Parent surveys were still coming in when the Kansas City Kansan reported, but early results showed that the program is meeting goals of extending the amount of learning time for students; increasing the amount of differentiated instruction in the classroom; and preparing students for college and careers. Statistics included:

• 77 percent of those who answered said they believe the students have increased their thoughts on college and “life after high school.”
• 52 percent of respondents said their children are planning for the future in terms of college and career.
• 54 percent said their children are more capable of doing their homework because of the laptops.

Parent communication feeds all of the program’s expectations, and remarkable improvement can be seen in this arena. For example:

• 69 percent of parents responded that they feel their child communicates more with them concerning school work.

• 66 percent of responding parents said they use the district web site (School Loop) to check on grades, homework and other assignments, while another 20 percent said they visited School Loop once or twice a week.

District-wide assessment scores in reading increased to 60.3 percent proficiency, and this rise just might be linked to laptops. The students’ high regard for their laptops was also evidenced by the pristine shape in which they were returned. And, while many stakeholders had been concerned about the safety of carrying something so valuable, there were no reported incidents of a student being in danger due to the computer.

Source : Kansas City Kansan, KCKPS receives report on laptops , by Nick Sloan