Technology

1. What are the student’s responsibilities for using and caring for their laptop?

Responsibilities are explained in the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) and the NTMS Damaged Laptop and Equipment Policy.  Students and parents must read and digitally sign these documents before a student is issued a device. They can be found in the Online Forms in Skyward Family Access.              

2. When will the laptops be distributed?

Laptop Pickup will occur before the start of the school year.

3. Is there laptop insurance or a technology fee?

There is neither laptop insurance nor a technology fee. The NTMS Damaged Laptop and Equipment Policy explains what happens with damaged, lost, or stolen laptops.  The policy is posted in Online Forms in Skyward Family Access and on the NTMS website.

4. What is the family's responsibility in monitoring their student’s use of the laptop?

Just as families monitor shows, movies, social media, or any media students consume, they need to monitor computer use.  For some good ideas check out the Technology Tips for Parents document.  It’s posted on the NTMS website. Another good resource is Common Sense Media Parents Need to Know.

5. What training are staff and students receiving for using technology?

As life-long learners, staff continually attend trainings to learn best practices of teaching and learning using technology.  Students receive instruction on proper care when they are given their laptops. They will complete a course on Schoology with video tutorials preparing them for the year. During the year, the Technology Integration Coach and teachers instruct students on how to use their laptops and the software programs.

6. Will parents receive any training?

The Technology Integration Coach will offer parent technology classes throughout the school year on Schoology and other tech-related topics.  Information about classes will be communicated to parents. A Technology Tips for Parents document is on the NTMS website.

7. Will these devices be filtered?

All students' laptops are filtered at school and at home by Securly. For more information about the parent Home app, visit Securly's website.

8. Is the laptop for school work only?

The primary use of the laptop is for educational purposes. We stress to students that this is just another tool for learning.  However, we recognize there may be appropriate uses outside of the school day.  According to the Acceptable Use Policy, students are not allowed to download games, apps, extensions, add-ons, etc. without permission from school staff.  In short, if it’s not something school staff or a parent approves, don’t use it.

9. Does the District provide any access to educational websites?

In addition to providing laptops for all students, the District has purchased several online subscriptions to help students meet learning standards.  Schoology, IXL, Reading Rewards, EdGems, STEMscopes, and HMH for Social Studies are some of the main resources students will access during the year.  They will access these programs through ClassLink. 

Schoology is the Learning Management System and will be used for all academic matters, including the gradebook.  It will also be used for communication with both students and parents.  A Schoology parent account is automatically created for parents. Parents will be provided with information on how to access their parent accounts.  There is also a mobile app available for parents to view students’ grades and work during the year.  See the Schoology Information document for more details.  It is posted on the NTMS website.

10. Can students purchase their laptops at the end of the school year?

Students will be issued the same laptop for each year of middle school.  Students will have the opportunity at the end of their eighth-grade year to purchase the laptop they were issued at the start of 6^th grade for $20. 

Scope: The following policies apply to all North Tapps Middle School students and cover all technology, including the following: wired and wireless devices, peripheral equipment, locally saved files, Learning Management System (LMS) content, internal email, all device software, applications, and/or resources owned by the District. The acceptable use procedures also apply to all District-owned technology used during and outside of the school hours.

Acceptable network use by District students (with appropriate parental permission) includes, but is not limited to the following:

• Creation of files, projects, videos, web pages, comments, discussion contributions, podcasts using network resources in support of educational research;
• Participation in blogs, wikis, discussion threads, Learning Management Systems, district­ provided email, web posting that support educational research and learning;
• With parental permission, the online publication of original educational material, curriculum related materials and student work. Sources from outside the classroom or school must be credited appropriately;
• Connection of personal electronic devices (wired or wireless) to the District network with permission from the technology staff provided it is up-to-date with virus protection software. Connection of any personal devices to the District network is subject to all of the guidelines in this document. The District reserves the right to limit or restrict use of personal equipment on the network.

Unacceptable use by district students includes, but is not limited to the following:

• Personal gain, commercial solicitation, compensation of any kind and illegal activities;
• Liability or cost incurred by the district;
• Downloading, installing and using apps, extensions, add-ons, and games without permission or approval from the Technology Coordinator or Technology Integration Coach;
• Use of District equipment or resources to support or oppose ballot measures or political candidates;
• Hacking, cracking, vandalizing, the introduction of viruses, worms, Trojan horses, time bombs and changes to the hardware, software and monitoring tools;
• Unauthorized access to any District device, network or information system;
• Cyberbullying, hate mail, defamation, SPAM, harassment, intimidation or bullying of any kind, discriminatory jokes and/or remarks, or repeated unwelcome comments or discrimination or hate speech of any kind;
• Information posted, sent or stored online that could endanger others (e.g., bomb construction, drug manufacturing);
• Accessing, uploading, downloading, storage and distribution of obscene, pornographic or sexually explicit material; or any other graphic materials;
• Attaching unauthorized equipment to the District network;
• Sharing/distributing passwords of student and/or staff accounts;
• Accessing network override codes and/or signing on with others' credentials;
• Plagiarism of content on the Internet or shared online resources;
• Accessing network with devices not pre-approved by the Technology Coordinator;
• Accessing dangerous or inappropriate websites and/or content on the Internet;
• Taking pictures, videos or audio of students or staff without explicit permission;
• Deleting Internet search history from web browsers.

The District will not be responsible for any damages suffered by any user, including but not limited to, loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, mis-deliveries, or service interruptions caused by its own negligence or any other errors or omissions. The District will not be responsible for unauthorized financial obligations resulting from the use of or access to the District's device network or the Internet.

Personal Information and Inappropriate Content

• Students should not reveal personal information, including a home address and phone number, on websites, blogs, podcasts, videos, wikis, e-mail or as content on any other electronic medium.
• Students shall not reveal personal information about another individual on any electronic medium.
• No student pictures can be published on any class, school or district website or Learning Management System (LMS) unless the appropriate permission has been verified by the District.
• If students encounter dangerous or inappropriate information or messages, they should notify the appropriate school authority.
• Students should not make appointments to meet people or communicate with anyone online unless given direct permission by a teacher and/or technology integration specialist.

Filtering and Monitoring

In all District facilities filtering software is used to block or filter access to visual depictions that are obscene and all child pornography in accordance with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA); other objectionable material could be filtered. The determination of what constitutes "other objectionable" material is a Dieringer School District decision.

• Filtering software is not 100% effective. While filters make it more difficult for objectionable material to be received or accessed; filters are not a solution in themselves. Every user must take responsibility for his or her use of the network and Internet and avoid objectionable sites;
• Any attempts to defeat or bypass the District's Internet filter or conceal Internet activity are prohibited; proxies, https, special ports, modifications to the district browser settings and any other techniques designed to evade filtering or enable the publication of inappropriate content;

• The District will provide appropriate adult supervision of Internet use while on the district network. The first line of defense in controlling access by minors to inappropriate material on the Internet is deliberate and consistent monitoring of student access to district devices;
• Staff members who supervise students, control electronic equipment or have occasion to observe student use of said equipment online, must make a reasonable effort to monitor the use of this equipment to assure that student use conforms to the mission and goals of the district; and
• Staff must make a reasonable effort to become familiar with the Internet and to monitor, instruct and assist effectively.

CIPA/lnternet Safety Instruction

All students will be educated about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking sites and cyberbullying awareness and response. Training on online safety issues and materials implementation will be made available for administration, staff, students and families.

Network Security and Privacy

Passwords are the first level of security for a user account. System logins and accounts are to be used only by the authorized owner of the account, for authorized district purposes. Students are responsible for all activity on their accounts and must not share their password.

These procedures are designed to safeguard network user accounts:

• Only change passwords according to district policy;
• Do not use another user's account;
• Do not insert passwords into e-mail or other communications;
• If you write down your account password, keep it out of sight;
• Do not store passwords in a file without encryption;
• Do not use the "remember password" feature of Internet browsers; and
• Lock the screen or log off if leaving the device.

Student Data

District staff must maintain the confidentiality of student data in accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Permission to publish any student work requires permission from the parent or guardian.

Privacy

The District network, devices, Internet, and use of e-mail are not inherently secure or private. The district reserves the right to monitor, inspect, copy, review and store, without prior notice, information about the content and usage of: 

• The network;
• User files and disk space utilization;
• User applications and bandwidth utilization;
• User document files, folders and electronic communications;
• School-sponsored email;
• Internet access;
• Any and all information transmitted or received in connection with network and e-mail use.

The District reserves the right to disclose any electronic message to law enforcement officials or third parties as appropriate. All documents are subject to the public records disclosure laws of the State of Washington. Backup is made of all District e-mail correspondence for purposes of public disclosure and disaster recovery.

Copyright

Downloading, copying, duplicating, and distributing software, music, sound files, movies, images, or other copyrighted materials without the specific written permission of the copyright owner is generally prohibited. However, the duplication and distribution of materials for educational purposes are permitted when such duplication and distribution fall within the Fair Use Doctrine of the United States Copyright Law (Title 17, USC) and content is cited appropriately.

Violation of any of the conditions of use explained in the Student Use of Electronic Resources policy or in these Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) could be cause for disciplinary action, up to and including revocation of network and device access privileges, restitution, suspension or expulsion, and/or police report in accordance with District Student Discipline Policies and Procedures.

Individual User Access Release Form

From time to time, the Dieringer School District #343 and the K-20 Network will make determinations on whether specific uses of the network are consistent with the acceptable use practice. You may view this Acceptable Use Policy on the District website.

Dieringer School District reserves the right to log Internet use and to monitor file server space utilization by users while respecting the privacy of user accounts. Dieringer School District #343 also reserves the right to remove a user account on the network to prevent further unauthorized activity.

Damaged Equipment

Repairs

Occasionally, unexpected issues occur with laptops (hardware and software-related), accessories (e.g. charger, case, shell), or other technology equipment that are not the fault of the user. These issues will be resolved at no cost.

Accidental Damage

Accidents happen.  If the student's laptop, accessories, or other technology equipment is damaged accidentally, the student must report it immediately. If the cost of the repairs for the laptop is less than $50, no fine will be issued. If the cost of the repair exceeds $50, the student will be fined a maximum of $50.  If the laptop is damaged to the point where it needs to be replaced, the student will be fined $50 and issued a laptop replacement.  The student will be fined for the market value of each laptop replacement thereafter. If damaged laptop accessories or other technology equipment need to be replaced, the replacement costs are:

• Gumdrop Bumper Case: $40
• Bump Armor Sleeve/Bag: $15
• Chromebook Charger: $45
• PC Charger: $45. 

Multiple Accidents

Students who transport their laptops home will be issued the same laptop each school year. If a student’s laptop has been replaced once during this time, the student will be fined for the cost for each replacement laptop thereafter. Regarding laptop repairs, after the student’s laptop has been repaired once, a fine will be issued for the cost of repairs for every subsequent incident.

Intentional Damage and Neglect

After investigation, if it is determined that the damage to a laptop, accessories, or other technology equipment is the result of negligence or intent, and the laptop or equipment cannot be repaired, the student may be subject to discipline and will be fined (market value of the laptop).  If a laptop does not need to be replaced and only repaired, the student may be subject to discipline and responsible for the cost of repairs.

Lost Equipment

Reporting Process

If a laptop, accessories, or other technology equipment is lost, the student or parent must report it to the school immediately.  Students can tell a teacher, the Tech Coach, or the office.

Financial Responsibility

The circumstances of each situation involving a lost laptop, accessories, or other technology equipment will be investigated individually.  Students will be fined for the cost of the lost equipment.

Stolen Equipment

Reporting Process

If a laptop is stolen, a police report must be filed, and a copy of the report must be provided to the office or Tech Coach by the student or parent in a timely manner (2 weeks).

Financial Responsibility

If there is not clear evidence of theft, or the laptop was stolen due to negligence (e.g. device left in an unlocked car), the family will be responsible for the cost of replacing the device.

Failure to report the theft to the office or Tech Coach and to follow the proper filing procedure may result in the family being responsible for the cost of the device.

After investigation, if the laptop is determined to be stolen, the district will cover the cost and the student will be issued a replacement.