1:1 Technology

Important Information about  student devices for the 2024-25 School Year

2024-25 Technology Protection Plan is available for purchase now for Secondary Students and can be purchased through September 30, 2024. Families can pay this protection plan via e-funds website.

In order for students to receive a device, please complete the following process.

• log into ParentVue and complete agreement renewals.
• download and read the 2024-25 device handbook for students. 
• digitally sign you have read and understand the device agreement.

All Clarkston Community Schools students and teachers are provided a district-owned device.Clarkston Community Schools assigns a Y5-1st grade student an Apple iPad, case, block and cord.  2nd -12th grade students are assigned a Chromebook, case, and charger. These devices are assigned to each student through our Management Systems and Destiny Resource Manager. The district will issue applications (apps) and device settings that are needed for student learning. If students take devices home, all care, handling and appropriate use that is in effect during the school day shall extend to the use of their Chromebooks at home. Parents have the responsibility to monitor screen time and appropriate usage when the iPad or Chromebook is not at school.

Reasoning

• Device Standardization
  • This reduces the level of support required for learning from home.
• Filtering – Monitoring – Classroom Management
  • District owned devices can be filtered to comply with CIPA (Children’s Internet Protection Act).
  • Monitoring for social and emotional wellbeing.
  • Classroom Management such as a teacher being able to lock students to a specific website or application while teaching to reduce distractions.
• Seamless pivoting within the State of Michigan phases
  • Removing technology as a barrier to teaching and learning. 
  • Providing minimal disruption between phases
• Health and well-being while at school
  • Removes the need to institute cleaning protocols of Chromebooks multiple times per day, per cart, per device.

Devices for students

• All students in Young Fives – 1st grade will receive an iPad (whether they are enrolled in Clarkston Virtual or Face-to-Face)
• Students in 2nd – 12th grade will receive a Chromebook (whether they are enrolled in Clarkston Virtual or Face-to-Face)
• Special Education students will receive an iPad or Chromebook as their team works to determine which one is best for the individual student. 
• The district will not be supplying headphones or mice with the devices.

Technology Protection Plan

Clarkston Community Schools will be providing an optional technology protection plan for families of secondary students (6th-12th) to purchase for each device issued to a student.  Families can pay this protection plan via e-funds website.

The protection plan will cover the Chromebook, charger and includes the following:

• Accidental damage

• Theft (All theft claims must be accompanied by a police report.)

The protection plan does not cover :

• Loss of the device and/or charger block and cord

• Damages caused by misuse and/or abuse

Annual Cost:

• $20.00/year per student device

• $35.00/year for family rate

• Protected September - August for current school year

• Must be paid for by September 30, 2023

• New students must purchase it within two weeks of enrolling.

Protection Deductibles:

• 1st Claim: No cost
• 2nd Claim: 50 percent of cost
• 3rd Claim: Full cost of repair/replacement

Estimated cost of repair/or loss without the protection plan or filed claim:

• iPad case:$50

• iPad charging block: $20

• iPad cable: $20

• iPad Screen: $100

• iPad replacement: $400

• Chromebook case:$30

• Chromebook charger: $30

• Chromebook screen: $85

• Chromebook keyboard: Based on cost of repair

• Chromebook ports: Based on cost of repair

• Chromebook full replacement: $300*

*Price varies depending on model

 

 

2024-25 Devices for elementary and SMS will be distributed after Labor Day weekend. We will send out a communication when we have dates and times.

 

Frequently asked questions

Any tips for home internet?
Check your home internet plan.  If you have more than three devices accessing a high demand application at the same time, such as multiparty video conferencing, you will likely need a plan with a speed higher than 25 Mbps download speed.  For reference, below are Comcast’s speed tiers:

• Ensure other household members are not streaming games or movies during learning times.
• Disconnect cell phones from your home wireless network during learning times.
• Please see the FCC Household Broadband Guide for more information:  https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/household-broadband-guide

I don’t have internet access, what should I do?
If you do not have internet access at home, please reach out to your building principal to be put on a list.
To see if you qualify for free or reduced cost internet access from Comcast, follow this link: https://www.internetessentials.com/covid19#gethelp&all_Pricingandotherinfo

Charter is also offering free or reduced cost internet access:   https://corporate.charter.com/newsroom/charter-to-offer-free-access-to-spectrum-broadband-and-wifi-for-60-days-for-new-K12-and-college-student-households-and-more

GoGuardian Monitoring and Filtering Software

In order to comprehensively manage the use of school-issued Chromebooks, and to help keep students safer online, Clarkston Community Schools has enabled a web-based filtering and monitoring service called GoGuardian.   

GoGuardian operates on our school's managed and owned Chromebooks and on Chrome browsers when logged into the student's school-managed Google Suite for Education account on other computer devices, both while at school and at home. With GoGuardian, your child may use his/her assigned Chromebook more safely and for learning purposes.

Over 2,000 schools and districts use GoGuardian, and the Global Educator Institute has endorsed the GoGuardian Teacher product. 

We have chosen GoGuardian to:

• help protect your child against harmful and inappropriate online material as required by the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA),
• focus your child's/children's learning experience and age-appropriate online resources,
• quickly understand where your child is spending time online using school managed/owned devices,
• visually assess and respond to your child's progress during class time, easily distribute online resources to your child.

GoGuardian collects certain personally identifiable information about your child. Each school district retains full ownership of this personally identifiable student information and can delete it at any time. GoGuardian does not rent or sell student's personally identifiable information, or use student's personally identifiable information for marketing or advertising purposes. Additionally, GoGuardian has signed the The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) and The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) introduced a Student Privacy Pledge.

For more detailed information about GoGuardian, you may visit Go Guardian's website, or go directly to GoGuardian's Product Terms of Service / End User License Agreement and Privacy Policy for more information.

What are the school's responsibilities? Our district selected GoGuardian to help students stay safer online and to help our technology administrators better manage our Chromebook devices. We will work with your child to help teach him/her digital responsibility and safety.

What are my child's responsibilities? We ask that your child uses his/her school-issued Chromebook for educational purposes. We have outlined your child's specific responsibilities in our school's Acceptable Use Policy, which he/she, as well as all students, have signed and are expected to abide by.

What are my parental/guardian responsibilities? When your child is off campus, you are responsible for supervising your child's internet access and usage.  In some cases, for school-owned or managed devices, we will use GoGuardian products to block certain websites deemed harmful or distracting, (gaming, social media site, Netflix, etc), even when the devices are used outside of school grounds.

We encourage you to discuss rules for appropriate internet usage with your child, and reinforce lessons of digital citizenship and safety with him or her. We also ask you to report any potential cyberbullying or other sensitive issues to school officials immediately.

If you are experiencing slow or dropped Internet coverage on your district-owned device, here are some tips for improving your connection.

Poor Internet Connectivity?

• Make sure Wi-Fi is turned on.
• Make sure airplane mode is off on tablets or phones.
• Make sure you are logged out of any personal Google accounts. (Here's how to sign out and switch between users on a Chromebook)
• Run a speed test: www.speedtest.com or www.fast.com
• Reboot your device: Try restarting your device by powering it down for 60 seconds and then restarting it.
• Reboot your router and modem: Try restarting/power cycling your WiFi router by unplugging the power for 60 seconds and then plugging it back in.
• Make sure not too many tabs are open. (Here's how to close all tabs.)
• Clear your browsing history and cache.
• Make sure Chrome is up to date.

• 1. Click the bottom right corner of the Chrome OS desktop.
  2. Select the Settings icon.
  3. Click "About Chrome."
  4. Click Check for updates.
  5. To apply the update, click the arrow icon and select Restart to Update.

• Turn off Wi-Fi on cell phones and other devices not in use.
• Make sure no one is streaming movies (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc.)
• Make sure no one is gaming (Xbox, Playstation, etc.)
• Make sure no one is streaming music (Pandora, etc.)
• How Old is Your Wireless Router? It might be time to replace your router.
• Where is your Wi-Fi router in relation to the student? If the router is in the basement or upstairs and student is on a middle level, you may need a WiFi range extender from your Internet Service Provider.
• Elevate the router to the highest point possible, do not place on the ground or inside of a cabinet, instead set it on top of a desk or table
• Do not place objects, especially metal objects, on top of or around the router that may block or obstruct the wireless signal
• Avoid using your wireless devices near common sources of interference, such as power cables, microwave ovens, fluorescent lights, wireless video cameras, and cordless phones.
• Keep other small electronic devices like phones and handheld gaming devices at least 3 feet away from the computer, Chromebook, or tablet you are trying to use to reduce the number of active devices that use the same wireless frequency band. Both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi devices use the 2.4 GHz band, but many Wi-Fi devices can use the 5 GHz band instead. If your Wi-Fi router supports both bands, it might help to connect more of your Wi-Fi devices to the 5GHz band. Some dual-band routers manage this for you automatically.
• Still stumped? Please call your Internet Service Provider for further troubleshooting or to improve Internet connectivity in your home.
  • Verizon
  • T-Mobile/Sprint
  • AT&T
  • Comcast Xfinity

Other Technology Issues?

Visit the Family Tech Support website or email your building Media Tech.