Widespread adoption of one-to-one computing programs and the growing use of online assessments are among the key ed-tech trends occurring in schools across the country, according to the 2008 America's Digital Schools report. However, implementation of these and other technologies leaves little funding for new initiatives, and bandwidth issues are limiting the scope of interaction students can have with technology.

The report, conducted by Thomas W. Greaves of The Greaves Group and Jeanne Hayes of The Hayes Connection, isolates the most important ways in which technology is changing teaching and learning and identifies the implications of those changes for the future.

The results were compiled from a survey of more than 400 school administrators between April and September 2007.

Besides one-to-one computing and online assessment, the report identifies and examines new computing devices, interactive whiteboards, learning management systems (LMS), and growing bandwidth needs as other key trends on the rise in schools.

"...District-level respondents make it clear that these six trends are becoming increasingly entrenched, indicating that America's Digital Schools are moving beyond the concept stage and becoming a reality," says the report. "Understanding the trends and their implications is increasingly important for educators, policy makers, and industry alike--to help them make plans, maximize opportunities, and avoid pitfalls."

One-to-one computing programs--defined here as programs that provide full-time personal computing devices for all students in at least one whole grade level, and not simply mobile laptop carts--have improved dramatically in the last few years, the report notes. Professional development has improved, teachers are more involved, and hardware failures have been reduced.

In 2006, 30 percent of districts reported moderate to significant improvement in one-to-one computing programs. In 2007, this number climbed to 78.7 percent. Consequently, the average district pilot program has climbed to include 1,631 students. Forty percent of one-to-one pilots include more than 1,000 students, and 10 percent include more than 5,000 students.

Implementation also is more widespread, with 27 percent of districts reporting their involvement with one-to-one computing programs. Thirty-one percent of district pilot programs involve three or more schools, meaning these districts have moved beyond the initial stages and are on the path toward system-wide implementation.

For Hayes, the most positive finding of the report was this improvement in one-to-one computing programs. "They're bigger, in more schools in a district, and are being evaluated more closely and for longer," she said. "This is good news, suggesting that one-to-one computing is not a fad, but has lasting efficacy."

David Underhill, principal of Bayshore High School in Manatee County, Fla., believes that one-to-one computing can only be successful through teacher ownership. "If teachers are presented with the new machines without any prior involvement in the decision, the program probably won't succeed," he said. "But if teachers have an opportunity to learn about the program early in the process and provide input, they feel brought in--and the picture totally changes."