CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Kanawha County Schools plans to pilot a classroom audio enhancement system at Horace Mann Middle School that officials say could improve student engagement, amplify teachers’ voices and help students overcome language barriers.
The Kanawha County Board of Education considered a $237,727.67 purchase order Thursday for equipment and integration services from Audio Enhancement. The company requires the purchase order to begin the pilot, but the school system would not have to pay for the equipment until the pilot evaluation is completed.
Superintendent Paula Potter said the district wants to test the technology before deciding whether to move forward with a purchase.
“We want to pilot it to see if we get the results that are being presented to us,” Potter told the board.
The system includes classroom audio equipment that amplifies teachers’ voices, translation services supporting more than 300 languages and additional microphone capabilities intended to help students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Potter said she learned about the company at a national superintendent’s conference before seeing it present at a state conference. She said the technology could help students hear lessons more clearly regardless of where they sit in the classroom.
The pilot is expected to run through the end of the school year, with full implementation anticipated around December, Potter said. The extended timeline will allow the district to evaluate the system over several months rather than through the company’s typical 60- or 90-day pilot.
Officials plan to compare beginning-, middle- and end-of-year assessment results to evaluate potential improvements in student learning. They also hope to measure student satisfaction and engagement.
“The idea is for the audio in the classroom, better student engagement,” Potter said. “When students are actually more engaged, they can hear the entire lesson.”
The equipment includes a lightweight lanyard worn by teachers that can amplify their voices and provide other functions, such as contacting the school office. Additional classroom microphones could allow students who are presenting or responding to questions to be heard more clearly.
Potter said the technology could also work with existing equipment used by students with cochlear implants or personal FM hearing systems, potentially making it easier for them to hear both teachers and classmates.
The translation feature would allow students who are learning English to hear classroom speech in their own language, including responses from other students using a classroom microphone.
Board member Mike Arbogast asked whether the district would be the first in West Virginia to test the technology.
Potter said she believed Kanawha County would be the first county in the state to pilot all of the system’s components, including translation services. She said some other counties may already use classroom audio or teacher alert systems.
The district selected Horace Mann Middle School for the pilot in part because the school houses the district’s program for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Potter also noted the school’s work implementing the Ron Clark Academy model of student engagement. The audio technology is used at the Ron Clark Academy, she said.
Board members also asked how the district would determine whether the system should be expanded to other schools.
Potter said the cost would vary by school based on the number of classroom installations and other equipment needed. The system also could replace or upgrade existing intercom equipment, potentially offering additional benefits beyond classroom audio.
The initial purchase would cover Horace Mann Middle School, rather than the entire county. Potter said any decision to proceed after the pilot would return to the board for approval. The translation service would be the primary recurring annual expense, she said.
Before voting, board members raised concerns about the wording of the original motion, which referred to approving a purchase rather than a purchase order.
The board voted down the original motion and approved a revised motion authorizing a purchase order with Audio Enhancement for $237,727.67. The purchase order is required to begin the pilot, but the district will not be required to pay for the equipment until the pilot evaluation is complete.
The revised motion carried 5-0.