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SCHOOL2HOME
School2Home is an innovative statewide program designed to close both the Achievement Gap and the Digital Divide by integrating the use of computing and broadband technologies into teaching and learning at low-performing middle schools throughout California. School2Home provides a systemic approach to improve education that builds on principal leadership with teacher professional development to infuse technology into the classroom as well as increase parent engagement in low-income communities where parents often do not have the ability to be involved in the school-life of their children and do not have high-speed Internet access at home.
Starting in 2020, School2Home in Northern California is sponsored and managed by SVEF and the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) and is implemented in collaboration with local district and school leadership.
“I was very shy around people. Joining the School Tech Team made a huge impact on me because it gives me a chance to go to other classrooms, help other teachers and teach them how to use their tablets.“- 7th Grade Student
The School2Home program will target the 539 underperforming middle schools located throughout California as a logical first step to providing California’s students with the digital tools they need at home to be successful at school. These students come from households that, for the most part, and for a variety of reasons, have not yet acquired computers or adopted broadband. This makes it difficult for schools and teachers to effectively incorporate technology into the classrooms to teach 21st Century skills.
TARGET SCHOOLS
10 Core Components
School Leadership, Assessment, and Planning
A School Leadership Team
is formed to assess needs, analyze data, set goals, develop a work plan, and oversee implementation.
Technology Bundles for Students and Teachers
All students receive a computing device to use in the classroom and at home following parent training. Teachers receive powerful devices.
Teacher
Professional
Learning
Teachers receive professional learning about integrating technology into classroom instruction, homework assignments, and engagement of parents.
Coaching
and
Mentoring
School personnel are designated as technology coaches and content champions to support teachers and embed professional learning.
Parent
Engagement and
Education
Parents receive basic digital literacy training to use the device, ensure online safety, communicate with the school, and support their child’s education.
Student Tech
Expert
Development
Students are recruited and trained to help provide basic technical support to other students, teachers, and families.
Online
Resources
The website provides support for teachers to prepare lessons and assistance for parents to acquire digital skills and engage with schools and teachers.
Learning
Academies
Principals and teachers participate in workshops and online sessions as learning communities to share best practices and learn from one another.
Affordable
Home Internet
Access
Parents receive information about affordable high-speed Internet service offers and the availability of public broadband access centers.
Evaluation
A comprehensive annual evaluation process provides feedback to schools for accountability and input to program managers for continuous improvement to achieve goals.
School2Home uses the 10 Core Components as the guiding framework to reinforce interventions that transform school culture to improve student outcomes on a range of measures. School2Home program managers and community partners provide participating schools with on-going capacity-building services and implementation supports. Together, these partners work with School Leadership Teams to facilitate proper planning, stakeholder engagement, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability in order to seed a high-performing culture that extends beyond the initial three-year program period.
THE GLOBAL EXCHANGE PROJECT
Launched in the midst of the pandemic, the Global Exchange Program is a partnership between SVEF and Santa Clara County of Education (SCCOE) to connect our School2Home middle school students to others alike middle school students around the world. This is a unique opportunity for School2Home participating schools in Silicon Valley. The purposes of this project are to have a first-hand experience learning about international cultures, to enhance language skills, and to develop self and cultural awareness with their virtual peers in the 21st century.
In 2021, SCCOE recognized this program as a signature practice for multilingual learners to increase the skill set of students using technology effectively.
A key partnership SVEF has is with the San Jose Digital Inclusion Fund, a partnership with the City of San José Mayor’s Office of Technology and Innovation and CETF to work with community organizations and administer grantmaking of $24 million over 10 years.
Through the Digital Inclusion Partnership, San José is the first city in the country to pledge to close the Digital Divide with the goals to connect 50,000 San José households with universal device access and universal connectivity at speeds of at least 25 Mbps download/3 Mbps upload over the next 10 years and to achieve and sustain the appropriate digital skills proficiency level to stay ahead of technology and increase the quality of life outcomes in education, workforce, healthcare and more.
