1:1 Technology Priority

Lake Stevens School District has a one-to-one technology priority that gives a Chromebook device to each student in grades 1 -12. Funds to purchase the Chromebooks comes from the Technology Levy, which was approved by the LSSD community in February 2014 and renewed in 2018 and 2022. A key tenet of the Foundation for Excellence, the district's strategic plan, supports the use of bold, innovative technology that engage students and transform the learning process. This priority moves us down that path.

We first began planning for our 1:1 initiative in 2014 when each teacher was given a Chromebook to use after attending a full day of training. Once teachers began to feel comfortable with this new technology, we introduced its use with students in various grade levels, schools and content areas. Seeing great success in these early pilots and tests, we began the move to provide equitable opportunities for all students to learn with a Chromebook at least once each school day through shared carts at the elementary and a cart for each secondary English class.

After seeing the success of this first widespread use of technology, it became apparent that the best way to continue forward was to provide each student with their own Chromebook. In our current model, elementary students will continue to leave their Chromebooks at school in carts, but students in grades 6-12 will keep theirs with them, allowing them to learn at any time and any place.

We began our move to a 1:1 technology environment in October 2015 when every student at North Lake and Lake Stevens Middle Schools took possession of their own Chromebook. In late January 2016, the students at Cavelero Mid High School were given their Chromebooks, and Lake Stevens High School students received Chromebooks in August 2016. Chromebook carts are available for our elementary students in grades 1-5 and collaborative technology is available in our kindergarten classrooms. 

Why did the Lake Stevens School District move to a 1:1 model for students?
Research shows that a 1:1 computing environment is the most cost effective way to implement technology of all the current models. That same research shows that continuous access to a computing device for every student leads to increased academic achievement and financial benefits. We believe that we can leverage technology to increase student engagement and provide opportunities for students to create, collaborate, communicate effectively, and practice critical thinking. As our teachers learn to work with technology we see the possibility for more personalized learning opportunities, both to learn at a faster pace and to fill in gaps in learning that are critical for future success.

We are very excited about our 1:1 computing and hope that you are as well. We feel incredibly fortunate to belong to a community that values education and recognizes the critical role technology plays in providing a first-class education, and look forward to utilizing our resources to positively impact student achievement.