BISD 1:1 Chromebook Program
1:1 programs provide for a much richer learning environment. Computers provide teachers much more flexibility in how they teach, providing opportunities for more personalized and differentiated instruction, flipped lessons, collaborative projects, and blended courses to name a few. With a personal device, students will have continual access to documents, research, and content. With the integration of Google Workspace for Education, our teachers/students can experience immediate feedback, collaboration, and document access.
1:1 increases instruction time by reducing the time associated with using computer labs or computer carts. It also ends the logistical issues and removes the problem of trying to schedule learning around the availability of technology.
Baird ISD is a Google Workspace for Education district. This allows teachers and students to use Google’s cloud-based services such as Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides from any device in school or at home. We have already been using Chromebooks simultaneously with great success. The Chromebook needs very little maintenance as most resources are accessed directly from the internet and updates are quick and automatic. Student work on the Chromebook automatically saves to the Google cloud and can be accessed from any device with an internet connection.
Each student will receive a Chromebook along with a power adapter and a protective always-on carrying case (9-12th grades).
Each student in grades K-8 will receive a Chromebook, which will be kept at school and charged nightly.
All students in grades K-12 will be assigned a Chromebook.
Students grades 8-12, upon graduation from Baird ISD will be awarded their Chromebook as a reward for successful completion of the High School Program. Students who withdraw from Baird ISD before graduation will be given the option to purchase the Chromebook at a pro-rated price or return their Chromebook and the accessories.
Technology is an integral part of the education all students receive at the Baird Independent School District. Chromebooks should be considered as essential to the educational process as a textbook and we want them to take advantage of the powerful learning resources available with it. Therefore we are strongly discouraging opting out of the program at this time.
If you feel uncomfortable with your student taking the device home, please contact your school’s office to arrange for the student to store the Chromebook in the building rather than taking it home; it will need to be checked out at the start of each day and checked in at the end of each school day. It still will be the responsibility of the student in case of damage or loss.
Presently, no. District issued Chromebooks are managed for our students and have certain apps and policies provided by the district. They also have all of the applications and security that is needed for class work and online testing.
It is also much easier for teachers to teach knowing that everyone is using the same device, and this helps minimize downtime due to quirks from untested devices.
Yes. Students in grades 9-12 will be allowed to take their Chromebooks home.
Students in grades K-8 must keep the Chromebook at school. They will pick them up during their homeroom in the mornings and must return them before leaving for the day.
Distribution of the Chromebooks will take place at the student’s campus. The distribution will take place at various dates, at or prior to, the beginning of the school year. Exact dates will be posted by campus personnel.
The Chromebooks are each labeled with a Baird ISD asset tag as well as the manufacturer's serial number label. At deployment time, the Chromebook is checked out to the student and the information on these labels is associated with the student using a web-based program. If there is ever a question of identification of a device, campus personnel can look up the association using this same web-based program.
Before a Chromebook will be issued to the student, parents, and students must sign a Device Agreement form.
If a Chromebook is damaged (non-intentional) or has been determined to have a factory defect, the device will be repaired or replaced by BISD. While this takes place, a loaner Chromebook will be checked out to the student. The student will be allowed to take this device home if he/she is normally allowed to do so. The loaner device is subject to all the same rules as the normal Chromebook issued to the student.
A Chromebook or any of its accessories that are lost or intentionally damaged is the financial responsibility of the student and parent/guardian involved. It will be at the discretion of BISD administration to determine who is at fault. The user will not be given another device or accessory to use until the replacement cost has been paid to the school.
Full Chromebook Replacement | $350.00 |
Screen Replacement | $100.00 |
Chromebook Outer Case (if repairable) | $100.00 |
Keyboard and Touchpad (if repairable) | $55.00 |
Key Replacement (if repairable) | $10.00 |
AC Adapter & Power Cord (9th-12th grades) | $25.00 |
Protective Carrying Case (9th-12th grades) | $25.00 |
The district is offering optional insurance for Chromebooks. If insurance is not purchased, each repair instance would be the responsibility of the student or parent/guardian. Depending upon damage, the repair cost for one “accident” could easily be more than the annual insurance fee. The annual insurance must be purchased by the end of the first six weeks of the school year.
The annual insurance premium will be based upon prior claims.
If a claim is made during a school year, the insurance rate will freeze at the current rate until a school year passes with no further claims.
This insurance protection covers any type of device malfunction (cosmetic damages would not be included), including:
This insurance can only be used for 1 claim per year.
A Chromebook or any of its accessories that are lost or intentionally damaged is the financial responsibility of the student and parent/guardian involved. The annual insurance does not cover these situations.
In the event of theft, vandalism, or other criminal acts, the student/parent/guardian MUST file a report with the local police department and submit a copy of the report to the school. The device will be replaced under the insurance policy guidelines. Provided the school has received a copy of the police report, a loaner Chromebook will be checked out to the student. The student will be allowed to take this device home. The loaner device is subject to all the same rules as the normal Chromebook issued to the student.
In such cases, circumstances will be investigated on a case-by-case basis. School administration may be involved if it is suspected of an intentional act or act of vandalism.
Baird ISD employs an IT Technician and part of their role will be to address technical issues. There will be a designated Helpdesk location where your student can stop by and work with the IT personnel to resolve the issue. Some of the issues may be resolved in school but some may require devices to be returned to the manufacturer.
Any of the issued accessories that are lost are the financial responsibility of the student and parent/guardian involved. The provided insurance policy does not cover these situations.
Students are expected to charge their Chromebooks nightly at home and bring them to school fully charged. Loaners are not available and your student will be without the Chromebook for the day. It is at the teachers discretion as to how they handle these situations.
Students who do not bring a Chromebook to school may be without the Chromebook for the day. It is at the teachers discretion as to how they handle these situations.
All Chromebooks are supplied with the latest build of Google Chrome Operating System (OS), and many other applications useful in an educational environment. The Chrome OS will automatically install updates when the computer is shut down and restarted. Chromebooks seamlessly integrate with the Google Workspace for Education suite of productivity and collaboration tools. This suite includes Google Docs, Spreadsheets, Presentations, Drawings, Forms, and Sites. All work is stored in the cloud.
From time to time the school may add software applications for use in a particular course. This process will be automatic with virtually no impact on students. Applications that are no longer needed will automatically be removed by the school as well.
Yes. Students are allowed to install district approved Chrome web apps and extensions from the Chrome Web Store. The list of apps available is limited to those approved by the district.
No. Each Chromebook is owned by the Baird Independent School District and any decorating/personalizing of the device (tape, stickers, markers, etc.) will be considered vandalism.
Yes. All of the Google applications have features built into it that allow work to be “shared” between teachers and even classmates. Students can create documents, spreadsheets, drawings, photos, presentations and even videos. Each item can be “shared” with a teacher prior to its due date. The teacher can then see the work on his or her own computer to review it or grade it for the student.
With the devices, it will become even easier for students to receive work from their teachers. Assignments, readings, and other resources can be placed online and shared with the student in their absence. The student can do the work online from home and share it back with the teacher.
Yes, if your location has a Wi-Fi network, the devices will have the same filtered web access as they would at school.
Various places around campus have free wireless Internet including much of the parking spaces and the grassy area in front of the school.
If you don’t have a Wi-Fi network at home, students can still use the Chromebook, but in a limited capacity. Some applications will work “offline” (such as Google Drive) but content saved to the device will not be backed up online until an Internet connection is available for the device. Offline access needs to be set up prior to going home for the day.
To enable Google Drive offline, each individual user must log in to their Drive account, visit Drive settings (look for the gear icon in the top right corner of the screen), and check the box that says “Enable offline access.” A copy of your entire Google Drive account will be downloaded locally on your Chromebook for use when you go offline. These files will be automatically synced when you reconnect to a network.
The District utilizes an Internet content filter that is in compliance with the federally mandated Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). All Chromebooks, regardless of physical location (in or out of school) and Internet connection, will have Internet activity filtered. Despite the filter, the District cannot guarantee that all controversial or inappropriate materials will be blocked. Parental monitoring of student Chromebook use at home is encouraged.
No. All devices and accessories will be returned to BISD during the final weeks of school, on a date to be determined, so they can be checked for serviceability and to be stored for the summer.
Yes.
Students will receive the same device each year.
Upon graduation from Baird ISD, students will be allowed to keep their Chromebook and accessories at no charge.
600 West 7th Street
Baird, TX 75098
www.Bairdisd.org | 325-854-1400