The challenge: Managing 2,000 Chromebooks over 4 schools and 9 sites
One of Catoosa’s learning principles is ensuring each student has the learning technology to support a superior education. Each student receives a school-owned Chromebook.
But, with almost 2000 Chromebooks at large over 4 schools and 9 sites, it wasn’t always easy for Samuel Hoch, Director of Technology, to stay in control. “I’m responsible for all technology in the school district. From Chromebooks to iPads, to printers and phones, TVs, switches, networking components, and internet circuits - the works,” says Samuel.“Attempting to find lost devices without an effective way of doing so costs in hours of time and money.“
Tired of the lose-replace cycle
Samuel was tired of the lose-replace cycle, but that wasn't the only problem. “We’re big on a sense of responsibility so, before we replace a device, we always ask the student to search for the device for a few days. It’s not an immediate replacement, nor should it be. But it does mean that the student is without a device for a few days and this means they lose out on their education. We needed to solve both of these problems fast.”
The Solution: (Almost) From day one Senturo tracked down devices
When Samuel and his team started researching tools to help them easily track lost devices, he was worried that the setup would be difficult. He was positively surprised when "that wasn't the case at all. It was just so easy to install, and we had it up and running in minutes."
With Senturo installed, Samuel could track down lost devices in seconds. “It proved to be invaluable within days of setting it up,’ he says. “We've used it on numerous occasions to locate lost or stolen Chromebooks, and saved thousands of dollars compared to previous years of not having tracking software.
It’s a win for the student, too, as speedy locating means they’re not without their device for long. And if the device is stolen rather than just lost, we know about it immediately. We’re never left wondering. There’s no ambiguity.”
Senturo has supported Samuel and his team to make their roles easier. “I truly enjoy helping students get the best education possible, and, in my role, that means keeping them connected, assisting them and solving their problems fast,” says Samuel. “When I’m contacted to track a device, I can now answer, "Yes - I'll get right on that." Before Senturo, I had to explain that we didn't have a way to track.”
More than just recovering Chromebooks: Locating a lost student
Samuel’s team discovered additional benefits of working with Senturo during the implementation. The District is serious about education, which means it’s serious about attendance. It expects 90% attendance from each student, and a legitimate reason for non-attendance every time. Senturo has given the District a mechanism to support attendance.
"Students aren’t tracked,” says Samuel, “but if students have reported into school but aren’t actually there, we want to know why. We've used Senturo more than once to locate students who have done this, and that alone is worth the price. The earlier we can fix attendance issues, the better the outcomes for the student.”
"We have had specific situations where students skipped school, and not even their parents knew where they were. It is invaluable for us to be able to locate these students."
The result: Saving the IT team time
Senturo has supported Samuel and his team to make their roles easier. “I truly enjoy helping students get the best education possible, and, in my role, that means keeping them connected, assisting them and solving their problems fast, ”says Samuel. “When I’m contacted to track a device, I can now answer, "Yes - I'll get right on that." Before Senturo, I had to explain that we didn't have a way to track.”
