Computers in the Classroom: How do Peninsula Schools Rate?

Carlmont High School has more computers per student than the average California high school, but still doesn't quite match one of its sister schools in the Sequoia Union High School District.

Woodside High School owns the best ratio, with a nearly a 1:1 ratio of students to computers, according to figures released earlier this month.

That's compared to Sequoia High, which has a ratio of 4.5 students per computer. Carlmont High is right inbetween, averaging 3.6 students a computer,

Carlmont High had 583 computers on campus for student use during the 2011-12 school year, resulting in an average of 3.6 students per computer, according to the statistics published on the Ed-Data website.

The state average was 4.7 students per computer during the 2011-12 school year. In addition to Carlmont, Woodside and Sequoia high schools bested that average.

This is the Information Age, and integrating technology into the classroom is seen as a priority for schools. Some schools now encourage middle and high school students to use personal cell phones, tablets and e-readers during school hours for classwork, according to an MSN Money report. The same article stated nearly three-quarters of teachers surveyed for the Pew Research Center Internet & American Life study said they or their students use cell phones during class or for homework.

Check out the differences among local high schools below, or compare other schools by visiting the Ed-Data website and searching for schools using the yellow box in the upper right corner of the page.

School Access to Technology Comparisons, 2011-12 School Enrollment Computers per School Students per Computer Classrooms with Internet Carlmont High 2114 583 3.6 95 Menlo-Atherton High
2000 717 2.8 91 Sequoia High 2031 452 4.5 97 Woodside High 1764 1400 1.3 110 Statewide Average n/a 290.8 4.7 n/a

However, the statistics are not a measure of how successfully technology is integrated into the classroom, nor does the data reveal how up-to-date the computers found in local classrooms are.

Here are definitions of the categories in the table above:

• Number of computers: The total number of computers owned or leased by the school that are used at least part of the time for instruction or activities directly related to instruction. Examples are direct instruction, curriculum development, classroom management, preparation of instructional materials, and similar activities.
• Number of students per computer: The enrollment divided by the number of computers, as defined above. Some very small schools or alternative schools may have nearly as many computers as students.
• Number of classrooms on the Internet: The number of classrooms or other instructional settings (such as computer lab, library, or career center) at the school that have access to the Internet through at least one computer. Each classroom or instructional setting is counted only once, even if it has more than one computer with Internet access.

The statistics are published by the the Ed-Data website, a partnership between the California Department of Education (CDE), EdSource, and the Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team to provide data about K-12 education.

How would you rate the use to technology at Peninsula high schools? Are we doing enough to prepare students?

 

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