It's important to note that these devices are in no way intended to replace quality instruction delivered by top-notch teachers.  They are, rather, one additional tool that our outstanding teachers can use to enhance the educational experience for students by enabling unprecedented access to information, programs, and collaboration that support our curriculum and mission.  Some of the ways we do this are as follows: 

• Our teachers regularly create, discover, and direct students toward qualitative online resources that help explain or reinforce key concepts covered in class.  This gives students a greater opportunity to approach and understand topics in a way that aligns with their learning style.  This also ensures that information on a given topic is  up-to-date and relevant.  
   

• Formative assessments provide both teachers and students with invaluable information about what students understand and what they don’t.  Our teachers engage in the best practice of formative assessments in a variety of ways.  For many subjects, web-based formative assessments can be particularly effective because of the frequency and speed at which they can be administered. Chromebooks are a vital tool in this regard. 

   

District 155 students do not pay a fee to be issued a device.  Devices are assigned to students at the time of registration.

Yes. We take the safety of our students very seriously.  We use advanced filtering technologies to protect students from dangerous and inappropriate internet activity.  All internet access from district-issued devices is logged and filtered, regardless of where the device is used (i.e., whether at school or off campus). 

While filters are an integral part of protecting students, we encourage parents to play an active role in ensuring student safety by staying engaged with them and fully understanding how and why they are accessing internet-based applications and content.

The district's policy regarding lost or stolen devices can be summarized as follows:

• On the first instance of a device being lost or stolen:  The student will be issued a replacement device at no charge. (The replacement device may not be new, but it will be a similar model, age, and condition of the missing device.) 
   
• On any subsequent instances of a device being lost or stolen:  The student will be charged a replacement fee for the device.  (The amount will be based upon the cost of the actual replacement device being issued.)

Each school has a student-lead technology support center, wherein basic device repairs are routinely performed at no cost.  Basic repairs include the replacement of components (such as keyboards, bezels, screens, batteries, and even mainboards) that succumb to the rigors or heavy student usage.  Sometimes, however, device repairs or replacements are necessary because of purposefully damage or neglect by a student.  In these instances, a repair or replacement cost is likely to be charged.   

Because a computing device is an integral part of the student experience, our technology centers offer "loaner" devices to students, while their devices are being charged or repaired.  This ensures that students always have a working device available so that they can take active part in whatever activities their teachers have planned.

No.  Students must use a district-supplied device in order to ensure network security, maintain support service levels, and ensure compatibility the tools and technologies that our teachers use.