The mission of the Student Chromebook Program at the Farrell Area School District will focus on using the device as a tool to provide students with effective and engaging instruction based on the standards and curriculum of the district. The digital content, strategies, and resources embedded in the curriculum will provide support for planning instruction with technology, not teaching the technology itself. The primary goal is always effective, engaging instruction. 

 

The focus of the Student Chromebook Program at Farrell Area School District is to provide tools and resources for the 21st Century learner. Excellence in education requires that technology is integrated seamlessly throughout the educational curricula. Increasing access to technology is essential in building upon college and career readiness skills. The individual use of devices is a way to empower students to maximize their full potential and to prepare them for college and the workplace.

 

Learning is a result of the continuous dynamic interaction among students, educators, parents and the extended community. Technology immersion does not diminish the vital role of the teacher. To the contrary, it transforms the teacher from a director of learning to a facilitator of learning. Effective teaching and learning with devices integrates technology into the curriculum anytime and anywhere. 

 

The Farrell Area School District encourages students to use a variety of technologies to enhance their learning. With this privilege and opportunity to explore resources comes responsibilities for parents and for students. To ensure the privacy and safety of our students, and to protect data and our resources, we ask parents and students to become familiar with the policies and regulations that have been established for technology use in the district. Farrell Area School District’s aim is to maintain an environment that promotes ethical and responsible conduct in all electronic resource activities. The procedures, guidelines, and other information within this document apply to all technology used in Farrell Area School District.

All students in grades PreK - 1st grade will be issued a Chromebook tablet and all students in grades 2-12 will be issued a Chromebook laptop once the applicable acceptance forms have been signed and returned.

Every student of the Farrell Area School District will be issued a device at no cost once the applicable acceptance forms have been signed and returned. However, the student's parent/guardian will be financially responsible for any loss or damage due to negligence or intentional misuse.

Farrell Area School District technology staff will inspect the device and determine the part or parts necessary to repair the device. The student's parent/guardian will be held financially responsible for the cost of the replacement parts. The following parts costs for common Chromebook parts have been established for the 2023-24 school year:

For Chromebook charger and headphone replacements, the cost listed above must be paid before the replacement will be issued. 

In the event that the Chromebook is damaged beyond repair, the student's parent/guardian will be held financially responsible for the replacement cost listed below.

If a Chromebook is lost or stolen and cannot be recovered, the student's parent/guardian will be held financially responsible for replacing it. The replacement cost for the models that are issued to students for the 2023-24 school year are as follows:

No. We purchase UL certified chargers from educational technology vendors which have been verified to be compatible with our Chromebooks to ensure that they do not damage our devices and do not pose a safety risk to our students, their parent/guardian, and our staff. If your child has lost their charger or it has been damaged, you must pay the replacement cost listed above and a new charger will be issued to them. If their charger stops working and there is no physical damage to it, we will replace it at no cost.

For students in Pre-K through 3rd grade, devices will remain at school to ensure that they are readily available for use in the classroom on a daily basis. In the event that a school closure is anticipated, Chromebooks will be sent home for use during remote learning.

Students in grades 4 through 12 will be able to take their Chromebook home with them once they and their parent/guardian have signed and returned the Student Chromebook Agreement for their grade level. In the event of a school closure due to weather or other circumstances, instruction may be delivered remotely and students will be expected to log on and do their work to be considered present for that day. If you are not sure if the district has a signed Student Chromebook Agreement on file for your student, please contact the school office.

No. All students, including those enrolled in distance learning and those that opted to take their device home must return and leave their device at the school at the end of the school year. The technology department will clean the devices and perform necessary maintenance during the summer.

Students should inform their teacher if there is a software or hardware issue, physical damage, or loss/theft of their issued device. Teachers will inform the technology department using the district technology help desk system.