Nearly half of Indiana school districts offer devices like laptops or tablets to all of their students – a significant increase from just two years ago.

This year’s results of an annual survey of schools that receive state money for technology, revealed 156 public school districts have a device, like a tablet or laptop, for each student in every grade. In 2016, fewer than 100 school districts had a device for each student.

State Department of Education chief technology officer John Keller says a lot of things have driven increased tech use in schools, including a more digital culture outside of the classroom.

“That’s going to penetrate the learning environment at some point, right? And so people are expecting to have, now a much more sort of personalized experience in school,” he says.

Keller also says schools may want to be seen as more progressive with their instruction tools, and technology in the classroom can make them more attractive than a nearby corporation.

“Now, my competition isn’t just their sports team and their college placement rate or whatever it is. Now, it’s the learning environment, being replete with technology and all this sort of innovation,” he says.

Most schools with individual student devices use iPads in lower grade levels, while middle school and high school students have Chromebooks or regular laptops.

Only 28 out of the 376 surveyed districts say they have no plans to research or offer individual student devices.