Dear [Superintendents name]:

[School District Name] has long been dedicated to providing cutting-edge educational
opportunities for our communitys students. As you are well aware, todays students must learn
21st Century skills in order to be competitive in the global workforce. While the [School District
Name] has been a leader in the area of technology for our region, our students need increased
access to computers both inside and outside of the educational environment.
Vast disparities exist among our students with respect to technology access, and these
disparities can be seen in multiple facets of our students educational and life outcomes. While
overcoming all disparities seems a daunting task, providing access to technology can pay
dividends to our students as well as our district.
In recent years, our district has provided access to computers and iPads inside the school;
however, many students do not have access to similar technology outside of the classroom. In
order to obtain lasting learning outcomes, students must be able to apply in real life the
information learned in the classroom. Teachers routinely achieve this application by careful
planning and implementation of homework activities. Unfortunately, homework assignments
requiring technology application exclude the most educationally vulnerable population of our
students, and we simply cannot afford - as both a school district and community - to continue to
exclude this population.
I implore you to consider implementing a 1:1 technology initiative in the [School District Name].
This type of initiative involves the school district purchasing and issuing one electronic device to
each student. While a 1:1 initiative involves a major investment of resources, the dividends paid
in the form of increased educational outcomes far exceed the initial investment.
Dividends for the school district and individual students include improved test scores. According
to Dunleavy and Heinecke (2007), Students using laptops in a 1:1 program scored significantly
higher on state science tests. Shapley, et al. (2006), found that the use of technology in a 1:1
program was a significant predictor of reading and math scores. They found that students who
used a laptop at home and school had higher math and reading scores than students who used
a laptop only at school. These outcomes are achieved by using technology to engage students
in critical thinking, collaboration, and communication.
I sincerely ask you to consider planning and implementing a 1:1 technology initiative in the
[School District Name]. The potential for positive student outcomes and increases in test scores
for our district is too good to ignore. It is time for the [School District Name] to join other
Mississippi school districts in providing our students with access to 21st Century technology and
a learning environment that will prepare them for the workforce of tomorrow.
Thanks,
[Teacher Name}
References

Dunleavy, M., & Heinecke, W. F. (2007). The impact of 1:1 laptop use on middle school math
and standardized test scores. Computers in Schools, 24 (3/4), 7-22.
Shapley, K., Sheehan, D., Sturges, K., Caranikas-Walker, F., Huntsberger, B., & Maloney, C.
(2006). Evaluation of the Texas Technology Immersion Pilot: Texas Center for Educational
Research. Retrieved March 5, 2011 from http://www.txtip
.info/images/06.05.06_eTxTIP_Year_1_Report.pdf