DCPS' Technology Recommendations for Students SY20-21
Personal Devices
This page provides guidance parents can use to assess whether a device they own or plan to purchase is suitable for DCPS virtual instruction. While DCPS has not tested every specific laptop/tablet available, aligning with the following specifications is recommended.
General Recommendations for Elementary: Any device with the latest version of Windows 10 OS, macOS or Chrome OS, at least 4 GB of memory, a full keyboard and a camera will meet the requirements of our Elementary school curriculum and distance learning standards. A touchscreen device is highly recommended for students in grades PK through 2.
For our Early Childhood Education (ECE) students in PK3 and PK4, as long as a device/platform can support Microsoft Teams video conferencing and our instructional apps used by our ECE teachers without performance issues they will be acceptable - please see the list of standardized learning applications in the second table below.
General Recommendations for Secondary: Students in Middle and High school will require a slightly more powerful device. We recommend a device with Windows 10 OS or macOS with at least a dual-core processor, 8 GB of memory, a full keyboard and a camera.
All students will require access to reliable internet connectivity.
Note about Chromebooks and Kindle Fire Tablets: While most online resources will function well, Chromebooks do not support full versions of some desktop applications such as Microsoft Office 365. This means students will not have access to every feature in the desktop version, but that will not impact their ability to complete their assignments. Kindle Fire tablets have specifically been tested and do not perform well with video conferencing. They are also very limited on the instructional apps they can run and do not do well with browser-based platforms such as Canvas and Clever. We do not recommend Kindle Fire tablets for anything more than a reading tool.
Devices Used at DCPS
The below table provides a snapshot of the current hardware used for students in DC Public Schools. It also includes our configuration and device management platform specifications. We share this guidance for schools, families, donors to reference when making device selections. These models are not required for personal devices
Grades | Devices used in DC Public Schools | Minimum Hardware Specs | Recommended Hardware Specs |
K-12 (general use) | DCPS is primarily using these student device models in SY20-21. 1. Microsoft Surface Go (ELi Device). A laptoptablet hybrid that also features a worldfacing camera and inking. The Go is the DCPS-selected device for the Empowered Learner’s Initiative (ELi). Learn more. 2. Lenovo 300e 3. Dell 3380 | Intel Pentium Gold 4GB RAM 64GB Hard Drive Windows 10 10.5” Touchscreen Keyboard, trackpad, USB-C port World-facing Camera | Intel Core M3 or i3 8GB RAM 128GB Hard Drive Windows 10 10.5” Touchscreen Keyboard, trackpad, USB-C port World-facing Camera |
Configuration | Default Browser: Google Chrome. Microsoft Edge is also installed. Recommended Extensions to install: Clever Device Management: DCPS devices are managed via Microsoft Intune and Ivanti | ||
Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 | DCPS is primarily using iPad tablets for PK students. iPads are managed via AirWatch, allowing DCPS to push applications to the iPad remotely. 1. Apple iPad 7th generation 2. Previous models. iPads that cannot be updated to at least iOS v.11 should be retired. | Apple iPad 7th Generation 32GB Model: MW6W2LL/A A10 Fusion chip 10.2” Multi-Touch disp. iPad OS 13.5 or above | Apple iPad 7th Generation 64GB Model: MW6W2LL/A A10 Fusion chip 10.2” Multi-Touch disp. iPad OS 13.5 or above |
Configuration | Default Browser: Apple Safari. Google Chrome is also installed. Device Management: DCPS iPads are managed via AirWatch. | ||
Career Technical Education | DCPS uses Dell and Lenovo devices with the recommended specifications listed here for CTE programming. CTE students also use Mac computers for graphic design and video editing work | Intel Core i5 or i7 8GB RAM 256GB Hard Drive Windows 10 Operating System 14” High Resolution Touchscreen Keyboard, trackpad, USB-C port, USB 3.0 ports (x2), HDMI or mini display port | Intel Core i7 16GB RAM 512GB Hard Drive Windows 10 Operating System 14” High Resolution Touchscreen Keyboard, trackpad, USB-C port, USB 3.0 ports (x2), HDMI or mini display port |