
Dream A Little DreamBox: The district has implemented DreamBox as asupplementary tool to support remediation or acceleration of math. Thedistrict had moved from another supplemental tool to DreamBox becauseof its close alignment to Common Core. As the district continues to evaluatedifferent software packages, its first priority is to ensure alignment to theCommon Core.
Devices: The district currently has 6,700 Windows-based devices and is in themiddle of rolling out 1,600 additional devices this fall. Instead of learning labsanchored to a particular room, the district is moving towards mobile carts toallow more flexibility in how space gets used. In most elementary schools,there is a minimum of 60 devices, spread throughout two different carts.The district is also using iPads for special education and looking at Androiddevices to support the kindergarten program.
LMS Pilot: In 2013-14The district consulted with other district’s that hadrecently conducted evaluations of learning management systems. Thedistrict selected six highly rated systems to review and conducted a rigorousevaluation based upon district requirements. After talking with severalother districts it selected Canvas and will pilot it this year in a few schools. Ifsuccessful, the district will be rolling Canvas out in the 2015-16 school year.The district plans to use Canvas as a central place for teachers to store theircurriculum, collaborate and communicate about their lessons, what’s workingand what isn’t.
Tech Needs & Requirements
Academic software must be Common Core-aligned. All tools must operate on Windows system or be cloud-based. Strict student privacy management policies are required. Easy account management is preferred. Current needs are Common Core-aligned software for language arts and math.Initiatives
Canvas Pilot: The district is rolling out Canvas to only a few schools this year. It is taking the year to learn best practices. Nextyear, the district plans to implement the learning management system across the district.
Schoolwire: In October the district rolled-out a new website using Schoolwires. All schools and departments updated theirwebsites. Schoolwires is the first stage of a comprehensive revision to the district’s communication plan.
QwertyTown: The district is implementing QwertyTown this year to teach typing in all elementary schools.