School Boards Lead the Way with
1 to 1 Learning

Profiles in Success: Association of Alaska School Boards

Juneau, AK — In many school districts, the idea of implementing a 1 to 1 learning program begins with a single principal or teacher. But in Alaska, members of school boards came together to launch a statewide 1 to 1 learning initiative. United in their wish to provide the best possible outcomes for their students, the Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB) convinced their State legislature to fund a 1 to 1 learning program. Since then, over 55 pilot school sites in 18 districts have received Apple notebook computers for all students and teachers. And AASB continues to chart a new course in learning for students living in the Last Frontier.

AASB serves as an advocacy group for the state’s K-12 public school students. The organization aims to provide quality education, focusing on student achievement through effective local governance. Back in 2004, AASB began a careful review of Alaska’s public school system. What they found was that students were not being prepared to compete in the digital age.

“When we started to look at how to provide a quality education for our students, what became very clear was that the future is digital,” says Carl Rose, executive director of the AASB. “We needed to ensure that our kids not only had the skill-sets required by the State, but also had the digital literacy capability to use those skills. That’s when the concept of 1 to 1 learning began to make sense.”

Vision Embraces Comprehensive Technology Immersion

Rose says AASB’s vision extends far beyond the simple purchase of a computer for each child. Thanks to the success of the Denali Borough School District’s 1 to 1 learning initiative, AASB knew that its schools — and teachers — would need comprehensive immersion in the use of educational technology. By taking a leadership role in educating State legislators about the benefits of 1 to 1 learning, AASB was able to secure $5 million in funding for a four-year pilot program.

Says Rose, “We told the legislature how important it would be to not just purchase the hardware, but to look at the whole idea of technology as a tool for learning. We talked about the importance of professional development, providing technical assistance to the schools, and how AASB would manage the initiative. Also, we proposed that we would develop performance guidelines and targets. Ultimately, we wanted to be able to demonstrate the results that would justify why we wanted to go in this direction, and why the State should continue to fund the program.”

Next Page: Once Funding is Allocated, Schools Move Quickly