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Common Core, BYOD, assessments among districts’ budget priorities
eSchool News – January 22nd, 2015
Survey reveals that school districts are prioritizing ed-tech in the wake of more positive budget news
An annual report based on two large-scale surveys of education decision-makers reveals that school technology budgets are growing stronger, school leaders are seeking Common Core-aligned instructional materials, and there is a growing demand for tools that improve teaching and personalized learning.
The results come from MDR’s State of the K-12 Market 2014 report, conducted by the EdNET Research team. The report seeks to define important trends that will impact U.S. schools in the coming year.
Major findings reveal a reliance on digital resources and an expansion of access through mobile devices, implementation of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) programs, and one-to-one computing initiatives; increased experimentation with new instructional models; an uptick in preparation for online assessments; and fewer worries about budgets.
“Schools are more optimistic about their ed-tech budgets than they have been for the past few years,” said Kathleen Brantley, Director of EdNET Insight.
In fact, nearly 90 percent of districts anticipate their 2014-2015 technology budgets in hardware, software, teacher training, and technical support to stay the same or increase. Topping the list of their concerns are hardware/device purchases and infrastructure capacity, meaning bandwidth and wireless networks will influence purchasing decisions going forward.
A growing interest in one-to-one and BYOD programs is fueled in part by the rapid growth of mobile computing devices and the increased focus on personalized learning. Nearly half (44 percent) of all U.S. districts report that one-to-one computing is substantially implemented in high schools, 36 percent in middle schools, and 20 percent in elementary schools. Chromebooks have come on strong, with half of all surveyed districts citing implementation of these newer devices.
January Desktop Special
HP 6000 Desktops
*Sold in lots – 100 available
- – C2D 3.06GHz
- – 4096 x 250GB
- – DVDRW
- – Windows 7 Pro COA
– $90 each
Christmas Business Special
Dell Optiplex 960 Tower
- – Intel Core 2 Quad 9550
- – 64-bit 2.83 GHz
- – 4GB Memory
- – 250GB Sata
- – DVD/RW
- – Windows Vista Business COA
- – 305W Power Supply
- – ATI Radeon VGA/DVI Graphics Card
Only $110 each
Why buy refurbished?
Discover the benefits of refurbished products
You know it’s supposed to mean more bang for your buck, but for some, the term “refurbished” stirs up more questions than confidence: “Am I buying someone’s hand-me-down computer with a few new parts thrown in?” “Will the software on my remanufactured desktop be out-of-date?” “Are the ink cartridges of a refurbished printer less than full?”
Fortunately, these and other common questions about remanufactured products are easily answered, allowing you to make the smartest buy for your technology needs. In this article, we’ll discuss what refurbished products really are, where they come from, how to buy them, and why refurbished is sometimes the best choice.
What is “refurbished”?
At HP, a refurbished solution is offered on just about all product lines: printers, notebooks, desktops, servers, and more. They are products that have been returned to HP for a variety of reasons and then put through a rigorous re-manufacturing process.
Where do refurbished products come from?
HP refurbished business products can originate from a variety of sources, including:
– Customer returns and cancelled orders – Fully-functional products that leave the HP warehouse and therefore can no longer be sold as new.
– Damaged products – Products returned because of cosmetic flaws or damage during shipping.
– Overstocks – Items that are returned by the seller to make room for newer product lines.
– Demonstration – Products have been used as HP demos.
Depending on the product line, most refurbished equipment starts to show up in HP’s remarketed inventory pool about 3-18 months after their introduction date. For instance, a desktop model that was originally entered the market over 12 months ago may be considered obsolete and not worth the cost to remanufacture, while a server could still provide a lot of value and ample performance 18 months after its initial launch.
How is a product remanufactured?
Every HP refurbished product is restored by HP to its original condition and performance. Each item is thoroughly tested, broken or defective parts are replaced, and then test results are re-verified.
All HP refurbished products are upgraded to meet current performance specifications. For example: ink cartridges in refurbished business printers are replaced with “full new” cartridges; and the latest software patches are added to computers..
When is refurbished better?
If your IT budget is lean, then HP refurbished business products offer high-quality, warrantied product at a low cost. For some applications, the latest generation of technology is better suited. In other cases, a remanufactured product may be a better fit. For example:
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– Some business applications don’t require the latest performance.
– If your company has standardized on a certain platform and “new” production on that platform has been discontinued.
– Refurbished equipment may offer the best price/performance ratio.
– Software testing may be performed just as effectively using refurbished products as with new.
– A new, popular product that is out of stock may be available in the remarketed pool due to a return or cancelled order.
What should I look for when I buy refurbished?
There are a number of things to keep in mind when you buy a refurbished business product. Here are a few tips:
Buy directly– Be sure your product was refurbished by the original manufacturer. Brokers looking to recoup losses may refurbish a product cheaply and resell it without an adequate warranty or policy.
Buying directly from HP or an authorized HP dealer ensures that your product has been remanufactured and tested to meet stringent HP standards.
Check the warranty– Does your seller guarantee the quality of its remanufactured products? Products remanufactured by HP are covered by HP.
Ask about return policies– If for any reason, you are unsatisfied with your refurbished product, the HP business outlet provides a return policy.
Act now– HP refurbished product inventory turns over quickly and the tried and true workhorses go first. Unlike new, if you miss out on a product you want, re-stocking or back-ordering is not an option.
