PJ51 Student Use of District Issued Educational Technology

Translations

Please review this FAQ about Student Issued Devices

Receiving Student Technology Devices

Devices and power adaptors are provided upon enrollment. Parents/legal guardians and students should review the procedures explained in this document and contact administration with any questions.

Returning Devices

Devices and AC power adaptors will be inspected and/or collected at the end of each school year. If a student transfers out of APS during the school year, the device will be collected at that time. Whenever feasible, students will retain the same device each year while enrolled at APS until the device is replaced as part of the regular multi-year replacement cycle.

Failure to turn in your assigned device in acceptable working conditions may result in the student being charged the full replacement cost. If it is not possible to pay this, consult procedural directive Student Fees, Fines, and Charges.

Charges for Gross Negligence, Loss or Theft

If a device and/or AC power adaptor has been defaced or damaged beyond the normal wear, the student or family may be charged a fee for repairs or replacements. The district may also file a report of stolen or lost property with the local law enforcement agency.

Taking Care of Student Technology Devices

Students and their families are responsible for the general care of the device they have been issued by the school district. Devices that are broken or fail to work properly must be reported immediately to classroom teachers and/or building administration.

General Precautions

Please avoid eating or drinking near your device while it is in use
Cords, cables, and removable storage devices must be inserted carefully into the device
Students should never carry their devices while the screen is open, unless directed by staff
Devices must never be left in an unlocked car or any unsupervised area
Students are responsible for charging their device every day

Screen Care

The device screen can be damaged if subjected to rough treatment. The screens are particularly sensitive to damage from excessive pressure on the screen.

Use care in handling the device
Do not lean or press on the top of the device when it is closed
Do not place anything on the keyboard before closing the lid (e.g., pens, pencils)
Clean the screen only with a soft, dry, anti-static cloth or LCD screen cleaning wipe
Do not use any harsh chemical cleaners on the screen as it will deteriorate the surface

Devices Left in Unsupervised Areas

Under no circumstances should devices be left in unsupervised areas unless in locked lockers. Any device left in these areas is in danger of being stolen. If a device is found in an unsupervised area, it will be taken to the building office.

Storing Devices

The majority of elementary school students will have a designated storage/charging area within their classrooms. Some elementary grade levels may allow or require students to take the device and/or chargers home on some or all evenings, when deemed appropriate by staff. Students are responsible for bringing their charged device to all classes, unless specifically instructed not to do so by their teacher. For APS students, when not using devices, they should be stored in locked lockers. When stored in a locker if available, nothing should be placed on top of the device. Devices should never be stored in a vehicle at school or at home.

Password Protection

Students are expected to keep their school-issued passwords confidential. Students may request support from their teacher or a building administrator immediately with a password change.

Cost of Repairs

APS will cover most of the damages and malfunctions to the devices, though students may be charged a fee when it has been determined that theft or damage has been caused by student negligence. Lost items such as charging cords and styluses will be charged to the student and/or family/guardians.

No Expectation of Privacy

Students have no expectation of confidentiality or privacy with respect to any use of a district-issued device or school account, regardless of whether that use is for district-related or personal purposes, other than as specifically provided by law. The school district may, without prior notice or consent, log, supervise, access, view, monitor, and record use of student devices at any time for any reason.. By using a school-issued device, 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-issued devices.

Using Your Student Technology Device

Devices are intended for use at school each day. In addition to teacher expectations for device use, school messages, announcements, calendars and schedules may be accessed using the device. Students are responsible for bringing their charged device to all classes, unless specifically instructed not to do so by their teacher.

Device Undergoing Repair

Loaner devices will be issued to students when their devices are being repaired. In some cases, loaner devices will not be allowed to leave school grounds, and must be picked up and dropped off at a designated location every day. A device in the loaner pool may be assigned to the student if repairs are over a long time period.

Charging Your Device’s Battery

Devices must be ready for use in a fully charged condition. Students need to charge their devices overnight. In cases where use of the device in school has caused batteries to become discharged, students may be able to connect their devices to a power outlet in class or a central location such as the library or media center.

Inappropriate Content

Inappropriate media may not be stored or displayed on the device. Inappropriate content includes, but is not limited to, content related to guns, weapons, pornographic materials, inappropriate language, alcohol, drug, gang-related symbols or pictures. Student storage of inappropriate content may result in disciplinary actions. Since technology is always changing, the district cannot 100 percent safeguard against inappropriate material, images or content that a student may view or research. Filtering tools such as GoGuardian are always running locally chromebooks, regardless of the Wi-Fi source.

Sound, Music, Games, or Programs

Earbuds or headphones may be required to minimize noise during class time. When not using earbuds or headphones, sound should be muted or kept to a minimum at all times unless permission is obtained from the teacher for instructional purposes. Games that are non-educational are not allowed on devices. Do not save non-educational content to the internal storage drive or on Google Drive. All installed Chrome extensions, apps and themes must be deemed school appropriate.

Accessing Internet Access Away From School

Students are allowed to access other Wi-Fi networks on their devices; however, school personnel will not provide support for network or printers away from school. Regardless of location, internet filtering and monitoring (such as GoGuardian or similar products) will run locally and continually on the device itself. Please see this article for support on connecting to internet connections away from school: Chromebook Help: Connect your Chromebook to Wi-Fi

Managing Your Files and Saving Your Work

Saving to the Device

The devices have limited internal storage space, thus saving to the device is not recommended. Instead, students should save documents and other items to their Google Drive (cloud storage). Students using Google applications will find their work automatically stored on Google Drive whenever they have an internet connection. Students may also use these applications and many more offline, though they will not be backed-up to Google Drive until an internet connection is available.

Saving Data to Removable Storage Devices

Students should avoid the use of removable file storage devices (USB drives or SD cards). It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that work is not lost due to mechanical failure or accidental deletion.

Network Connectivity

APS cannot guarantee that the school district network will be available 100 percent of the time. In the rare case that the network is down, the district will not be responsible for lost or missing data.

Software on Device

APS may require Chrome apps or extensions for use in a particular course. Teachers and/or students may have capabilities to self-install educational content when needed.

Inspection

Students may be selected at random to provide their device for inspection. If technical difficulties occur or illegal software is discovered, the device will then be re-formatted or re-imaged.

Software Upgrades

Upgrade versions of licensed software and Chrome are available from time to time. Students may be required to check in their devices for periodic updates.

Administrative Position:

Chief Information and Strategy Officer

Department Director:

Executive Director of Educational Technology
Executive Director of Technology

References:

Legal Cross Ref.:

The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
§22-5-4.3 NMSA 1978

Board Policy Cross Ref.:

Procedural Directive Cross Ref.:

NSBA/NEPN Classification: IJNDB

Reviewed: July 14, 2021
Adopted: July 21, 2021

This page was last updated on: July 21, 2021.