• RECEIVING YOUR CHROMEBOOK:

• RETURNING YOUR CHROMEBOOK:
• TAKING CARE OF YOUR CHROMEBOOK:

• USING YOUR CHROMEBOOK

• MANAGING & SAVING YOUR DIGITAL WORK WITH A CHROMEBOOK
• OPERATING SYSTEM ON YOUR CHROMEBOOK

• ACCEPTABLE USE GUIDELINES

• PROTECTING & STORING YOUR CHROMEBOOK

• REPAIRING/REPLACING YOUR CHROMEBOOK

• CHROMEBOOK TECHNICAL SUPPORT
• CHROMEBOOK FAQ’s

1. RECEIVING YOUR CHROMEBOOK:

1a: District Owned/Issued Chromebooks

• The Chromebook Handbook outlines the procedures and policies for families to protect the Chromebook investment for Alton School District. Chromebooks will be collected at the end of each school year. Starting at 6th grade, the Chromebook that was assigned to the student will follow that student while they are enrolled in Alton School District until the device is replaced.  
• To protect the assets of Alton School District, identified students may be required to turn in the assigned Chromebook to the Help Desk or otherwise specified location at the end of each school day. The device will be secured and the student will be allowed to check out the device the following school day.
• Students leaving Alton School District during the school year will be required to return the Chromebook to the school.

2a: Student Owned Chromebooks

• Student owned devices may be allowed, however these devices may not connect to the wireless network during testing windows. Student owned devices are considered those purchased outside of Alton School District instead of the district supplied device.  Each student and/or parent will be required to follow the Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) Policy (6:220 Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) Program; Responsible Use and Conduct).
• Alton School District is not responsible for damage, loss, theft or IT repairs of student owned devices.
• Students who choose to bring their own personal device do not rescind the District’s right to inspect the device at any time while on school district property.

2. RETURNING YOUR CHROMEBOOK:

• Students leaving the district must return district owned Chromebooks to the Help Desk or otherwise specified location at their school.
• Any Chromebook not returned will be considered stolen property and law enforcement agencies will be notified.

3. TAKING CARE OF YOUR CHROMEBOOK:

3a: General Precautions

• No food or drinks are allowed next to your Chromebook while it is in use.
• Cords, cables, and removable storage devices must be carefully inserted into and carefully removed from the Chromebook.
• Never transport your Chromebook with the power cord plugged into the device.
• Chromebooks must remain free of any writing, drawing, or stickers.
• Chromebooks are labeled with an Alton School District property tag and user ID card. This tag and ID card must not be removed or altered in any way. Removal of the tag may result in disciplinary action.
• Chromebooks should never be left unsupervised or unsecured.
• Students are responsible for bringing a fully charged Chromebook each school day.

3b: Carrying Chromebooks

• Transport Chromebooks with care.
• Middle School/High School: Chromebooks must be transported and stored in the protective case issued by Alton School District. 
• Chromebook lids should always be closed and tightly secured when the Chromebook is being moved.
• While the Chromebook is in a backpack or carrying case, do not place anything in the case or backpack that may cause damage to the Chromebook. Examples include but are not limited to: earbuds, pens, pencils, other school supplies, food or drinks.
• Never move a Chromebook by lifting from the screen. Always support a Chromebook from its base with the lid closed.

3c: Screen Care

• The Chromebook screens can be easily damaged. The screens are particularly sensitive to damage from excessive pressure on the screen.
• The following actions may cause the Chromebook screen to become damaged:
• Leaning on or putting pressure on the top of the Chromebook when it is closed.
• Storing the Chromebook with the screen in the open position.
• Placing anything near the Chromebook that could put pressure on the screen.
• Poking the screen with anything that will mark or scratch the screen surface.
• Drawing on the screen with any type of writing implement.
• Leaving items on the keyboard before closing the lid (e.g. pens, pencils, or ear buds).
• Clean the screen with a soft, dry microfiber cloth or anti-static cloth.  

4. USING YOUR CHROMEBOOK

4a: Chromebook Usage

• 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 are responsible for bringing their Chromebook to all classes, unless specifically advised not to do so by their teacher.
• Chromebooks should be stored in the case or shell (if provided) and secured when not in use.

4b: Chromebooks under repair

• Loaner Chromebooks (if available) or similar devices will be issued from the Help Desk to students when they leave Chromebooks for repair.
• Students issued a loaner Chromebook or similar device will be responsible for any damages incurred to that device while in that student’s care.

4c: Charging your Chromebook

• Students must charge their Chromebooks each evening.
• Students are responsible for bringing a fully charged Chromebook each school day.

4d: Wallpaper and Backgrounds

• Inappropriate images or content shall not be used as a wallpaper, background or profile pictures.

4e: Sound

• Sound must be muted at all times during the school day unless permission is obtained from the teacher for instructional purposes.
• Students are encouraged to provide their own headphones or earbuds, which may be used at the discretion of the teacher.

5. MANAGING & SAVING YOUR DIGITAL WORK WITH A CHROMEBOOK

• With a wireless Internet connection, all Google Suite items will be stored online in the Google Cloud environment.
• If a wireless Internet connection is not available, all Google Suite items can be made available offline prior to the loss of Internet connectivity. Once connected to the Internet, offline documents will sync to the Google Cloud environment, allowing students to work offline.
• If an Alton School District student Chromebook needs repair, it may require a reload of the operating system which will delete all locally stored files on the device.
• Students should store all files in Google Drive.

6. OPERATING SYSTEM ON YOUR CHROMEBOOK

6a: Updating your Chromebook

• When a Chromebook is powered on, updates occur automatically. There is no need for time-consuming installs or re-imaging.

6b: Virus Protections & Additional Software

• The Chromebook is built with protection against malware and security attacks.
• All files should be stored in Google Drive.

6c: Procedures for Restoring your Chromebook

• If the Chromebook needs technical support for the operating system, all support will be handled by the school’s on site Help Desk.

7. ACCEPTABLE USE GUIDELINES

7a: General Guidelines

• Students will have access to all available forms of electronic media and communication that support the educational goals and objectives of Alton School District.
• Students are responsible for their ethical and educational use of the technology resources provided by Alton School District and are expected to exhibit responsible digital citizenship.
• Access to Alton School District technology resources is a privilege and not a right. Each student and/or parent will be required to follow the Acceptable Use Policy (6.235 Access to Electronic Networks).

7b: Consequences

• Students will be responsible at all times for the appropriate use of the Chromebook and the account issued in their name.
• Non-compliance with the guidelines of this document or school division regulations will result in disciplinary action.
• As outlined in Acceptable Use of Electronic Networks Policy, electronic mail, network usage, and all stored files shall not be considered confidential and, to ensure appropriate use, may be monitored at any time by designated district staff.
• The district cooperates fully with local, state or federal officials in any investigation concerning or relating to violations of computer crime laws.

7c: At Home Use

• The use of Chromebooks at home is encouraged.
• Chromebook care at home is as important as it is in school. Please refer to section three of this document.
• By applying policies configured by Alton School District, remote filtering gives designated district staff the ability to filter content on the Chromebook in school and while at home.

8. PROTECTING & STORING YOUR CHROMEBOOK

8a: Chromebook Identification

• Student Chromebooks will be labeled in the manner specified by the school.
• Chromebooks are labeled with an Alton School District property tag and user ID card. This tag and ID card must not be removed or altered in any way. Removal of the tag may result in disciplinary action.

8b: Account Security

• Students are required to use their redbirds.altonschools.org domain user ID and password to protect their accounts.

8c: Storing Your Chromebook

• Students should not leave their Chromebook unattended.
• Chromebooks not in use should be securely stored.
• Nothing should be placed on top of the Chromebook when stored in the locker.

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, gymnasium, locker rooms, library, unlocked classrooms, restrooms, dressing rooms and hallways.
• Any Chromebook left in these areas is in danger of being damaged or 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.

9. REPAIRING/REPLACING YOUR CHROMEBOOK

9a: Accidental Damage

• May be covered if participating in the optional Chromebook Extended Protection Plan (9e)

9b: Repairing Damaged Chromebook

• Repair to a Chromebook irresponsibly or intentionally damaged will be charged at the actual cost of repair parts and labor.
• Chromebooks irresponsibly or intentionally damaged beyond repair will be treated as a lost Chromebook. Note: The school administration will determine if the Chromebook has been irresponsibly or intentionally damaged.

9c: Lost or stolen Chromebook

• A Chromebook that has been lost or stolen will be charged full replacement cost.

9d: Lost or stolen AC Adaptors

• A fee of $30 will be charged for lost, stolen or damaged AC adapters.

9e:  Chromebook Extended Protection Plan (optional)

• Alton School District offers families an additional, optional protection plan to insure the district-owned Chromebooks issued to students. 
• This protection program protects the Chromebook from repair costs as a result of accidental damage (drops/spills, fire, flood and natural disasters). 
• This policy covers the Chromebook on and off school grounds for one school year.  
• The protection plan must be purchased BEFORE the student takes possession of the Chromebook.

10. CHROMEBOOK TECHNICAL SUPPORT

• Hardware maintenance and repairs
• Password resets
• User account support
• Coordination and completion of warranty repairs
• Distribution of loaner Chromebooks (if available)

11. CHROMEBOOK FAQs

• What is a Chromebook?
• “Chromebooks are mobile devices designed specifically for people who live on the web. With a comfortable, full-sized keyboard, large display and clickable trackpad, all-day battery life, lightweight and built-in ability to connect to Wi-Fi, the Chromebook is ideal for anytime, anywhere access to the web. They provide a faster, safer, more secure online experience for people who live on the web, without all the time-consuming, often confusing, high level of maintenance required by typical computers.” (“Google”)

• What kind of software does a Chromebook run?
• “Chromebooks run millions of web-based applications, or web apps, that open right in the browser. You can access web apps by typing their URL into the address bar or by installing them instantly from the Chrome Web Store.” (“Google”)

• How are these web-based applications managed?
• Each Chromebook the Alton School District provides will be a managed device. The Technology Department will maintain devices through our Google Suite domain. As such, Alton School District can pre-install web-applications as well as block specific web-applications from a centralized management console.

• What devices can I connect to a Chromebook?
• Chromebooks can connect to:

• USB storage, mice and keyboards (see supported file systems)
• SD cards
• External monitors and projectors
• Headsets, earbuds, external speakers and microphones
• Chromecast
• Can the Chromebook be used anywhere at any time?
• Yes, however a WiFi signal is required to access the web.
• Chrome offers the ability through Apps to allow users to work in an "offline" mode.

• Will our Chromebook have broadband access?
• No. The district Chromebooks will not have broadband access. A WiFi signal is required to access the web.

• Do Chromebooks come with Internet Filtering Software?
• Yes. Once the student is logged into their Chromebook they will be filtered on the Internet using policies configured by Alton School District.

• Is there antivirus built into it?
• It is not necessary to have antivirus software on Chromebooks because there are no running programs for viruses to infect.

• Battery life?
• Chromebook batteries are designed to last a regular school day. However, students will be responsible for charging their Chromebook each evening to ensure maximum performance during the school day. Chromebooks should be fully charged and then removed from the AC adapter while in use. To prolong battery life, the Chromebook should be powered off between classes and when not being used.