Last updated May 14, 2020
Georgia's K-12 Restart Guides > Devices, Connectivity, and Access
  • INTRO
  • 1. PREPARE
  • 2. RESPOND
  • 3. RECOVER
  • APPENDIX
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Deploying Devices, Ensuring Connectivity, Expanding Access

During the recent statewide school closures, some students in both urban and rural Georgia were not able to continue learning at home due to lack of access to devices and internet connectivity.

To avoid such impacts in case of future closures, closures of individual schools, or individual students’ inability to attend in-person classes, the Georgia Department of Education is strongly encouraging school districts to allocate a portion of their CARES Act funds and other available fund sources to connect students to high-speed internet to ensure continuity of learning.
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The guidance on these pages is intended to assist district and school administrators in bridging the connectivity gap for their students, with assistance from the State of Georgia’s education and procurement agencies.
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Prepare

​Prepare your school system to expand remote learning capacity. Inventory existing resources, identify existing connection points, purchase necessary devices, and create a plan to ensure equitable access. 
Practice Self-Care
​Ensure Safety and Security
​Perform Asset Inventory and Connectivity Mapping
Where do connectivity points exist in your community?
Find existing connection points within your community.
Where are devices already available?
  • Conduct an asset inventory. Do you have devices available to sign out? Does every educator have a device at home? Do they have connectivity? Are there older devices in closets? Each year, GaDOE conducts a statewide inventory; you can see your district’s response here.
  • Consider whether educators need devices.
  • Consider signing out existing handheld devices to families and students before assessing the need for additional purchases of devices.
  • Consider how to secure resources to ensure proper use of all devices for educational purposes (e.g. professional learning, consultation, IT support).
​Resolve Gaps and Ensure Equitable Access
First and foremost, the initiative to connect students and families should be focused on equity, and the plan to connect must include all students. Develop group goals for how you will ensure equitable access.

Respond

​Respond to the connectivity needs you’ve identified. Purchase additional devices as needed, decide on a strategy to ensure student and staff internet access, distribute devices, and ensure they’ll be used to facilitate learning.
Purchasing Devices and Internet Service
Access current funding streams.
     CONDUCT PURCHASING
​Identify bandwidth requirements needed for grade-level learning environments. Choose devices that are developmentally appropriate and useful for educational purposes. Use this decision flowchart to consider options: 
Click here to view a larger version of the image above.
Value
Benefits
Limitations
Costs
​Option 1: District Provides Home Internet Connection
Internet service providers can work with district leaders to identify unserved homes and cost structures.​
  • Most direct way to serve families and students
  • Takes advantage of current discounts
  • Demonstrates potential for home-based learning (e.g., solves the “homework gap”)
  • ​Potential for on-going data and service fees
  • $10/month to $50/month (or more depending on individual plans)
  • NOTE: Lifeline Assistance Program provides low-cost solutions for families with low income
Option 2A: Provide Personal “MiFi” Internet Access
​This option provides close-range internet connectivity in the homes of students, teachers, and staff; connects 5-10 devices; and can support interactive teaching and learning, including video playback and conferencing.
​This option requires sufficient mobile phone signal at 4G LTE; requires constant power supply or frequent recharging; and speeds may become slower as more computers/tablets are connected to the MiFi device.
​One-time charge per device, plus a per-month data plan. 
Option 2B: WiFi Access on School Grounds
Wi-Fi equipment attached to the exterior of buildings that connects to schools’ existing Ethernet port and power sources; high data flows and low-latency performance based on a network that has 250 GBPs currently available across Georgia; schools manage security and content access.
​Can connect hundreds of devices from a single location while maintaining social distancing (students can stay in cars to access internet); leverages equipment already installed at the school, with minimal additional one-time expenses. ​
Requires parents or other caretakers to travel to school; requires students to learn in an automobile, possibly in close proximity to other students in the household who are participating in their own remote classrooms; requires IT support at school (for logins and troubleshooting); some schools may require installation of more than one access point. 
​$3,000 to $5,000 per access point 
​Option 2C: WiFi Internet Access on School Buses or Vehicles
Easy-to-deploy mobile Wi-Fi device on school buses or other school vehicles that can be deployed to students’ neighborhoods; Wi-Fi signal transmits one-tenth of a mile up to one-half mile; magnetically mounts to roof of vehicles and plugs into 12V power port. 
​Can support interactive teaching and learning, including video playback and conferencing; can connect hundreds of devices from a single location while maintaining social distancing (students can stay in their cars to access internet); leverages internet equipment already installed at school with only minimal, additional one-time expenses.
​Requires parents or caretakers to travel to the location of the parked school bus or school vehicle; requires students to learn in an automobile, possibly in close proximity to other students in the household who are participating in their own remote classrooms; requires IT support at the school and possibly by the driver of the bus/vehicle. 
$250 to $5,000 per device, plus a low per-month service charge.
Option 2D: Advise Families to Access Public Internet Access Points
  • Last-resort option for connectivity for hard-to-reach areas
  • Requires students to learn in automobile or possibly in close proximity to other students in the household who are participating in their remote classrooms
Variable costs
State & Local Support
State Purchasing: The Georgia Technology Authority has worked with providers to expand public use. For wireless service provider contact information see here. The Georgia Department of Administrative Services and GaDOE are working together to identify relevant sources of supply for digital devices for K-12 schools. Those contracts are included on the K-12 IT Technology Matrix here.
 
If you have questions regarding these contracts or need assistance identifying a reseller who maintains access to the devices your district needs, or have questions about other offerings available under DOAS contracts, contact Benetta Daniels: Benetta.Daniels@doas.ga.gov.
 
Know a good company? This is how to get on the State Vendor list.
 
Resources: Each school system can contact their local Chamber of Commerce, businesses, community and other foundations, individuals who may be in the position to help, and utilities such as the local Electric Membership Cooperatives (EMC), for support of their needs.   
 
Shipment: For all COVID-19 emergency learning equipment purchases, school districts need to attach the School District Emergency Justification Form after completion of each purchase request.
 
Caution: Multiple reports suggest that companies and individuals are dealing with fraudulent transactions related to COVID-19. Caution is strongly encouraged when procuring any of these supplies or services.
Distribute Devices and Ensure Remote Communication
Set up a plan to prepare technologies for launch and monitor use, including preloading applications, inventorying, updates, firewalls, and distribution.
 
Consider how you will communicate about the devices: via email? Phone calls? Newsletters? What communication networks do you have in your local community? Consider asking media partners (newspapers, social media, libraries, as well as local radio and television stations) to help communicate about device usage and updates.

Use the hashtag #KeepGALearning on social media to tag your district's efforts to deploy devices, ensure connectivity, and expand access.
Train on the Use of Devices
​Ensure that educators have professional knowledge on how to support remote learning in K-12. Select and assign online courses for teachers as needed.
​Ensure that families know about home-based learning opportunities and managing devices.  
Provide ideas for families about where to find learning resources.

Recover

​Begin the long-term recovery process. Establish policies and procedures around continuity of learning, identify ongoing professional learning for educators, implement your continuity of learning plan and measure its effectiveness. 
Establish Precedence for System Continuity
Create long-lasting policies that support distance, digital, and personalized learning.
IDENTIFY ONGOING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING & INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES
Utilize the move toward remote learning during COVID-19 as an opportunity to increase capacity for digital and personalized learning.  
Assemble educational resources.
Implement Practices and Measure EfficacY
Consider using resources from reputable professional organizations that specialize in e-learning, like SEDTA and COSN, to ensure your long-term plan includes all essential elements. SEDTA’s district plans include examples of lesson plan tools, forms, and other resources to sustain continuity of learning.

​Use Georgia’s Systems of Continuous Improvement to plan, monitor, and systematically improve over time.

Appendix

6 Ways You Can Show True Leadership in How You Communicate During a Crisis
6 Ways You Can Show True Leadership in How You Communicate During a Crisis. (2020). Retrieved 8 April 2020, from https://www.inc.com/amy-george/6-ways-you-can-show-true-leadership-during-a-crisis.html

Epidemic/Pandemic
Epidemic/Pandemic. (2018). Retrieved 8 April 2020, from https://www.dhs.gov/epidemicpandemic

Evergreen Education Group
Evergreen Education Group. (2020). Retrieved 7 April 2020, from https://www.evergreenedgroup.com/

Digital Learning | COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
Digital Learning | COVID-19 (Coronavirus). (2020). Retrieved 7 April 2020, from https://www.georgiainsights.com/digital-learning.html

K-12 Bandwidth Goals - EducationSuperHighway
K-12 Bandwidth Goals - EducationSuperHighway. (2020). Retrieved 7 April 2020, from https://www.educationsuperhighway.org/upgrade/types-of-fiber-services/k-12-bandwidth-goals/

Making the Connection - Southern Regional Education Board
Making the Connection - Southern Regional Education Board. (2015). Retrieved 7 April 2020, from https://www.sreb.org/publication/making-connection

Nelson, R.
Nelson, R. (2016). 10 Steps to Forming a Successful Task Force - NSC Strategies. Retrieved 8 April 2020, from https://www.nscstrategies.com/governance/10-steps-forming-successful-task-force/

OER Commons
OER Commons. (2020). Retrieved 8 April 2020, from https://www.oercommons.org/

SETDA | Digital Learning: A Guide to Implementation
SETDA | Digital Learning: A Guide to Implementation. (2020). Retrieved 7 April 2020, from https://digitallearning.setda.org/

WWC | Find What Works!
WWC | Find What Works!. (2020). Retrieved 8 April 2020, from https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc

REL Southwest
Has provided a memo with research of references addressing the question “What family engagement strategies have proven successful in other districts and what information is required for successfully implementing these strategies?”

​Educator Effectiveness: Successful Family Engagement Strategies. June 2019 from https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/southwest/ask-a-rel/AAR36-FamilyEngagement-508.pdf
Georgia Department of Education's COVID-19 Resources, Supports, and Guidance
​The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) is working closely with the Office of the Governor, the Georgia Department of Public Health (GaDPH), and other agencies to ensure local school districts, parents, and students have the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding COVID-19 (coronavirus). > Learn More