Minimum Computer Standards in Schools
Just as we want our schools to have textbooks and library books that are up-to-date, we need to continually update and replace our computer equipment. Many boards have spent considerable money in the past to buy computers and software. But as software changes and programs get more complex, computers must also be upgraded to keep up. For this reason we have established standards to give you guidelines evaluating the effectiveness of current equipment and to use in purchasing new equipment. These are divided into the three levels listed below.
Level 1
This is the basic level. Any computers in your school below this level should be considered obsolete.
- Pentium class 266 MHZ
- 64 megs of RAM
- 1.6 Gig hard drive
- 8x CD-ROM
- Sound card with
- Speakers or headsets
- Mouse
- Win 98
Level 2
Every classroom should have at least one computer at or above this level for student use.
- Intel Pentium III 450 MHZ or AMD K6-2 450 MHZ
- 64 megs of RAM
- 6 Gig hard drive
- 40x CD-ROM
- 56K modem and/or network card
- 8 megs of video memory
- Sound card with speakers or headsets
- Scroll mouse
- Windows 98 2nd Edition
Level 3
If you were to go out today to purchase NEW equipment we would suggest you not purchase equipment less than the following recommendations:
- Pentium 4 2.4 GHZ or AMD Athlon 2400+
- 256 MB SDRAM
- 40 GB Hard drive
- DVD/CD-R Combo Drive
- Sound Card with speakers or headsets
- Network Card and/or Modem
- Scroll Mouse
- 17" CRT Monitor or 15" Flat Screen Monitor
- Windows XP Professional
- Consideration should be given to USB memory sticks instead of floppies.
Other Technology
- All schools need to have networking for sharing of files, printers, and internet access.
- Microsoft Office should be installed as a core toolset on all classroom computers used by students in 3rd grade or above.
- Every classroom should have a method to display classroom presentations on a TV, large monitor, or projection surface appropriate for the size of the class.
- Each school should have at least one digital camera.
- Each school should have at least one scanner.
- One laser printer is recommended for every school due to the high operating costs of ink jet printers. When replacing copiers schools should give serious consideration to digital copiers that can also act as a printer.
Please do a computer inventory to see what type of equipment you have. If you have equipment that is at or below level one and it is still meeting a need in you school, fine. But if that is all you have then please develop a plan to upgrade your equipment. Also you must have at least one Level 2 machine in each classroom for student use.
If you are going out and buying NEW equipment we would recommend that you consider level three as minimums. If you do not understand all of the 'computer lingo', then show it to a salesperson for help.
If you have any questions, please call or e-mail.
|
