How the Right School Network Technology Can Boost Student Progress
Published: March 24, 2023
SUMMARY: Network technology is the nucleus of your school. It determines your level of student success. So if your network is disparate and disjointed, then so will be the student experience. But if the school network is fluid, efficient, and optimized, it will provide an experience that fosters student excellence. However, high-quality cloud networking technology can take a bite out of the budget—unless initiatives like E-Rate in the United States can cover it.
Your school’s student experience has a lot to do with digital access. And having the availability to support the rapid flow of information from an increasing number of connections requires a high-quality campus network.
But the problem with advanced technology is twofold: high-value networking needs high-caliber technology solutions—and those are often priced way out of school districts’ already-strapped budgets.
Making Digital First a Priority
Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School (BART) found itself in a juxtaposition with which many primary and secondary schools are familiar. To best equip their students for higher education, BART promises to deliver a strong foundation in arts and technology. Post-pandemic, this promise has become best delivered through its online curriculum. On top of that, the state has now mandated online testing.
This format can put a lot of pressure on a school. “If a student’s test fails due to tech difficulties, there are real-world implications to that,” says Christopher Tawes, BART Director of Technology. “So it was nice to have an infrastructure back in place that just met everything I threw at it.”
Through its relationship with Extreme Networks, BART has been able to accomplish those interrelated goals. The online curriculum not only helps students get ready for the required testing, but it also ensures they have the latest and greatest in digital learning tools. By giving their students every possible technological advantage, BART is making good on its promise to prepare them for the future.
BART Brings Digital-First Learning Into the Classroom with Enhanced Wireless
Maximizing Scholastic Connectivity
These are all initiatives made possible through digital strategies and technologies brought to life in the school network. Network management must be sophisticated and streamlined to handle the data and devices. And sufficient connectivity and capacity to handle the vast amount of data required for digital learning models were needed.
After swapping out its wireless infrastructure and adding 36 new Wi-Fi 6-enabled wireless access points in less than a week, the team at BART needed to ensure they had visibility and control over the network. This is where ExtremeCloud IQ (XIQ) was able to help. The E-Rate-approved cloud management solution streamlined network management, making it easier and providing high-quality data on network performance and capacity.
With the network working as a unified whole and network operators receiving better information about user behavior and access points, it only enhanced student and staff outcomes.
E-Rate Approved Technology
The first criterion for a schools network upgrade is an E-Rate approved vendor. That way, your school can utilize E-Rate dollars to purchase the hardware and software necessary to support your network. When BART partnered with Extreme Networks they gained tangible value across their entire online scholastic operation—and advanced technology that fell within the E-Rate list of eligible products.
Higher quality data, better network performance, and increased capacity were achieved through ExtremeCloud IQ. And after adding wireless access points throughout campus, help desk tickets went down. This freed up staff to enrich academic life with new projects, provide graduation ceremonies via live-streaming, and plan future programs.
Could Your School’s Network Use an Extreme Boost?
Earn a Better Network Report Card
ExtremeCloud IQ delivers a better user experience on all sides. Higher quality data makes lesson planning easier for teachers and enables them to deliver tailored materials. Students receive a better classroom experience withmore feature-rich content, including video, interactives, and podcasts. End-to-end visibility takes the headache out of network management for IT staff who can now trust a reliable network featuring simplified management. With a network that’s unified, automated, and secure, everyone can work better, together—and the school network will be helping everyone get better grades.