Program Mission

The mission of the APCSD 1:1 initiative (one Chromebook for every student) is to equitably empower learners to collaborate, engage in dynamic 21st-century instruction, participate in computer-based instructional interventions, and take formative and summative assessments to guide instruction and establish a foundation for college and career readiness.

We have witnessed the immense impact that the integration of technology into our classrooms has achieved. To foster an environment of collaboration, communication, and creativity in our children’s lives, providing a technology device for our students is not just something they should have, it’s something they deserve.

We believe that providing every student with a Chromebook will deepen the connection between the high-quality instruction our teachers deliver and the vast collection of resources, tools, and communities that exist in our children’s digital worlds. This connection will allow students to become creators, inventors, innovators, risk takers, and problem solvers at a level not previously attainable without the use of technology. Our teachers are already skilled at integrating technology into their classrooms and now will have even greater opportunities to facilitate their students’ learning beyond the traditional school day.

Purpose of this document

The purpose of this guide is to provide parents and students with a thorough explanation of how the district will manage its 1:1 initiative. The success of this initiative will be strongly tied to the responsibility, ownership, and pride that our students have when they receive their Chromebook. While the district believes that technology use is critical to student success and needs to be part of the daily learning process, the ability to have a device at all times is considered a privilege that our students should not take lightly.

PROCEDURE GUIDE CONTENTS

1. RECEIVING YOUR CHROMEBOOK

2. RETURNING YOUR CHROMEBOOK

3. TAKING CARE OF YOUR CHROMEBOOK

4. USING YOUR CHROMEBOOK AT SCHOOL

5. AT HOME USE

6. MANAGING YOUR FILES AND SAVING YOUR DIGITAL WORK

7. SUPPORTING YOUR CHROMEBOOK

8. PROTECTING & STORING YOUR CHROMEBOOK

9. REPAIRING YOUR CHROMEBOOK

10. EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY

11. RESPONSIBLE DIGITAL USE AND AWARENESS

12.  APCSD CHROMEBOOK LOAN AGREEMENT

Chromebooks will be issued to all students in grades 5 -12 in the 2021-2022 school year. This Chromebook Policy Handbook outlines the procedures and policies for families to protect the Chromebook investment for the Averill Park CSD.

Students will receive a new Chromebook at the start of 5th grade and retain that Chromebook until the end of 8th grade.   Students will once again receive a chromebook in 9th grade and will retain that device until the end of 12th grade.  All students in grades 5 - 12 are expected to use a school-issued Chromebook during the school day.

Students must complete the APCSD Chromebook Loan Agreement. This agreement must be signed/acknowledged via the “First Day Sheet” process before a student can receive a Chromebook.

If a student transfers out of the Averill Park School District during the school year, the Chromebook (with originally supplied charger) will be returned at that time to the Counseling Center and/or Main Office along with their “exit sheet”.  If a student fails to return the Chromebook at the end of 8th grade and/or 12th grade or upon termination of enrollment at APCSD, the student will pay the replacement cost of the Chromebook and/or accessories. Failure to return the Chromebook will result in a theft report being filed with the proper authorities. If the Chromebook or any accessories are returned in damaged or otherwise unsatisfactory condition, a fee will be assessed to cover the repair or replacement of the device(s) unless the family has participated in the Extended Care Program which is addressed in section 9 of this handbook.

Students are responsible for the general care of the Chromebook they have been issued by the school. Chromebooks that are broken, or fail to work properly, must be reported to the District Technology Office as soon as possible so that they can be taken care of properly and promptly.  Do not take district owned Chromebooks to an outside computer service for any type of repairs or maintenance.  Do not try to repair the Chromebook yourself.

3a. General Precautions

• Do not share your password.
• No food or drink is allowed next to your Chromebook while it is in use.
• Cords, cables, and removable storage devices must be inserted carefully into the Chromebook.
• Never transport your Chromebook with the power cord plugged in.  Never store your Chromebook in your backpack while plugged in.
• Students should never carry their Chromebooks while the screen is open.
• Chromebooks must remain free of any writing, drawing, or stickers that are not the property of APCSD.
• Heavy objects should never be placed on top of your Chromebook.
• Chromebooks must have a APCSD and/or Questar asset tag on them at all times and this tag must not be removed or altered in any way.  If the tag is removed disciplinary action will result. 
• Chromebooks should never be left in a car, unlocked locker or any unsupervised area.
• Students are responsible for bringing completely charged Chromebooks for use each day.
• If your device is in need of repair, please report it to the District Technology Office as soon as possible.
• When charging the Chromebook, avoid stressing the power port on the Chromebook by keeping the power adapter at the same height as the Chromebook.

3b. Carrying Chromebooks

The guidelines below should always be followed when moving your Chromebook:

• Transport Chromebooks with care.
• Never move a Chromebook by lifting from the screen. Always support a Chromebook from its bottom with the lid closed.
• Chromebook lids should always be closed and tightly secured when moving.
• When carrying the Chromebook in another case/backpack, take caution when placing other items (notebooks, books, water bottles, lunch box, etc.) to avoid putting too much pressure and weight on the Chromebook screen. The screen is delicate and can crack easily.
• Use caution when placing Chromebooks into bags, to ensure that writing utensils, earbuds, etc. do not slip between the screen and keyboard.

3c. Screen Care

The Chromebook screens can be easily damaged. The screens are particularly sensitive to damage from excessive pressure on the screen.

• Do not lean or put pressure on the top of the Chromebook when it is closed.
• Do not store the Chromebook with the screen in the open position.
• Do not place anything near the Chromebook that could put pressure on the screen.
• Do not poke the screen with anything that will mark or scratch the screen surface.
• Do not place anything on the keyboard before closing the lid (e.g. pens, pencils, or disks).
• Clean the screen with a soft, dry microfiber cloth or anti-static cloth

• Chromebooks are intended for use at school each day.
• In addition to teacher expectations for Chromebook use, school messages, announcements, calendars and schedules may be accessed using the Chromebook.
• Students must be responsible to bring their Chromebook to all classes, unless specifically advised not to do so by their teacher.
• Chromebooks should be locked in lockers or classroom charging carts (5th grade)  when not in use.

4a. Chromebooks left at home

• If a Chromebook is left at home, the student will be asked to contact his/her Parent/Guardian and ask them to deliver the chromebook to school.  If it cannot be delivered, the student will work with the Technology Office/helpdesk to see if a loaner is available.  Repeat violations of not bringing the chromebook to school may result in disciplinary action and/or the student will be asked to keep the chromebook at school at all times.

4b. Chromebooks under repair

• Loaner Chromebooks may be issued to students when their Chromebook is being repaired.  A helpdesk ticket will be created to help manage the information and track the progress of the repair.

4c. Charging your Chromebook

• Chromebooks must be brought to school each day fully charged.
• Students need to charge their Chromebooks each evening.
• Repeat violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action.
• There are a limited number of charging areas available at school to students on a first come, first served basis.

4d. Backgrounds

• Inappropriate media may not be used as a screensaver or background.
• Presence of guns, weapons, pornographic materials, inappropriate language, alcohol, drug, or inappropriate pictures will result in disciplinary action.

4e: Sound, Music, Games

• Sound must be muted at all times unless permission is obtained from the teacher for instructional purposes.
• Headphones may be used at the discretion of the teacher.
• When using headphones please be careful as the stereo jack can get stuck in the port.
• All apps/music/games must be district-approved and/or educationally appropriate.

4f. Printing

• Digital sharing of documents is encouraged, printing is discouraged.

• The use of Chromebook at home, for academic use, is encouraged.
• Chromebook care at home is as important as in school, please refer to the care section.
• It is recommended that you transport your Chromebook in a case or protected backpack.
• Students are authorized to connect to a  wireless network when using their Chromebook away from school. Student use of the Chromebook will be subject to the APCSD website filtering software even when accessing materials on a home wifi connection.
• A WiFi Internet connection is required for much of Chromebook use; however, many applications can be used while not connected to the Internet, including Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and others.
• Students should only use their @apcsd.org issued account on the Chromebooks.  Other family members are not permitted to log into the devices at home.  The purpose of the
  Chromebook is for academic use.

• The majority of student work will be stored in Internet/cloud based applications and can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection and most mobile Internet devices.
• Files should only be stored in your Google Drive and not in the downloads file folder of the Chromebook.
• Students should always remember to save frequently when working on digital media if working outside of Google Drive.
• The district will not be responsible for the loss of any student work.

Proper care and maintenance of your Chromebook will help keep a device in good working condition over the years it is in use.

7a. Updating your Chromebook

• When a Chromebook starts up, it updates itself automatically, so it has the most recent version of the Chrome operating system without you having to do a thing.  There is no need for time-consuming installs, updates, or re-imaging.

7b. Procedures for Restoring your Chromebook

• If a Chromebook needs technical support, a ticket will be created to inform the technology office of the Chromebook’s issue.
• The school does not accept responsibility for the loss of any software or documents deleted due to re-formatting and re-imaging due to technical issues or issues resulting from inappropriate use.

7c. Apps and Extensions

• Searching for and applying most apps/extensions from the Chrome Web Store has been disabled for all students. Some mandatory apps/extensions will be automatically added. Other Apps/extensions that appear in APCSD’s recommended Apps tab in the Chrome Web Store are available to add by each individual student.
• Some web apps will be available to use when the Chromebook is not connected to the Internet, including Google Drive apps (Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.)

8a: Chromebook Identification

• Student Chromebooks will be labeled in the manner specified by the school. Chromebooks can be identified in several ways:

• Record of district asset tag
• Serial number
• School-generated barcode

8b: Account Security

• Students are required to use their apcsd.org domain user ID and password to protect their accounts and are required to keep that password confidential.

8c: Storing Your Chromebook

• When students are not using their Chromebook, they should store them in their locker or in the classroom charging cart.
• Nothing should be placed on top of the Chromebook when they are being stored.
• Students in grades 6-12 are encouraged to take their Chromebooks home every day after school.  5th grade students take their Chromebooks home when needed for completing academic work at home.
• Chromebooks should not be stored in a student’s vehicle at school or at home for security and temperature control measures.

8d: Chromebooks left in Unsupervised Areas

• Under no circumstances should Chromebooks be left in an unsupervised area.
• Unsupervised areas include the school grounds and campus, the cafeteria, computer labs, gymnasiums, locker rooms, library, unlocked classrooms, and hallways.
• Any Chromebook left in these areas is in danger of being stolen.
• If an unsupervised Chromebook is found, notify a staff member immediately.
• Unsupervised Chromebooks will be confiscated by staff. Disciplinary action may be taken for leaving your Chromebook in an unsupervised location.

9a: Vendor Warranty:

• The equipment vendor has a limited hardware warranty on new Chromebooks.
• The vendor warrants the Chromebooks from defects in materials and workmanship.
• This limited warranty covers normal use, mechanical breakdown or faulty construction and will provide normal replacement parts necessary to repair the Chromebook or Chromebook replacement.
• The vendor warranty does not protect against damage caused by misuse, abuse, accidents or Chromebook viruses.
• Please report all Chromebook problems immediately  so that a ticket can be created to inform the technology office of the Chromebook’s issue.

9b: Lost or stolen Chromebook and accessories

• Chromebooks that are lost or stolen are the responsibility of the student.
• Lost or stolen Chromebooks must be reported to the building principal immediately.
• Student must pay the associated charges to replace the lost or stolen Chromebook and accessories
• NOTE: This process for replacing lost or stolen school property is the same for lost or stolen textbooks.

9c: Damaged Chromebooks / Extended Care and Invoicing

• Chromebooks that are damaged are the responsibility of the student. .  
• Families will have the option and are encouraged to participate in the Extended Care Program.
• The Extended Care Program allows you to pay a one time fee of $35 to cover the cost of up to two repairs for the chromebook.  If you need any subsequent repairs to this chromebook, you will receive an invoice to cover the cost of the repair.  The Extended Care Program does not cover the cost of a lost chromebook and/or a lost charger.  The Extended Care Program will carry over to the next school year.  For example if you participated in the program in 5th grade and did not need any repairs, you can carry over the program in 6th grade and up until the end of 8th grade.  You will receive a new chromebook in 9th grade and can once again participate in the Extended Care Program when you receive a new chromebook.

No right of privacy exists in the use of technological resources provided by the school. School system administrators or individuals designated by the superintendent may review files, internet history logs, monitor communications/content activities, and intercept email messages to maintain system integrity and to ensure compliance with board policy and applicable laws and regulations. School system personnel shall monitor online activities of individuals who access the internet via school owned computers.

School­-issued Chromebooks and other devices connected to district owned WiFi and internet should be used for educational purposes and students are to adhere to the District’s Acceptable Use Policy at all times. While working in a digital and collaborative environment, students should always conduct themselves as responsible digital citizens.