Here are some of the top conversations K–12 IT professionals are discussing regarding Microsoft programs.
1. Using Windows Devices for State Testing
Testing season in K–12 schools is stressful, but with tests moving online, IT leaders have an added responsibility to ensure all of the technology is prepared for and able to accommodate the assessments.
Ask: One K–12 IT professional took to a forum to ask how they could configure Windows devices to ensure they were functional and properly locked down. The individual was specifically looking to use the tech for Pearson’s TestNav state testing.
Answer: Responders shared their own experiences configuring devices. Conversations and solutions revolved around using generic logins, creating group policies, leaning on Microsoft Intune’s “kiosk-like lockdown” and more.
2. Connecting Teachers’ PCs to Student Chromebooks
Technical difficulties can delay or even halt learning in the K–12 classroom, as educators have to pause lessons to problem-solve on their own or place a ticket to IT.
Ask: In a recent forum discussion, a K–12 IT leader sought solutions for situations where teachers and students are on different operating systems. In their particular instance, teachers used Windows devices, while students had Chromebooks. This created sticking points for educators and made the environment more difficult for the IT department to manage.
DIVE DEEPER: Why do schools need to implement interoperability standards?
Answer: One key recommendation in the ensuing discussion involved managing the split environment by transitioning Entra ID for identity management. Relating to this transition, one individual brought up Windows audits to simplify the move.
3. Faltering Intune Updates and Driver Policy Counts
As updates and new systems get off the ground, glitches are sometimes an unfortunate reality. While IT professionals do everything in their power to make mass upgrades to K–12 educational technology go smoothly, there occasionally are sticking points outside of their control.
Ask: Forum members observed two ongoing issues in Intune. One was feature updates; the other was driver update policies. Testing devices that had previously worked suddenly failed to pull Windows 11 23H2 updates, and the driver update counts stopped in late 2023.
Answer: Working with Microsoft’s support team revealed that an Entra ID enterprise application created in December 2023 called “Intune Update Service” was disabled. This was causing driver policies to fail; however, users found that enabling it restored driver approvals.
4. Scheduling Windows Device Shutdowns
With many K–12 IT professionals managing thousands of devices, shortcuts and automations can save valuable time.
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Ask: One forum member noticed that Intune lacks a built-in option for scheduling Windows device shutdowns. They asked their peers for solutions or workarounds for scheduling these
Answer: Community members suggested using Proactive Remediations to deploy a script or, alternatively, packaging it as a Win32 app. The latter worked successfully for the asker.
5. Examining System Crashes for Signs of Malware
The so-called “blue screen of death” can inspire a lot of emotions: shock, fear, anger. But for forum members, it can also lead to curiosity and resolve. Knowing that an issue is affecting others’ systems doesn’t mean it’s benign, but it can help IT professionals feel less alone.
Ask: An update to CrowdStrike’s Falcon sensor caused Windows systems to blue-screen and crash, leading forum users to ask their peers about similar experiences across the country.
Answer: After users and vendors realized the cause of the outage, CrowdStrike deployed a fix and assured IT professionals that the crash was not a cyberattack.
BE PREPARED: Fortify your school network after a cyberattack.
