Dive Brief:

• DeKalb County School District in Georgia wanted a single system that covered instruction and assessment to prevent teachers from having to sign into and out of multiple systems throughout the day, finding major benefits from itslearning's learning management system.
• DeKalb CIO Gary Brantley writes for eSchool News that 85 people helped test LMS options, ultimately choosing itslearning for its functionality and ability to integrate with existing systems like Infinite Campus, Performance Matters and the district's student information system.
• Using a train-the-trainer model, rollout has allowed teachers to give assessments through the LMS and track granular data about how students are doing, with some of the early adopters already shifting to use the LMS for online and blended learning.

Dive Insight:

In Georgia, a key problem was that teacher efficiency was being challenged by the sign-on requirements of multiple systems. Beyond efficiency, teachers were more likely to ignore certain capabilities of existing systems because it was too much work to get into and out of them. But the types of data tracking and extended learning options DeKalb teachers are now exploring are becoming more important to the way we think about K-12 education today.

Students should be getting some level of individualized learning. Data analysis can provide the information necessary to create tailored instruction. Extended learning opportunities can also increase tech literacy for students and get them ready for college. But districts also have to think of the “homework gap” within their population. Students who do not have computer or internet access outside of the school building cannot do that type of work.