Planning for Long-Term Sustainability of Digital Learning

Schools need to plan in advance to sustain their digital learning program after the excitement of the new program has waned. Schools will need intentional, ongoing activities and maintenance to keep students, families, and teachers engaged, and provide resources to maintain devices and systems. Schools will want to:

• Maintain a plan for device repairs (including use of the spare devices) 
• Secure funds to purchase replacement devices, both during usage and when devices require life-cycle replacement (see “Purchasing and Preparing Devices and Software” for budgeting and funding resources)
  
• Allocate funds to replace accessories, such as chargers, cables, and cases
• Allocate funds to purchase and renew licenses for software, apps, subscriptions, and licenses
• Communicate regularly with parents and guardians to build their partnership (see “Providing Information to and Training for Families“)
  
• Provide ongoing professional learning for teachers (see “Providing Professional Development for Teachers“)
  
• Maintain an ongoing needs assessment (see “Conducting a Needs Assessment“)
  

Updating Computers and Content

Devices will need to be updated and new software added throughout their lifespan. Schools and districts should develop a plan for updating computers and content, particularly if students are not bringing devices to school each day due to distance or online learning. Content management software is available that allows schools or districts to perform updates on many devices at the same time. These systems should be considered both for the initial set-up process and for continued updating of devices.