Many parents, educators, and policy makers see great potential for leveraging tools like laptop computers, tablets, and smartphones in the classrooms of the world. Under budget constraints and shared access to equipment for students and teachers, the impacts have been irregular but hint at greater possibilities in 1:1 student computing settings. This study examines practices and short-term outcomes of a 1:1 program in two suburban 6th grade classrooms that used low-cost netbook computers and leveraged cloud-based software resources. The mixed-methods pre/post comparison study documented that, with planning, teachers and students used 1:1 computing resources to engage in constructive learning activities across the core curriculum. Teacher surveys and classroom observations found that students in the 1:1 pilot setting increased the frequency and quality of their social interactions in class. Pre/post surveys and classroom observation data all indicated that the technology-enhanced pilot setting had higher levels of engagement than observed in the conventional classrooms. Pilot students also achieved larger average achievement gains on standardized English Language Arts (ELA) state tests than their fellow 6th graders.