speed of light systems (opens in a new tab)the leader in safe, secure and equitable educational technology, announces digital equity (opens in a new tab)– A module that provides robust, real-time connectivity and device status data on students’ school-provided devices. Digital Equity helps school and district leaders understand the challenges students face when trying to study outside of school so they can ensure all students stay connected to learning.
According to the 2022 Student Home Connectivity Study (opens in a new tab) According to the Consortium for School Networking (COSN), gaps remain across the country in network performance and Internet speeds at all grade levels for students connecting from outside of school, with approximately one-third of high school students experiencing “Far Below” or “Below Guidelines”. for connectivity from home. In addition, large disparities exist among student subgroups, particularly by ethnicity and socioeconomically disadvantaged students.
Empowering school and district leaders, Digital Equity provides a complete, real-time view of each student’s school-issued device, including overall device status, operating system, Internet speed, service provider, and further. Leaders can drill down into specific data about individual students and their devices, as well as view overall usage across the district to help identify local communities that need additional support and resources. Digital Equity is customizable, giving leaders the option to enable specific data and usage statistics.
“Lightspeed Systems’ digital equity will help us close the digital divide in the communities our schools serve by making sure we determine which students need additional resources such as hotspots and more,” said Eric Hileman, chief IT executive for Oklahoma City Public Schools. and a Lightspeed customer and a Digital Equity beta user. “Ensuring that each of our students has consistent access to the Internet after school is critical to our teaching and learning goals.”
Digital Equity insights help leaders:
- Identify students experiencing poor or no internet connection outside of school without waiting for an IT ticket, based on self-reports or annual family surveys.
- Resolve issues in real time and save time troubleshooting school-provided devices with student-level data, including home internet speeds, service providers, and more.
- Make data-driven decisions to ensure all students have access to appropriate digital tools and broadband internet by introducing large-scale solutions such as hotspots, Wi-Fi-enabled community hubs, and more.
“Internet access outside of school provides a more equal opportunity for all students to achieve academic success,” said Brook McShane Bock, director of products for Lightspeed Systems. “Lightspeed’s new Digital Equity module allows districts to proactively address specific student issues in real time. In the past, that information was collected once or twice a year through surveys, leaving students without adequate access to educational resources for much of the year. This is a big step in leveling the playing field for so many students.”
an extension of Digital vision at the speed of light (opens in a new tab)the Digital Equity module takes the guesswork out of understanding how students use digital tools off campus.
built with privacy and data security (opens in a new tab) With this in mind, Lightspeed Systems is committed to the commitment to student data privacy and in compliance with the National Data Privacy Agreement (NDPA), the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Privacy Act California Consumer Protection Regulation (CCPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). ).
To learn more about Lightspeed Systems’ Digital Equity Module or to request a demo, visit https://www.lightspeedsystems.com/products/digital-equity (opens in a new tab).
About Lightspeed Systems
Lightspeed Systems is dedicated to providing K-12 districts with time-saving solutions to create a safe and equitable education, so they can focus on what matters most: students and learning. Lightspeed provides managed cloud solutions: Security & Compliance, Safety & Wellness, and Engagement & Impact, designed specifically for school networks and devices. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Lightspeed serves more than 20 million students using 11 million devices in 28,000 schools in 39 countries. For more information, visit https://www.lightspeedsystems.com (opens in a new tab).