Montevideo Public Schools
Chromebook Policy & Usage Handbook
2016-2017
Montevideo Public Schools – Chromebook Policy & Usage HandbookPage 1
Table of Contents
Receiving Your Chromebook...... 4
Returning Your Chromebook...... 4
Insurance Option...... 5
Training...... 5
Taking Care of Your Chromebook...... 6
General Precautions...... 6
Carrying Chromebooks...... 6
Screen Care...... 7
Personalizing the Chromebook...... 7
Using Your Chromebook...... 8
If a student forgets to bring his/her Chromebook to school...... 8
Chromebooks being repaired...... 8
Charging Chromebooks...... 9
Sound...... 9
Printing...... 9
Logging into a Chromebook...... 9
Using Your Chromebook Outside of School...... 9
Operating System and Security...... 10
No Expectation of Privacy...... 10
Monitoring Software...... 10
Updates...... 10
Virus Protection...... 10
Content Filter...... 10
Inspection...... 10
Software on Chromebooks...... 11
Originally Installed Software...... 11
Google Apps for Education (montevideoschools.org Accounts)...... 11
Additional Apps and Extensions...... 11
Repairing or Replacing Your Chromebook...... 12
Montevideo Public Schools – Chromebook Policy & Usage HandbookPage 1
Repair/Troubleshooting...... 12
Estimated Costs (subject to change)...... 12
Accidental Damage or Loss Protection...... 12
Chromebook Support...... 13
Student Online Behavior Expectations and Procedures...... 14
Appropriate Uses and Digital Citizenship...... 14
Montevideo Public Schools Internet Use, Safety, and Computer Use Policy...... 14
Compliance with the Law and Use of Computers / Internet...... 15
Policy Violations...... 15
Discipline Consequences...... 15
Q&A...... 16
Chromebook Policy and Chromebook Lease Agreement Form...... 17
Internet/Technology Systems User and Parent Notification and Consent Form...... 18
Montevideo Public Schools – Chromebook Policy & Usage HandbookPage 1
Receiving Your Chromebook
- Parent/Guardian Orientation
All parents/guardians are required to attend an orientation and sign the Montevideo Public Schools Chromebook Agreement before a Chromebook can be issued to their student.
- Distribution
Eighth Graders, freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors will receive their Chromebooks and related peripherals during student orientation sessions that will occur before school starts. Students and parents must sign the Montevideo Public Schools Chromebook Agreement at the time they receive their Chromebook.
- Transfer/New Student Distribution
All transfers/new students will be able to pick up their Chromebook from the School Offices. Both students and their parents/guardians must watch a video tutorial and sign the Montevideo Public Schools Chromebook Agreement prior to picking up a Chromebook.
Returning Your Chromebook
- End of Year
At the end of the school year, students will turn in their Chromebooks and all issued peripherals (such as the protective case and the charger). Failure to turn in a Chromebook will result in the student being charged the full replacement cost. The district may also file a report of stolen property with the Montevideo Police Department.
- Transferring/Withdrawing Students
Students who transfer out of or withdraw from Montevideo Public Schools must turn in their Chromebooks, chargers, and cases to the Media Center on their last day of attendance. Failure to turn in these items will result in the student being charged the full replacement cost of these items. Unpaid fines and fees of students leaving Montevideo Public Schools may be turned over to a collection agency. The district may also file a report of stolen property with the Montevideo Police Department.
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Insurance Option
Montevideo Public Schools strongly recommends that insurance be purchased prior to the distribution of the Chromebook to a student. The insurance cost is $30.00 annually for each Chromebook. Each claim covered by insurance will be assessed an incremental deductible within the current school year. Claim deductibles are listed below. If a student withdraws from school and then re-enrolls later in the current school year, the coverage purchased at the student’s initial registration will be reinstated along with the number of claims made prior to withdrawal.
Annual Premium Due / Deductible / Deductible / Deductibleat Registration / Claim #1 / Claim #2 / Claim #3
$30 per device
($15 if on Free/Reduced Lunch Program) / $20 / $40 / $60 – no coverage for theft or lost devices at this level
Insurance Notes:
- Insurance will only be available to be purchased prior to the Chromebook being issued.
- Insurance is non-refundable if student withdraws early.
- Taking the unit apart or tampering with the unit will void insurance coverage and result in loss of insurance premium and deductibles.
- Intentional abuse/misuse will void all insurance coverage and student and his/her parent(s)/guardian(s) will be charged for full replacement costs.
- Insurance only covers theft and mysterious loss replacement for up to 2 combined claims. After the 2nd combined theft and/or mysterious loss claim, the student will no longer be allowed to take a Chromebook home.
- All previous year technology fees/charges must be paid prior to a student being issued a Chromebook.
- Insurance DOES NOT offer any coverage for chargers and/or protective cases. Students and their parent(s)/guardian(s) will be responsible to pay for damage to the case and/or charger.
- If insurance is not purchased, the student(s) and their parent(s)/guardian(s) will be responsible for all damages/theft/loss of the issued Chromebook (approximately $280).
- Do not ever remove the Chromebook from the attached protective case – damage that occurs while the case has been detached is not covered by insurance.
Training
Students will receive regular training to address care and usage of the Chromebook as well as usage of Google Apps (montevideoschools.org Accounts). Digital Citizenship training will be provided during the school year to address respectful, responsible, and ethical use of the internet and digital tools.
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Taking Care of Your Chromebook
Students are responsible for the general care of the Chromebook which they have been issued by the school. Chromebooks that are broken or fail to work properly must be taken to the media center. Students observed using broken Chromebooks will be required by staff to turn in their Chromebook for repair. If a replacement Chromebook is needed, one will be issued to the student until their Chromebook can be repaired or replaced (provided that the costs related to the damaged Chromebook have been paid in full). All repairs shall take place through the media center – do not attempt to repair the Chromebook yourself or take the Chromebook to a repair center to have it repaired.
General Precautions
●No food or drink should be next to your Chromebook while it is in use.
●Cords, cables, and removable storage devices must be inserted carefully into the Chromebook.
●Chromebooks should not be used or stored near pets.
●Chromebooks should not be used with the power cord plugged in when the cord may be a tripping hazard.
●Chromebooks and cases must remain free of any writing, drawing, stickers, or labels.
●Chromebooks should be shut down when not in use to conserve battery life.
●Chromebooks should never be shoved into a locker or wedged into a book bag as this may break the screen.
●The school has provided you with a quality ALWAYS-ONcase for your Chromebook – you are expected to keep the case attached to the Chromebook at ALL TIMES.
●Heavy objects should never be placed on top of Chromebooks.
●Do not expose your Chromebook to extreme temperature or direct sunlight for extended periods of time. Extreme heat or cold may cause damage to the Chromebook.
●Always bring your Chromebook to room temperature prior to turning it on.
●The Chromebook has a school issued asset tag and manufacturer identification labels affixed to the shell. These labels shall not be tampered with. Chromebooks returned without their proper labeling and tags will result in replacement costs being assessed that ARE NOT COVERED BY INSURANCE.
●Do not bring your Chromebook to phy ed class unless instructed by your teacher
●Do not leave your Chromebook unattended unless it is in a locked/secure location.
●Do not bring your Chromebook to the lunchroom. Instead, leave it in your locker.
●Do not bring your Chromebook to after school activities/practices. Instead, leave the Chromebook in a locked, secure location (such as a bus or a locker).
Carrying Chromebooks
●Leave your case attached to the Chromebook.
●Never lift Chromebooks by the screen.
●Never carry Chromebooks with the screen open.
Screen Care
●The Chromebook screen can be damaged if subjected to heavy objects, rough treatment, some cleaning solvents, and other liquids. The screens are particularly sensitive to damage from excessive pressure.
●Do not put pressure on the top of a Chromebook when it is closed.
●Do not store a Chromebook with the screen open.
●Make sure there is nothing on the keyboard before closing the lid (e.g. pens, pencils, or disks).
●Only clean the screen with a soft, dry microfiber cloth or anti-static cloth
Personalizing the Chromebook
Chromebooks and cases must remain free of any decorative writing, drawing, stickers, paint, tape, or labels that are not the property of the Montevideo Public Schools. Spot checks for compliance will be done by administration, teachers, learning coaches, and technology support staff at any time.
Using Your Chromebook
Students are expected to bring a fully charged Chromebook to school every day and bring their Chromebooks to all classes unless specifically advised not to do so by their teacher.
If a student forgets to bring his/her Chromebook to school
●Students are expected to bring their Chromebook to school every day.
●In the event a student forgets his/her Chromebook – Students should go to the Principal’s Office, call home and have it brought to school.
●If the Chromebook cannot be brought to school, one of a limited amount of spare Chromebooks may be available for the student to loan for the school day from the media center.
●Students shall obtain the loaner Chromebook from the media center BEFORE period 1 classes begin. The school tardy policy will apply for students who are late to class due to making arrangements for their forgotten Chromebook and/or loaner Chromebook.
●Loaner Chromebooks for students who forget to bring their Chromebook to school are not allowed to be taken from the building. The student and their parent(s)/guardian(s) are financially responsible to replace/repair the loaner Chromebook if it is not returned to the media center at the end of the school day in which it was checked out or if it is damaged during the course of the day. Insurance does not cover more than one device per student, so there is NO insurance coverage for in-building loaner Chromebooks.
●The media center personnel will document the number of times a loaner is issued to each student for not having his/her own Chromebook at school. Excessive use of a loaner Chromebook will result in additional consequences from school administration (which may include suspension of take-home Chromebook privileges).
Chromebooks being repaired
●A temporary replacement Chromebook will be issued to students from the media center when they leave their school-issued Chromebook for repair provided the costs/insurance deductible related to repair of the damaged/broken Chromebook have been paid in advance.
●The parent(s)/guardian(s) of a student who is issued a temporary replacement Chromebook will be financially responsible for any damage to or loss of the device under the same terms as the agreement on the student’s original Chromebook. Students participating in the insurance program will have the same coverage terms continue on the replacement device.
●The Media Center staff will contact students when their original devices are repaired and available to be picked up.
Charging Chromebooks
●Chromebooks must be brought to school each day with a full charge.
●If a student loses their charger, they can purchase one at the media center($30).
●Do not bring your Chromebook charger to school. A fully charged Chromebook will easily last through the school day without needing to be recharged.
Sound
●Sound must be muted at all times unless permission is obtained from a teacher.
●Student provided headphones/earbuds may be used at the discretion of the teachers.
Printing
●Students will be encouraged to digitally publish and share their work with their teachers and peers. Chromebooks will be setup for limited printing at school.
●Students may set up their home printers with the Google Cloud Print solution to print from their Chromebooks at home. Information about Google Cloud Print can be obtained
here:
Logging into a Chromebook
●Students will log into their Chromebooks using their school-issued Google Apps for Education (@montevideoschools.org) account.
●Students should never share their account passwords with others. In the event of a compromised account the Montevideo Public Schools reserves the right to disable the account. Resetting or changing passwords can only be done by visiting the media center.
Using Your Chromebook Outside of School
●Students are encouraged to use their Chromebooks at home and other locations outside of school.
●A Wi-Fi Internet connection will be necessary for the majority of Chromebook use; however, some applications can be used while not connected to the Internet. Students are bound by the Montevideo Public Schools Acceptable Use of Technology Policy 524, Administrative Procedures, Acceptable Use Agreement Policy 524A, and all other guidelines in this document whenever and wherever they use their Chromebooks.
Operating System and Security
Students may not use or install any operating system on their Chromebook other than the current version of Chrome OS that is supported and managed by the district.
No Expectation of Privacy
Students should have no expectation of confidentiality and/or privacy with respect to any usage of a Chromebook and/or their school issued Google Apps account (@montevideoschools.org), regardless of whether that use is for district-related or personal purposes, other than as specifically provided by law. The district may, without prior notice or consent, log, supervise, access, view, monitor, track, and record use of student Chromebooks and/or school issued Google Apps accounts at any time for any reason related to the operation of the district and enforcement of district policies. By using a Chromebook and/or a school issued Google Apps account, students agree to such access, monitoring, and recording of their use.
Monitoring Software
Teachers, school administrators, and the technology department staff may use monitoring software that allows them to view the screens and activity on student Chromebooks.
Updates
The Chromebook operating system, Chrome OS, updates itself automatically. Students do not need to manually update their Chromebooks.
Virus Protection
●Chromebooks use the principle of “defense in depth” to provide multiple layers of protection against viruses and malware, including data encryption and verified boot.
●There is no need for additional virus protection.
Content Filter
The district utilizes an Internet content filter that is in compliance with the federally mandated Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Content filtering will be fully enforced both on and off campus.
Inspection
Students may be selected at random to provide their Chromebook for inspection. The purpose for inspection will be to check for proper care and maintenance as well as inappropriate material being carried into the school.
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Software on Chromebooks
Originally Installed Software
Chromebook software is delivered via the Chrome Web Store. These are web-based applications that do not require installation space on a hard drive. Some applications, such as Google Drive, are available for offline use. The software originally installed on the Chromebook must remain on the Chromebook in usable condition and be easily accessible at all times.
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 idle or restarted.
Google Apps for Education (montevideoschools.org Accounts)
●Chromebooks seamlessly integrate with the Google Apps for Education suite of productivity and collaboration tools. This suite includes Google Docs (word processing), Spreadsheets, Presentations, Drawings, Forms, Sites, Gmail, Groups, and Classroom.
●All work is stored within Google Apps.
Additional Apps and Extensions
Students are unable to install additional apps and extensions on their Chromebook other than what has been approved by the Montevideo Public Schools.
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Repairing or Replacing Your Chromebook
Repair/Troubleshooting
All Chromebooks in need of repair must be brought to the Media Center as soon as possible. Continuing to use a damaged Chromebook is not permitted. Do not take the Chromebook to a 3rd party to have it repaired.
Estimated Costs (subject to change)
The following are estimated costs of Chromebook parts and replacements:
●Screen - $100.00
●Keyboard/touchpad - $75.00
●Power cord - $30.00
●Chromebook Case - $25
●Full Replacement Cost (Chromebook and charger) - $280
Some items may be covered by your homeowners/renters policy. Please check with your insurance agent.
Accidental Damage or Loss Protection
As part of the 1:1 Chromebook initiative at Montevideo Public Schools, we are recommending the purchase of accidental damage insurance prior to the deployment of the Chromebook to your child. Montevideo Public Schools will be the sole provider of this insurance. Under this insurance agreement, the Chromebooks are protected against accidental damage or loss due to an act of nature. Coverage is also provided through this policy for theft and mysterious loss (theft and/or mysterious loss are only covered up to 2 combined claims.) The Montevideo Public Schools will require that a police report be submitted in cases of theft. Fraudulent reporting of theft and/or mysterious loss will be turned over to the police for prosecution. A student making a false report will also be subject to disciplinary action as outlined by the district’s student disciplinary policy.