As the one-to-one team was planning toward our program's launch, we certainly recognized the fact that our community is fortunate to have families such as yours who are able to purchase devices for their children.  Upon our research and follow up discussions with students and families, we also found out that some students have had experiences where their personal devices have become damaged, lost, or in need of repair and the family may not be able to replace or repair the device in a timely manner or at all thus disrupting access they depend on to fulfill their instructional needs at home and cause them to begin depending on school-based devices.  After hearing this, we decided that our program would include assurances that students could depend on and our district would provide devices for ALL rather than some.  

Each student's district-managed Chromebook is optimized for all learning experiences and students will be expected to use the district-provided Chromebook and CTE devices for instructional purposes because they are configured with all the necessary applications, links and district security settings for learning. To ensure the utmost safety and security for our students and to comply with the Federal Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA), each district Chromebook must include an installed content filtering program (we use the state-provided Zscaler solution) that will have the same functionality on both school and off-campus networks.  

Additionally, all NC districts are required to use only district-managed devices for all state and AP testing due to the security measures we are able to ensure, thus it is to your child's advantage for every student to have access to a device provided by CHCCS as this will lessen the number of testing days in the year because we will no longer have to schedule around the use of shared district devices. 

Per Board Policy 4318, our one-to-one program does not prohibit a student to bring their personal device to school. However, moving forward, students will not have access to our district's networks in order to decrease security risks and increase network speed and student safety.  Of course, with your support, your child is more than welcome to access their school account on their personal device at home if that is what you prefer. 

Depending on the grade level, K-1 students will receive iPads, 2nd-5th will receive non-touch Chromebooks and 6th-12th grade students will receive a Lenovo 500e Flip/touch/stylus Chromebook. 

The make-up dates will be August 14th (Elementary) and August 19 (Middle and High School) for students who are not able to pick up their devices during the distribution dates. 

The technology devices are seen as an additional learning resource provided to your child and we hope you wouldn't want to opt-out for the reasons stated above and the benefits showcased on our website.  A devices will be supplied to all students and additional devices will not be as plentiful throughout our schools since they will now be assigned to students.  We are open to feedback, but as of today, our only opt-out option is to opt your child out of the use of technology as a whole (except for during testing). You are welcome to do so using the CHCCS Declination of Technology Form. 

Yes, we have partnered with T-Mobile to offer hotspots with unlimited data and we have had approximately 1200 families take advantage of this program thus far.  Please note that this program's priority is to support families who do not have any access or inconsistent access to internet then, if available, we can accommodate other families too. 

Families may apply to the program by contacting the school’s principal, a teacher, social worker, counselor, instructional technology facilitator, or librarian. 

In our classrooms, we want the technology to be used when teachers decide it best matches the instructional goals and needs of student learning.  Of course, during remote learning, it is necesary to connect with teachers and classmates, engage in  and submit digital assignments, etc Your child will most likely experience a blended learning environment where both offline and online learning environments and tools are used. For example, he or she may read and annotate a text online and discuss it with peers face to face OR may read and annotate with a printed paper copy and discuss it online with peers within her class, but also with peers in other sections of the same course. 

Our instructional vision is as follows:

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools strives to create experiences that empower, inspire and engage all learners in every classroom, every day. As students become problem solvers and problem seekers, they collaborate with teachers, peers and community members to achieve common goals. Students will co-design their learning experiences, embedding their unique interests and passions within a standards-based curriculum. Personal access to digital devices can increase opportunities to engage in critical thinking, enhance communication skills, and create personalized pathways of learning for every student when connected to standards-aligned instructional goals and experiences.

As we further enhance our instructional strategies to include more differentiated and personalized learning opportunities, your child may use technology to create, communicate, collaborate and engage in critical thinking experiences using both offline and online tools such as the Google Suite for Education (docs, slides, sheets, forms, sites) or WeVideo, Actively Learn, Gale digital databases, digital textbooks, and more!

Yes, Incognito mode is blocked for all students. 

Students are responsible for the general care and proper use of the issued device per the Technology Responsible Use and Regulations School Board Policies (3225 and 3225-R) and this CHCCS Student 1:1 Device Program Handbook.

It is expected that students report if their device is damaged, lost, stolen or not working properly within 24 hours by visiting the school library assistant or school technician who will submit a ticket to our IT Department. Upon submitting the ticket, a replacement device will be immediately issued to the student to maintain instructional access and they will turn in their previous device for repair.

To ensure the device’s warranty remains valid, students or family members should never attempt to repair a device, take the device apart, remove the device’s parts, or take the device to an outside computer repair service for any type of repair or maintenance. Students who have violated the Technology Responsible Use and Regulations School Board Policies (3225 and 3225-R) and this CHCCS Student 1:1 Device Program User Guide may be subject to disciplinary action.

The Chromebooks are seen as an additional learning resource provided to your child and we hope you wouldn't want to opt-out for the reasons stated above and the benefits showcased on our website.  A device will be supplied to all students and additional devices will not be as plentiful throughout our schools since they will now be assigned to students.  We are open to feedback, but as of today, our only opt-out option is to opt your child out of the use of technology as a whole (except for during testing). You are welcome to do so using the CHCCS Declination of Technology Form. 

Please also know there is NO annual fee charged for student use of a device and there is NO charge for accidental damage or warranty repairs. If a device or power adapter is lost or intentionally damaged on multiple occasions, consequences and interventions will be determined by the school administration based on the expectations within the CHCCS Student Code of Conduct.

With your permission, your child can log into their personal device with their CHCCS student account. To ensure all filtering permissions are secure on the district device, students will NOT be able to log into their personal Google account on their district device. 

CHCCS takes the security and privacy of student information very seriously. CHCCS’s Google Apps for Education comply with legal requirements for safety and security under the Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA), Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The district is responsible for protecting and safeguarding the confidentiality of student information. We have contracted with Google to provide access to tools for our users (students and staff) in a closed and secure environment. Google Apps is governed by a detailed privacy policy and security measures that CHCCS has reviewed thoroughly. Our district is satisfied that these policies protect the privacy of our users. Under their Terms of Service Agreement, Google is obligated to comply with FERPA, COPPA and other security standards, therefore, advertising is not displayed within CHCCS Google Apps, nor is data in any Google application in use by CHCCS students scanned for commercial purposes. Additional information about Google Apps for Education security & privacy may be found here.

Please note, our digital classroom environment is a district-managed service. For the protection of your children, District administrators have the ability to monitor and audit the contents of student accounts. 

If you have concerns about your child having a Google Apps account, we ask that you please contact your school’s Instructional Technology Facilitator or School Librarian or child’s teacher(s) to discuss specific examples of how this new learning environment will be used and the alternatives the school offers to web‐based instructional and collaborative tools. You may opt your child out of digital technology use at any time and for any reason.  If you wish to opt-out, please visit your school’s Data Manager to receive a CHCCS Declination of Technology Form. When complete, please return the form to your school Data Manager at your earliest convenience.