John A. Sutter Middle School – Digital Promise

John A. Sutter Middle School

Sutter Middle SchoolLos Angeles Unified School District, California

Domain Spotlight:
Consistent Access to Devices and Technology

Central to John A. Sutter Middle School’s vision to develop targeted initiatives to address the digital divide they observed among their students was the implementation of a 1:1 device program for all students through a partnership with Verizon Innovative Learning Schools.

To ensure consistent and equitable access, the team created an innovative and inclusive device rollout system in collaboration with their student tech team.

Sutter’s strategy aligned with three key indicators:

  1. Guaranteed Access to Technology. The school leadership maintained a comprehensive device inventory, tracking distribution data for both students and staff. This systematic approach ensured that every member of the school community had access to necessary technology.
  2. Targeted Initiatives to Address Digital Divide. Recognizing the importance of community input, school and district leaders actively collaborated with community members. This partnership allowed them to gain deeper insights into specific digital divide issues affecting their student population, enabling more targeted and effective solutions.
  3. Inclusive Procurement and Distribution Practices. The Sutter team prioritized equitable distribution of resources, particularly computing devices. This focus on equity addressed the disparate use of technology within the school, ensuring that all students had equal opportunities to benefit from digital learning tools.

The following video showcases Sutter Middle School’s device rollout process. The entire Sutter team—from students to school and district leaders—worked together to guarantee consistent access to technology for all students.

Intersection With Other Domains

The success of the initiative hinged on the intersections of multiple domains. While focusing on consistent access to devices and technology, Sutter’s leadership simultaneously engaged in Leadership for Digital Transformation and established Coherent Systems, Resources, and Policies. They set a clear vision for technology usage and formed a crucial partnership with Verizon Innovative Learning Schools. This collaboration supported the development of a strategic plan that aligned resources and policies with their technology goals.

The leadership team also actively engaged the community, creating buy-in and champions for the program. At the district level, the superintendent and instructional technology initiative leaders allocated necessary resources and designed targeted professional development programs, including a dedicated instructional technology coach, to support the new technology rollout. This multi-faceted approach ensured that the technology initiative was not just about distributing devices, but about creating a comprehensive ecosystem for digital equity.

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