Students will use their Chromebooks every day; however, the Chromebook does not render textbooks, pencil and paper obsolete. Digital learning in Community Consolidated School District 15 will be “blended learning,” which means using a combination of technology, books and paper to deliver our curriculum and support students in meeting the Illinois Learning Standards. 

• Chromebooks and G Suite allow students to get deeper, more meaningful feedback from teachers and their peers in a more actionable way.

• Chromebooks allow students to create their own “real” products. Each day, we have students building their own websites using Google Sites, collecting and analyzing. 

• Benefits of having Chromebooks include the increased ability to create, collaborate, critically think and communicate. 

Community Consolidated School District 15 will provide students with instruction on the responsible use of Chromebooks and on Digital Citizenship.

Students will receive this instruction during the first weeks of school and at other times during the school year as needed.  Teachers will also support students as the devices are integrated into classwork and assignments.

If you are interested in learning more about Community Consolidated School District 15’s digital citizenship curriculum, click here PBIS and Digital Citizenship.

District 15 will provide each student in Grades 3-8 with a Chromebook, a protective case, charger, and licensing at no cost. Younger students in multi-grade classrooms with 3rd graders will be issued a Chromebook, a protective case, charger, and licensing at no cost as well. 

These items will remain the property of District 15 while going home with students over the summer.  Students continue to be held accountable to the Responsible Use Contract over the summer months. The next school year, students will continue using the same Chromebook.  

Starting in 2021-22, each student in Grades 3-8 will be issued a Chromebook that can be taken to and from school each school day. 

In 2021-22, we will distribute the devices to students in Grades 3, 4, 5, and 6 (7th and 8th graders will already have them since 6th grade). 

District 15 will not charge a family for the repair or replacement of a Chromebook due to system failure or what would be considered as normal wear and tear. 

District 15 reserves the right to charge families up to the full cost of the Chromebook and accessories for repair or replacement due to damage or loss caused through use that is determined by building administration to be dishonest, fraudulent, intentional, criminal or negligent (not locking/storing the device in a secured manner or location).

Based on availability of spare devices, a replacement device may be issued while the student’s original Chromebook is being repaired or replaced.

Beginning in the 2019-20 school year, District 15 is no longer offering an Optional Protection Plan. Instead, all District 15 issued Chromebooks will be covered for:

• Accidental damage
• Fire
• Electrical surge
• Natural disasters
• Theft. A police report must be filed by the parent/student and the police report must be provided at the time of making a claim.

However, if students willfully damage district issued chromebooks, District 15 may charge families for repairs up to the full cost of the Chromebook and accessories for repair or replacement due to damage or loss caused through use that is determined by building administration to be dishonest, fraudulent, intentional, criminal or negligent (not locking/storing the device in a secured manner or location).  

The school administrator, in consultation with teachers and technicians, makes the final determination as to what is considered intentional damage.

Bids we have received from vendors have included a different option to cover accidental damage as a part of the cost of the device. Due to this change, the district will no longer be offering optional insurance coverage. All student Chromebooks will be covered for general repairs, fire, electrical damage, natural disasters, and theft. However, if a student causes intentional damage to a District 15 issued device, the family will be charged.  

Although a Chromebook is fully functional when connected to the Internet, it can be used offline as well. Google continues to improve upon existing features that allow students to use the device offline when no Internet access is available. In these instances, files can be saved locally to the Chromebook, then automatically updated the next time a wireless connection is detected. Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Sheets function in this manner.

Community Consolidated School District 15 recognizes that providing internet at home may represent a financial hardship for some families. Internet providers recognize this need as well and have programs in place for qualifying families:

• Comcast’s Internet Essentials
• Access from AT&T

Our community also offers free Wi-Fi at various locations. Find links to locations in our community and surrounding areas that offer free Wi-Fi:

• Wifi Hotspots in Palatine and Surrounding Cities

District 15 has also provided internet hotspots to families in need during Distance Learning. If you would like to be considered for an internet hotspot, please contact your school principal.

Students are expected to bring their fully charged Chromebooks to school every day. Based on the availability of spare devices, if a student forgets to bring their Chromebook to school, a loaner device may be secured for the student to use for that day.

Each Chromebook issued to students in District 15’s 1:1 Initiative will be labeled with an asset tag that identifies the Chromebook and a label that identifies the student that the Chromebook is issued to. This information will be entered into the District’s inventory system. In the event that the student name and asset tag are removed, the student and Chromebook can also be tracked through the manufacturer’s serial number.  

No. Students will not be able to print from their district-issued Chromebook at school or at home. This function has been disabled for all Chromebooks in District 15.

We live in a digital age where we have the ability to create and share information with the click of a button. Our 1:1 initiative with Chromebooks will allow students to collaborate and share materials with students and teachers. As part of this initiative, we are making an effort to be environmentally conscious, and in doing so, it will reduce our carbon footprint. By using Google Docs, Drive, Classroom and Gmail, teachers and students can communicate, collaborate and share materials digitally.   

All files created on a Chromebook are digitally accessible in your child’s Google account, or online. Therefore, they are accessible from any device with internet access. In the event that a document you have created must be printed, here are some options.

1. Share the individual items with the child’s teacher, who can access and print from his/her laptop at school. This can be done through Classroom, Drive or Gmail.
2. Log in to the student’s Google Drive account using a laptop or desktop computer connected to a printer at school, home or the public library.

No. Not all families in Community Consolidated School District 15 can afford to provide their child or children with a tablet, laptop, Chromebook, or other mobile computing device for use at school. Allowing students to bring their personal devices for use to supplement learning in the classroom would cause equity issues for those students whose families do not have the financial means to provide them with a tablet, laptop, Chromebook, or other mobile computing device.

Additionally, district-issued Chromebooks are configured to operate on the district’s network and are managed both in-district and out-of-district by Community Consolidated School District 15’s Department of Technology Services. This directly benefits students because it affords the District with the ability to:

• Deploy required apps, configurations, updates and policies
• Control and/or adjust device settings;
• Monitor and recall search histories, electronic communications, etc.

Yes. Students will take their district-issued Chromebooks home during the evenings, weekends, and breaks throughout the school year. Each student will be required to return their district-issued Chromebook at a specified time at the end of the school year or in the event that they move out of the District prior to the conclusion of the school year. With the exception of students who are graduating from 8th grade, all students returning to District 15 for the upcoming school year will have the option to take their Chromebook home during summer break. Students whose families are moving out of the District prior to the start of the upcoming school year will be required to return their district-issued Chromebook at that time.

Students will be expected to follow the terms in the Responsible Use Contract that they signed at the time the device was issued to them.

A major component of digital learning is to allow for learning to happen at school and outside of school. The Chromebook can be used anywhere a Wi-Fi connection is available. Although a Chromebook is fully functional when connected to the Internet, it can be used offline as well. Google continues to improve upon existing features that allow students to use the device offline when no Internet access is available. In these instances, files can be saved locally to the Chromebook, then automatically updated the next time a wireless connection is detected. Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Sheets function in this manner.

District issued Chromebooks are to be used for educational purposes. Students will have the ability to install educational tools and district approved apps and extensions from the District 15 Chrome Store. Community Consolidated School District 15 does not support the use of Chromebooks for gaming purposes.

District 15 uses content filtering software on it’s network for all district-issued devices used by students while at school. Content filtering software is designed to block access to obscene or harmful material on the internet.

Given that student safety is District 15’s first priority, a content filtering solution has been purchased and installed on each student’s device for accessing the internet outside of the District’s network while at home or within the community.

Although content filters are highly effective at blocking inappropriate material on the internet, they are not 100% effective. As a result, it is important that both schools and families discuss and encourage appropriate internet usage and online activity with students. 

Chromebooks are property of District 15. As such, when students are using their district-issued Chromebook, they have no expectation of privacy whether using the device at home or at school. All content and activity on the device (software, email, internet use, etc.) can be monitored. Furthermore, any activity that is deemed in support of illegal activities will be reported to local law enforcement. 

Follow these steps in the Chrome browser to access your child's search history on their District-issued Chromebook.

No. District 15 does not have the ability to access the Chromebook cameras.

Google has declared its commitment to protecting the privacy and security of students. Google states that it does not sell students’ Google Apps for Education data to third parties and does not share personal information placed in its systems with third parties. Click here to read more information on Google Student Privacy.

District 15 students will be issued District Gmail accounts when they receive their Chromebook. District 15’s student domain address is @ccsd15.net. Students will be able to communicate with teachers and other District 15 students through their District Gmail account. As a general rule, students will not have the ability to email parents or others who are outside the District 15 domain. District 211and other educationally appropriate domains may be opened for student communication and collaboration as needs arise throughout the year. The email accounts are necessary for use in student-teacher communication, Google Suite applications and Google Classroom. 

Students are expected to bring their fully charged Chromebooks to school every day. Based on the availability of spare devices, if a student forgets to charge their Chromebook before coming to school, a loaner device may be secured for the student to use for that day.

Each student will be assigned a District 15 Google account (@ccsd15.net) which is the account that must be used each time they log into the Chromebook.

A fully charged Chromebook battery will last approximately 10.5 hours. Students are expected to bring their devices to school fully charged each day.

No. The Chromebook is not to be shared with others. The primary purpose of the device is for students to have the ability to create and share content with other students and teachers both during and outside of school. Students will only have the ability to use the Chromebook by logging in with their District 15 Google account information, even outside of school. Parents or other siblings will not be able to use this device to access other accounts.

No. The device should not be personalized with stickers or any other unique identifiers that either permanently or temporarily alter the Chromebook.

Yes. Administrators and teachers in District 15, as well as the technology department staff, will have the ability to monitor students Internet browsing history as well as remotely control their devices with the use of software called LanSchool while the student is at school. LanSchool is a classroom management program owned by Stoneware, Inc., a Lenovo Company. It is used by schools to monitor students' activity and improve learning in a digital classroom. It includes a screen monitor, keystroke monitor, teacher-to-student chat feature, URL monitor, and various other features. 

The Chromebook is fast, lightweight, and has a longer lasting battery life than most other mobile devices. The integrated full size keyboard and track-pad eliminates the need and cost for external keyboards and mice. They are also significantly less expensive than many other mobile technology solutions.

The management of 1:1 Chromebooks is also one of the reasons this platform was chosen over others. District deployment and updating of apps, extensions and settings on Chromebooks district-wide is an efficient and quick process. In addition, the Google Administrative Console removes the cost, need and expertise for any other additional material applications.

Students who are issued a Chromebook will have limited access to videos and content on YouTube based on restricted settings within our internet filter and the Google administrative console. By default, when a student goes to YouTube.com they will have access to many videos that are deemed appropriate for children of all ages. Additionally, in our Google administrative console, we have given teachers the ability to approve videos for students which may have been initially blocked for children of all ages. The goal of the “teacher approval process” is to allow teachers to selectively unblock videos on YouTube that will supplement curriculum and learning for students in his/her class. Videos on YouTube that are not relevant to District 15’s learning standards or curriculum will remain blocked for students on their Chromebook.

District 15 students begin using technology in kindergarten and continue to have access to technology throughout their school career. We recognize that typing is a 21st century skill, and one that is necessary for many of today’s jobs. Although we do not explicitly teach keyboarding in District 15, if students want to practice typing at home, there are a variety of free typing tutorials available online. Here is a link to Common Sense Education's best keyboarding practice sites. 

Students in grades K-8 will receive lessons on Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship at school. Click here to view these Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship lessons. Many websites exist to offer parents helpful information and tips on keeping your children safe online. Please refer to these links, as they have been reviewed by District 15 staff and administration.

• Common Sense Media
• Raising Digital Citizens
• NetSmartz
• Get Safe On-line
• Scholastic—Keeping Kids Safe On-line