Richmond, VA — “With our iBook laptop program, instead of having one hour a week in a computer lab, our students now have the opportunity for continuous learning, 24/7. They’re using their iBook computers on the school steps, on the playground, at home ... everywhere they go. The wireless world, along with the portability of the laptops, and the dynamic nature of the digital content are creating a synergy that will have a huge impact on schools and classrooms.”
- Dr. Mark Edwards, Superintendent, Henrico County Public Schools

The Henrico County School District is home to more than 44,000 students in 65 schools. Its diverse ethnic and socioeconomic population is drawn from high-density urban areas, rural regions, and high-tech suburban communities. Over 45 percent of the students are minorities.

In the 2002-2003 school year, Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS) launched the second phase of its Teaching and Learning Initiative. The largest such districtwide technology implementation in the nation, the program has enabled the distribution of wireless iBook computers to every middle and high school student and teacher in the public school district. Thus, all HCPS students will have equal access to powerful digital learning tools, while teachers are creating an entirely new instructional paradigm for the 21st century.

HCPS chose Apple’s iBook computers for several reasons, says Dr. Mark Edwards, superintendent of the district. “We considered other companies for this initiative, but selected Apple because of its long-time commitment to education,” Edwards says. “Plus, our analysis showed us that we’d be able to service and use the Mac platform much more inexpensively than with any other systems. Most importantly, we felt that the iBook laptops offered a toolset that would be ideal for our educational environment.”

Phase One Targets High Schools
In 2001, 12,000 iBook systems with AirPort Wireless Cards were distributed — one for every middle and high school teacher, and one for every high school student in the district. Additionally, multiple AirPort Base Stations were installed in the classrooms in the county’s eight high schools. The program’s objectives were multifaceted, says Edwards.

“We had a serious digital divide in the county, with hundreds of families that lacked access to technology at home,” he recalls. “We also felt that we needed a device that would radically change our teaching model, moving us from the traditional, teacher-centered approach that required students to learn facts by rote, to an engaged, interactive, constructivist position. With the iBook laptops, we felt we could shift to the venue in which the students would be most comfortable, and where we’d see the highest yield of productivity and academic achievement.”

Phase Two Reaches Middle Schools
The second phase of the laptop initiative began with the start of the Spring 2003 semester. At that time, another 13,000 iBook laptops with AirPort Wireless Cards were distributed to all middle school students in Henrico County for their use at school and home. In addition, AirPort Base Stations were installed in each of the middle school classrooms.

“We feel like we started off on a different foot this year, thanks to the things we learned in Phase One,” says Janet Binns, director of Public Relations for HCPS. “This year, when the students and their parents came to pick up the iBook laptops, we required the parents of every middle school student to attend a 90-minute training session. The classes are offered at Parent Resource Centers and Adult Learning Centers several times throughout the day, and through videos, CDs, and community access television.