The Westwood Regional School District currently implements a K-12 1:1 chromebook program for all students. Students in grades K-4 have assigned devices that they use during the school day and keep in classroom charging carts overnight. Students in grades 5-12 carry their assigned devices between school and home to maximized "anytime learning" opportunities year-round. These students are issued a new chromebook in grade 5 to keep with them through 8th grade, and then issued another new device in 9th grade to keep until graduation.

HISTORY

For years, the Westwood Regional School District has steadily prepared for and evolved towards the realization of 21st-century digital classrooms, in order to prepare our students for the workplace of the future. After outfitting classrooms with Chromebook carts, and providing teachers with industry standard audio/visual tools and equipment, a 1:1 initiative proved the next logical step in that progression.

After a successful pilot during Spring 2018, and in accordance with guidelines stemming from current studies, the Future Ready Schools program, and our own community-created Strategic Plan, the Westwood Regional School District launched a 1:1 Chromebook initiative in September of 2018, whereby a district-owned Chromebook was issued to every student in grades 8-12. This program is now in full effect, and has proven to be very successful.

As a result of the 1:1 program, students always have a device with them, both in school and out, for anytime-anywhere learning. Teachers are able to plan and deliver lessons more effectively, knowing that every student has a reliable, district-managed Chromebook in their possession at all times.

The High School program was such a well-received success, that our Middle School followed suit in 2019, with a little twist. Students did not take the chromebooks home with them, but, rather, picked up their assigned device at the beginning of each school day and returned it to the proper cart each afternoon. Our expectation was that the devices would be subject to less potential damage that way, while allowing students to take on a new sense of responsibility for a device with their name on it.

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In 2018, Westwood High School began a formal 1:1 program, wherein every student in grades 8-12 received an assigned chromebook to keep in their possession both in school and out.

In September 2019, the Middle School began a cart-based 1:1 program, with each student being assigned a specific device, which remained in a cart in school overnight for charging.

During the COVID 19 pandemic of 2020-2021, every student in the entire district, grades K-12, was assigned a chromebook to keep in their possession at all times.

Currently, students in grades K-4 are assigned a Chromebook which is kept in a classroom cart overnight, while students in grades 5-12 keep their assigned Chromebooks in their possession.