Coppell High School students walk the time-honored hallways of a campus that, while deeply rooted in tradition, reflects the transformed school experience of teens compared to their predecessors 60 years ago. Many feel the impacts, seen through the increased prevalence of technology in the district and transformed social dynamics.
Students walk through the hallways of Coppell High School, enter class and open up their iPads, ready to learn. In Coppell ISD, each student is issued an iPad, digital pencil and a variety of educational apps, creating a more digital high school environment compared to the past, when physical resources, such as books and paper, were the standard.
Many utilize this technology for good, taking advantage of resources such as Quizlet, Notability and the internet in general. However, managing this advanced access responsibly is a challenge.
Resources, such as Home Access Center, have long existed to help students track grades and monitor academic progress. The introduction of GradeWay app in 2022 allows students to customize their grade portal and encourages them to set score goals to maximize their GPAs. However, it has introduced stress and an addictive aspect to tracking averages.
“Technology makes keeping up with my grades more stressful,” senior Oliver Gabriele said. “If I were to imagine not having access to the digital resources we have today, grades would not be something that I would worry about as much. I would likely be more focused on being present and in the moment in each of my classes.”
Digital integration is increasing as teachers and coaches regularly use interactive learning platforms in the classroom. However, the increased availability of Artificial Intelligence makes originality and authenticity an issue. Students must manage both benefits and limitations of the technology they have access to.
“Technology has revolutionized a lot of things,” said Gabriele, a member of the Coppell football program. “For football, the weight room has iPads that have all our workouts, which creates lots of efficiency. AI is pretty intimidating, however.”
High school students years ago did not have generative sources like ChatGPT, QuillBot and Gemini to help them. Many students struggle with the ethical use of AI.
In addition to technology in education, it also affects the malleable minds of teenagers. Isolation has dramatically increased as it becomes easier to communicate without being face-to-face with other people.
“I think that there was more connectivity overall in the past,” Gabriele said. “That is something that I would want to bring back because of the fact that nowadays we are always on our phones or social media.”
During passing periods, students stare into their phones and independently make their way to their next class. This year, CHS has implemented a new phone policy requiring students to keep their phones in designated caddies during class.
“If you are not careful, it can become something that you get addicted to and can’t move away from,” Principal Laura Springer said. “It takes away your ability to make friends because you are too busy trying to figure out your iPad. I can’t tell you the difference that putting phones away this year has made in our classrooms.”
At the end of the day, technology will continue to play in the high school experience.
“I think technology is great by all means,” School Resource Officer Reggie Walker said. “It is just up to how people use it.”
Campus pep rallies in 2024 do not resemble the thunderous support and school spirit of year’s past.
“I wish you could have been here when I first got to Coppell and we were just a UIL Class 3A school,” Springer said. “We packed a stadium. It was unreal; every kid was there and everybody was screaming and cheering. Now, the academic competition is relentless, so students might feel like they can’t afford to relax and have a good time.”
Although CHS’s competitive environment appears to cause more students to focus on academics, the spirit does live on in support of the Cowboys and Cowgirls.
“Everyone comes to the games, and we have the band, Lariettes, cheer team and the student section, which is pretty fun,” Gabriele said. “It is a big way that people come together now, and I think that our school spirit is above and beyond other schools’ from what I have seen.”
Pep rallies help students get excited about school-related activities. However, many choose to skip them.
“They make my day lighter, and I feel uplifted by the people around me,” Tadimeti said. “But, there are a lot of assignments, and I feel the need to focus on studying compared to spending my time cheering.”
While spirit events help students connect, getting them together has become more difficult compared to the past. Springer has experienced this first hand during her many years at CHS.
“Sometimes, there is a lack of school spirit when it comes to things,” Springer said. “Students don’t want to waste time on spirit activities and are busy, some of them studying like crazy over the weekend too. Years ago, school spirit was much more amazing.”
Compared to high school years ago, the increased prevalence of issues such as gun violence and substance abuse have been on the minds of teens a lot more, extending to school and stress.
Fifty-seven percent of students are concerned about their school being the next target for school shootings. Deaths from drug overdoses have grown by a dramatic 500% since 1999.
“The world has changed for safety reasons because there is a lot of evil out there, and it breaks my heart that there were days when you never worried about that at school,” Springer said. “You knew this was a safe place to be.”
Walker recalls how safety standards were during his high school years and how he views the evolution of school safety.
“I had classmates who would drive to school with shotguns in the back of their pickup trucks, and nobody ever was alarmed by the gun being on campus,” Walker said. “There was never one moment when I was in high school that I felt unsafe and that there was gonna be some type of a school shooter or student coming to school with a knife or somebody wanting to do something to harm other students.”
Nowadays, school safety is a larger priority. In Coppell ISD, SROs have been introduced to monitor campuses and technology is being used to improve their effectiveness.
“We didn’t have SROs or security personnel,” Walker said. “We did not have cameras inside of our campuses to track where students were going or who was leaving the door propped open. The technology in schools is great. For example, If a door propped open, there would be an alert on the screen, and I would instantly know to go check that door.”
As today’s teens focus on grades and are harder on themselves, they experience increased anxiety and depression compared to years ago. These mental problems significantly impact the high school experience but have also gained more awareness through support programs and resources in the school.
“I think the country as a whole is starting to take mental health more seriously,” Walker said. “I myself am trying to learn to deal with each situation patiently and uniquely. Many students come into my office who are dealing with personal family matters, bullying and even fights leaked on social media. That energy is carried into this campus. ”
Springer has witnessed the rise in mental health issues among today’s teens.
“I don’t ever want to find a student passed out and knowing I’ve got a matter of minutes to try to save their life,” Springer said. “I’m having to send students to mental health facilities because they feel like they don’t have anybody in their corner. I have plans with my team, the nurse and counselors. We talk all the time about how we have a lot more kids with mental health issues than we’ve ever seen before.”
CHS has many mental health resources, such as the recently added Hope Squad and lifeline phone numbers on the back of IDs. Technology, especially social media, adds to the increased stress faced by students today.
“With social media, there are so many different ways to skew the way things are portrayed,” Tadimeti said. “There is going to be light at the end of the tunnel, but right now I see people around me who are stressed and anxious about one problem that they think they will never get over. I realize that as I go into the future, things are going to be alright.”
Although the things teens focus on have changed, their time in high school remains a period of growth, learning and self-discovery.
“Everybody is worried about their GPA, and it really rules their head,” Springer said. “But this is a place for us to help you learn, grow up and understand your role. It is about caring about each other, helping each other and making the school the best place it could possibly be for everyone.”
