Dell Technology Helping Students Reach Full Potential at One of the Largest U.S. School Districts

Georgia’s Cobb County School District Invests in Technology to Drive Student Achievement.

Round Rock, Texas, Cobb County School District near Atlanta is using technology to deliver a compelling curriculum that can better enable its more than 106,000 students to learn and develop key skills for the 21st century.

Through the use of more than 37,000 Dell OptiPlexTM desktop computers in classrooms, the district is making education a multimedia experience and driving student achievement. Cobb County has incorporated technology into the delivery of content and the creation of school work by students. The new technology will provide students the ability to do Internet research and submit assignments online, in PowerPoint presentations and as videos.

The district also uses technology to help increase parental involvement through Internet applications run on Dell servers, allowing parents to access their student’s grades, course syllabi and materials.

“We’re committed to using the most powerful tools to enable our students to learn not only the standard curriculum, but also skills needed to succeed in life,” said Chris Ragsdale, Cobb County CIO. “Technology should be a tool to make it easier for our teachers to teach and for our students to learn. Providing parents a direct electronic connection to the school facilitates quick communication and greater parental involvement in the learning process.”

Every teacher in the Cobb County School District has a notebook computer and has attended training to learn how to incorporate technology into their lesson plans. The district also has created a technology instruction department dedicated to exploring new ways to teach via technology in the classroom. And an Internet portal for teachers features specifics about curriculum, daily lessons, research material from global sources and more so that teachers can learn and share best practices. Students also have access to a digital library that’s available at school and by logging in to a secure site from home.

“Technology is a vital part of our ability to deliver instruction to students,” said Nancy DiPetrillo, principal of Russell Elementary School in Cobb County. “The recent refreshment of our computer workstations has given our teachers and students the tools they need to perform at their highest level and be successful. Our students are thrilled with their new computers and flat screen monitors and really feel that our school is now high tech.”

Cobb is one of the largest districts in the U.S. with more than 100,000 students and almost 9,000 teachers. Cobb schools have earned 16 National Blue Ribbon-No Child Left Behind School awards and 34 Georgia Schools of Excellence awards.

“Dell is committed to helping students reach their full potential by working with schools to integrate technology into teaching and learning,” said Karen Bruett, area vice president strategic business development, Dell K-12 Education. “Customized instruction, timely formative feedback, and parental engagement can all be enhanced through the utilization of technology. We are excited to be working with Cobb County to realize this vision, and to help prepare their students for life and work in the 21st century.”