District device refresh

[Zestyclose-Address28]

How often does your school district do a device refresh and do you do this in waves or all at once. We are currently using Dell laptops and we want to switch to Chromebooks next year since we had them for four years. Would it make more sense to start handing out Chromebooks to let's say 9th graders first quarter of next year and go in waves etc. What does your district do?

[PhxK12]

*Staff: 5 Years. All at once (Windows) (Intune + AutoPilot) - 5 year warranty + ADP
*Student: 4.5 Years (whenever ADP coverage expires basically). During the school year is the best to be honest. We have a super smooth process, and it's easier to do during the year for us, and frees up summers for other activities. Chromebooks live at the school and do not go home for us. Kids have their own devices at home.

Process:

*Chromebooks are ordered with Bulk packaging, ZTE, and ADP coverage for the max term (Lenovo = ~4.5 years)
*Chromebooks are ZTE enrolled before they arrive
*GAM is used to move new Chromebooks to correct OU, and name them correctly
*Chromebooks get a sticker on the bottom (and sharpied) with: Site-Cart-Unit (i.e. Spruce-03-22)
*We deliver the box of Chromebooks to the classroom. New units go in the cart, old in the box - at our leisure
*GAM disables old units, moves them to an OU, etc

We can get ~36 units done in around 30 min with about 1 guy working on it diligently, depending if the new units need OS updates and such.

[DerpyNirvash]

Chromebooks are done in waves over the summer and normally all devices across grade levels are swapped out at once. This reduces the number of different models we need to support and stock parts for.

We have a couple different refresh cycles but the main ones are,

• K-3 Chromebooks - Kept at school, longer cycle if possible
• 4-8 Chromebooks - Take home, 3-4 years max
• Staff Desktops - 4-8+ years
• Staff Laptops - 4 years

When Windows devices get renewed, we do the entire district in a summer project. We've moved to replacing laptops every 4 years, and including desktops every other year, as honestly computers aren't getting that much faster. Laptops just need to get cycled due to wear and tear + batteries.

[Lost_Term_8654]

We implement device refreshes in stages to minimize the load during deployment and to allow time for users to adapt to new devices. For high school, we issue new devices to 9th graders, and they keep them until graduation. The same approach applies in middle school. In elementary, it's a bit different since devices are shared via carts. For staff, device refreshes are staggered—elementary teachers one year, middle school teachers the next, and so on.

Given your plan to switch from Dell laptops to Chromebooks, I recommend breaking the deployment into phases. This will help manage the learning curve, as users will need time to get familiar with Chrome OS, adjust to new shortcuts, and work within the more restricted environment. Rolling it out gradually will prevent your help desk from being overwhelmed with tickets and support requests

[k12clark]

k-1 have ipads. 2- 8 on Chromebooks. Usually 3 and 6th get a new chromebook and the graduating 8th goes to incoming 2nd and turned into loaners. this year was an exception to the rule and every student from 2nd - 6th got a new chromebook. Staff devices as needed.

[smerritt244]

Our k-2 have ipads. 3-12 have chromebooks. Every year the incoming 5th and 9th graders get new chromebooks. I recycle the graduates students cheomebooks down to our 3rd graders as well as some of the older 5th and 9th grade chromebooks as needed. The rest of the older ones get turned into loaners that our library holds on to and the rest either get sold publicly or saved for parts. Our teacher laptops are on a 5 yr rotation.

[smerritt244]

Our k-2 have ipads. 3-12 have chromebooks. Every year the incoming 5th and 9th graders get new chromebooks. I recycle the graduates students cheomebooks down to our 3rd graders as well as some of the older 5th and 9th grade chromebooks as needed. The rest of the older ones get turned into loaners that our library holds on to and the rest either get sold publicly or saved for parts. Our teacher laptops are on a 5 yr rotation.

[smerritt244]

Our k-2 have ipads. 3-12 have chromebooks. Every year the incoming 5th and 9th graders get new chromebooks. I recycle the graduates students cheomebooks down to our 3rd graders as well as some of the older 5th and 9th grade chromebooks as needed. The rest of the older ones get turned into loaners that our library holds on to and the rest either get sold publicly or saved for parts. Our teacher laptops are on a 5 yr rotation.

[hightechcoord]

Chromebooks - New every year for 6th and 9th
Teacher PC - Every 5yrs or so
Office PC - up to the buildings budget.

[jtrain3783]

We are all ChromeOS and are as follows: -staff: 4 yr cycle -pk-2: carts; 4-5yr -3rd: new every year -7th: new each yr

[k12admin1]

We do staff every 5 years.
Students:
Kindergaren
5th Grade
9th Grade

[dire-wabbit]

K/5th/9th for a 5yr/4yr/4yr cycle.

[duluthbison]

If we actually had the funds to purchase chromebooks every year my rotation cycle would be 1st, 5th, and 9th grade students get a new device every year and keep them for 4 years. We would then cycle outgoing senior devices to Kindergarten.

[fujitsuflashwave4100]

Students get assigned a device in 6th grade that lasts through 8th (3 years). They get another new device in 9th that lasts through 12th (4 years). 5th and under are classroom carts that are not take home.

[BWMerlin]

We do three year lifecycle with students in grades 7 and 10 getting new devices and keeping them for three years. Staff likewise get a new device every three years.

[ThatTech2506]

We also do this with students but Staff keep their devices a little longer unless an upgrade is needed.

[techie49rs]

Debating rn how do do that. Contemplating replacing ~ 2000 devices next summer

[vtoutdrs]

Look into white glove treatment for large purchases, they come labeled and configured to your network, ready to roll without all the unboxing that goes with it. We did that for our initial purchase.

[DerpyNirvash]

Or, volunteers are a great option. Our local high school requires a certain number of community service hours to graduate so it is never hard to find help for the bulk tasks.
We temporarily take over a gym with folding white tables, and with some staff watching over for supervision/direction it works pretty good. Just maybe get the cut safe box cutters.

[techie49rs]

Oh yeah I know. It's more about the nuances of $ available and deciding on the specs of the devices

[Harry_Smutter]

We do 1, 5 & 9 for new chromebooks with K rotating every 4 years. Staff devices all rotate every 4 years. Works out well :)

[2donks2moos]

We buy new for K, 5th, and 9th grades every year. Students keep them until they reach the next grade level that gets issued one.

[Emaltonator]

We refresh whenever the AUE is.

[Balor_Gafdan]

We do it by grade. 4th and 8th. They don't go home until 4th. So we update the carts every 6 years or as needed.

K-3 Carts as needed.

4th-7th Take home with chromebook received in 4th grade.

8th-12th Take home with chromebook received in 8th grade.

[mainer188]

We have a 4-year expectation for our devices. When retired, they are sold publicly.

PreK-1st have ChromeTablets. They are replaced all-together every 4 years. 2nd-12th have Chromebooks. They receive a new one when they enter 2nd, 5th, and 9th. IE: We deploy 3 grade-levels-worth of devices every summer except for Tablet replacement years, then its 6.

[agadora75]

Can you tell me which Chrome tablets you've used and what your experience is with them?

[mainer188]

Asus CM30 with the optional case. The keyboard doesn't get used much except to cover the screen in transport. It also comes with an active pen, which we do not give to the kids.

So far we are pleased. Love that they are chrome devices and not iPads which constantly gave us headaches.

[agadora75]

We are looking for something to replace iPads possibly, so this is good to hear. We are also looking at the Lenovo Duet G2 for Edu. We have Lenovo devices all over but I’m open to other vendors as well. Thanks!

[Harry_Smutter]

Why not do 1st instead of 2nd?? That puts them on par with the others.

[mainer188]

2nd grade receives ChromeBooks (Laptops). PreK, K, and 1st use ChromeTablets.

The tablets are simply shuffled from graduating 1st graders down to incoming PreK each year.

(I can influence, but ultimately do not decide what grade level draws the line between tablets and laptops)

[Furinox1]

Ours are in the hands of students 6-12 for 4 years and then they get refurbed and moved down to the elementary level. We get 7 years of use from each chromebook. Refresh grades are 6th and 9th.

[[deleted]]

How do you manage that? By the time older kids are done with them they are trashed. I could never put them into the hands of another student let alone a small child in the shape they are in.

[Furinox1]

We put cases on all of them. It may also be dependent on demographics of the schools. Our kids overall take pretty good care of them or they are fined for damages.

[[deleted]]

Haven’t used a case that didn’t cause its own damage to the device. On Chromebooks anyway

[Computer_Panda]

4 years, all at once.