Loudoun County Public Schools
Absolute enables personalized learning at Loudoun County Public Schools by minimizing risk and increasing device utility.
Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) is the third largest school division in the Commonwealth of Virginia. They serve more than 78,000 students in 89 facilities, operating 15 high schools, 15 middle schools, 57 elementary schools and 3 special purpose schools. Established in 1870, LCPS is located in the rapidly growing Washington metro-area. Each year, approximately 2,500 new students enroll in their schools, and one to three new school facilities are opened to accommodate them.
In the past, every classroom had a desktop computer but teachers did not have their own laptop. Such configuration was unmanageable, making meetings and collaboration difficult and reducing productivity and versatility. The district decided to start a new personalized learning program and moved away from desktops, replacing them with tens of thousands of laptops in order to add productivity to their devices. Teachers can now move around freely and take them home or to conferences. Students also use laptops, which gives them mobility around the classrooms based on the instruction.
Challenges
In order to bring this initiative forward, the budget needed to be approved by the board. Demonstrating device utilization rates on and off the school network was required to drive consensus that teachers did need to have a laptop and take them home, and that students were intensively using their laptops in the classroom. Additionally, even though in the past some desktop computers were occasionally stolen, laptops were obviously more vulnerable to theft and security was required on the device to protect the new investment.
Solution
Absolute allowed LCPS to provide the board with quantitative information on device utilization rates right away. It was proven that teachers did see value in having their own laptops and they were using them both in the classroom and at home.
However, LCPS teachers also need the comfort level that their laptop and any sensitive data on it are protected if it gets stolen. By working closely with Absolute and Dell, LCPS now gets their laptop images to include Absolute. Even if a device is lost or stolen off the loading dock, they can either track it or report it stolen to the Absolute’s investigations team, who will engage with law enforcement bodies to recover it on their behalf.
With Absolute, the security department at LCPS now receives automated alerts on anomalies, so they can focus on reviewing potential security issues and taking action to ensure endpoint protection and privacy. Absolute allows LCPS to remotely manage all devices throughout the district, and to freeze or wipe a device completely whenever necessary.
The implementation of Absolute on their laptops was a turning point for LCPS. For 4 years, they have been able to provide peace of mind with security, privacy and theft recovery, minimizing their risk and increasing the value and utility of their devices.
Results
We were able to provide the board with quantitative information about device utilization that drives consensus so the budget could be approved, and also peace of mind with security, privacy and theft recovery.
Resources
Endpoint Security Trends: K-12 Edition
Get insights into the K-12 cybersecurity crisis in this research report compiled from analyzing more than three million student devices over one year.
Absolute for K-12 Education
Absolute gives your a persistent connection to student, teacher, and staff devices. It is a single pane of glass to see, manage, control and validate appropriate usage across your entire device population - whether they are Chromebook, Windows, or Mac devices. Learn how Absolute can help your schools.
