Clayton County Public School System Selects Dell To Enhance Educational Program
Offering Includes Digital Curriculum, Remote Access and Tailored InstructionRound Rock, Texas, February 5, 2003Clayton County Public Schools (CCPS) has purchased nearly $8 million in Dell products and services to create a high-tech learning environment for its 48,000 students. As part of this program, Clayton County teachers throughout the district will receive DellTM LatitudeTM notebooks for their use.
In addition to notebooks for the teachers, the program will provide students with access to computer-based tutorial and enrichment exercises developed to improve student performance, as well as online programs that will prepare students for standardized tests such as the SAT.
The multiphase rollout includes approximately 5,700 Dell Latitude C640 notebooks. In addition, CCPS is the first customer to use Dell's new professional services offering, Dell School Architecture, also announced today. (See related announcement.) With these services, Dell will provide teacher training and support that will help district teachers integrate technology into their lesson plans and bring relevant Web-based coursework into the classroom.
With the arrival of the new systems, teachers will be able to complete and submit lesson plans electronically. They will also have the tools to create differentiated instruction tailored to each student's specific needs. Additionally, teachers will be able to use remote access for the development of computer-based lessons away from the campus.
"Our challenge is to bring technology into the classroom and instruction to the student, and to do so with limited resources," said Steve Holmes, director of technology for Clayton County Public Schools. "We are committed to ensuring that students who might not have technology in the home have resources available in their schools."
According to IDC's "Digital Curriculum and Content in K-12 Classrooms, 2002" bulletin, U.S. school districts currently devote only a small percentage of their total IT budgets to digital curriculum and content. In the 2001-2002 academic year, the research illustrated that 80 percent of district technology spending was allocated to traditional PC-based instructional software rather than networked, Web-based curricula. That percentage is expected to increase when teachers become more comfortable using new media during instruction.
"The students will have the opportunity to use the latest in computer hardware and have access to a wealth of digital content," said Scott Campbell, director of K-12 for Dell. "Technology can open new doors for these students, improve their educational experience and help them to develop critical skills for the future."
About Clayton County Public Schools
Located just south of Atlanta, Clayton County Public Schools is the sixth largest school district in Georgia, with more than 50 schools, 7,000 employees and 48,000 students. Clayton County was the first district in Georgia to provide full-time counselors and instructional technology specialists at every school, including elementary schools and the system's Pre-K program is considered a model for the state of Georgia. The district is nationally recognized for its innovations in instructional and teacher development programs.
About Dell
Dell Computer Corporation (Nasdaq: DELL) is a premier provider of products and services required for customers worldwide to build their information-technology and Internet infrastructures. The company's revenue for the past four quarters totaled $33.7 billion. Dell, through its direct business model, designs, manufactures and customizes products and services to customer requirements, and offers an extensive selection of software and peripherals. Information on Dell and its products can be obtained at www.dell.com.
