Student/Parent Expectations

As we begin the 2020-2021 school year, the following is an overview of our plans and expectations for online instruction. The District will continue to use The suite of Google Enterprise for Education Products for video streaming with the students, as well as Google Classroom and ClassDojo for the students’ learning management systems (LMS). We have carefully reviewed our agreement with both providers to ensure that its practices are compliant with FERPA privacy rules, in that it has data encryption and other privacy controls that both protect stored data and prevent disclosure to unauthorized parties. The District uses best practices to promote security and privacy, limiting access to video streamed lessons to students in the class using protections like private meeting links, passwords, and waiting rooms.

To maintain students' educational access while increasing social distancing and reducing the risk of exposure to COVID-19, some lessons and classes may be video streamed and/or recorded. Streaming lessons allows students to observe and participate in class remotely. We need your help to ensure these tools are being used appropriately by students.

Video Conferencing

The Board of Education’s policies and student behavior standards will still apply when a student receives instruction by video or other remote means. In the event of inappropriate conduct during a video conferencing session, the teacher may end the session prior to its scheduled completion.

Parents/Guardians should be mindful of family activities that may potentially be heard/seen during the students’ use of video conferencing. Students will need a level of privacy to concentrate on their work, yet enough supervision and monitoring online.
Persons other than the student should not watch video streamed classes unless a parent’s assistance during the lesson is essential due to a student’s special needs.

Students should use their name in order to be admitted to classes, do not use an alternative name.
Students should completely log out of any video streamed lesson after the teacher has ended the class.
Students are expected to be visible in video conferences unless students have made other arrangements with their teacher. They should communicate with their teacher if their connection is unstable.
Students should keep their microphones muted at appropriate times. They may use the hand-raising and chat features to ask to speak.
Students are expected to present an appearance that does not disrupt the educational process or interfere with the maintenance of a positive teaching/learning climate.    

Recording Instruction

When deemed necessary, teachers may record non-confidential live instruction sessions and post them for a short window of time. These recordings may support students who were unable to attend class on a given day and give all students the ability to go back and review the lesson. Teachers will not be recording small group or individual student support times. These recordings of live instruction sessions will not be publicly available. They will only be shared within Google Classroom for specific classes of students that would need to access that information.
Students and parents/guardians must refrain from making audio and/or video recordings of video streamed or recorded lessons and from taking photographs of students participating in such instruction without the express permission of the teacher or a school administrator. If you receive such recordings or photographs from a source other than the District, delete them and do not post or forward.

Confidentiality

Please be aware that you will be able to view other students and the homes of students. Students may enter and exit classroom sessions as special services are provided. Specialized staff members may enter and exit classroom sessions or conduct break out sessions in order to deliver related services to students who receive special education. Student confidentiality cannot be guaranteed.
Similarly, visitors to virtual classrooms will be treated like visitors to the regular classroom. Accordingly, members of a student's household that may incidentally see parts of video streamed or recorded lessons do not implicate the privacy rights of other students. However, because visitors can be a significant distraction, especially during video streamed lessons, any such observation or interaction must be kept to a minimum and must comply with all directives from the teacher and school administrators. If a parent/guardian seeks to do a formal observation or have a private provider do an observation of a video streamed or recorded lesson, the parent/guardian must contact the school principal to make arrangements.
No education technology is 100% safe and secure. The District works diligently to provide the best resources for teachers and families and to secure robust data privacy protections that comply with relevant laws and safeguard student information.
If you have any questions regarding video conferencing procedures, please contact the office and they will put you in contact with an administrator that can help.

1:1 Chromebooks

During remote learning, District 73 students are being provided a device to assist while learning away from the school. East Prairie School District #73 is not responsible for any loss or damage done to the device while in possession of the student. 
The student and parent/guardian are responsible for maintaining any technology device provided by the school district as indicated in the school technology inventory.
If loss or damage occurs, the student and parent or guardian may be responsible for the repair or replacement of the device. If the technology has a failure of an internal part, it is covered by a warranty and will be repaired at no cost by East Prairie School District #73.
Please contact our Technology Department in case of needing a repair and they will assist with that process.  You can send a tech ticket to them at [email protected]

Acceptable Use Policy for Network Access

Student use must adhere to  Acceptable Use Policy for Network Access, and the Responsible Use Guidelines. These documents apply to the use and care of the Student Device both at school and outside of school.
Student technology supplied by EPSD73 is designated for use by the student only and will be used for instructional purposes, not for recreational or employment activities.
Device use unrelated to the EPSD73 educational program (including but not limited to downloading of personal games or music and installing additional applications) is prohibited.
EPSD73 has the right to recall and review the contents of the student device at any time including any personal information that may be stored on or accessible by the device.
Modifying or changing device settings and /or internal or external configurations without appropriate permission is prohibited.
Student technology devices have the same district Internet content filtering services whether they are used at school or at home. However, no filter is 100% perfect so parents/guardians are still responsible for monitoring their students’ use including configuring home filtering options as needed.

If student technology is damaged it must be reported to the teacher or school officials as soon as possible to coordinate repairs. If technology is stolen, you will file a police report in addition to notifying the school.
Student technology must be returned as designated by the teacher, school or district schedule and in the same condition as it was provided by the district.

Failure to return issued technology or unpaid fines/repairs may result in the school putting a hold on student records or further disciplinary action.