It may calm down some, but right now we have long, slow-moving lines because the IT Help Desk needs to be called about any replacements, exchanging information by phone (spelling out names and such) and providing replacement ticket codes (T2021MMDD.####), without which we don't get new machines for those we turn in.

Students who need new laptops should make sure to bring:

• The broken machine, if it is not working because of external damage or internal problems.

• A note from their Grade Level Administrator if they have no machine because it was lost or stolen.

• Their charger. If they do not bring one, the machine they get will not have one.

TIP: Students who have already called the Student Help Desk and obtained replacement codes go to the head of the line.

We are not handing out chargers to students. Here's why: SPS OIT is asking us to return them when we send broken machines back. They send out new chargers with replacement machines. They will bill Renaissance for any chargers we do not send back.

Bram is holding back a few chargers for emergencies, but students need to remember to keep their chargers with their laptops. That is what the laptop bags are for, along with extra protection. We have many bags, so no problem offering them.

If your student needs a charger, you can borrow one as a teacher and lend it during class. Please see Bram for one. We will not "track" loaned chargers, so it's honors system that teachers not give them to students.

These are the procedures as of 09/06. They may change. There are repeats from above. - BM

• If a student does not have a laptop assigned yet (new to SPS), Bram can take care of that fast.
  They should call X3042 or stop by room 042 during Block 1a or Crew.

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• If a student has a damaged and/or non-working laptop, they should FIRST call the Help Desk and get a repair code. The code will be in the format T+year+month+day+.####. If they do not, their wait on line will be long.
  
  Bram recommends that crew teachers initiate the call using Google Voice on a computer, then let student talk to the Help Desk (and teacher stands by to make sure it goes well - some students mumble). He will make the calls otherwise - it's just that it makes everyone else wait a long time if he does it.
  
  Once students get a code, Bram asks that the helping teacher enter that code (along with the serial number of the damaged machine and the student ID) into the Laptop Exchange Form, which will email it to him so he can prepare a laptop. Otherwise, students can bring paper with that info, but need to wait a bit longer. Students need to bring their broken laptops to get a replacement, AND Renaissance will pay for any chargers they do not return. Please ask them to bring chargers.
  
  Note: if students stop by without their code, and there are no other students waiting, Bram will call and confirm it with the Help Desk. If other students are waiting, students without repair codes go to the end of the line.

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• If a student has lost a laptop, or it was stolen, or it was left with a teacher at Renaissance who did not mark it returned, and it is the first one lost this year, they follow the damaged laptop procedure above.

• However, they need a signed note from a Grade Level Administrator before they get a new machine. That signed note gives Bram the OK to complete a security incident report with SPS OITA.

• If the laptop is lost or stolen a second time, they may be given older loaner devices to use in school only.

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• If a student has physically damaged a second laptop after getting a replacement, they may be given in-school loaners (managed by a crew or other teacher) but will not be allowed to take these home.

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• If a student has a laptop assigned but did not bring it to school, they need to borrow one from a teacher who is taking responsibility for holding loaners.
  
  Teachers who want loaners will need a space where they are locked at the end of the day, and will need to follow up with students who have borrowed them, just as Bram will follow up with teachers who have signed out loaners to get them returned and re-imaged periodically / monthly.

Because loaners deplete our stock of new machines, teachers will be limited to 4 loaners maximum, and these may be recalled if we run out of new machines.

We are aware of the concerns with students in transition grades (6^th and 9^th) requesting a laptop of their new school and reporting their laptop from last year was returned to their previous school. No schools systematically collected laptops from students at the end of last year. There will undoubtedly be exceptions with students who chose to return their laptop or students we thought were leaving the district at the end of last year.

To assist with this issue, attached is a list of your transition grade students indicating whether or not they had an SPS-issued laptop at the end of last year. This spreadsheet only includes students who were enrolled at the end of last year, so it will not be a complete list of your current students in these grades. If the spreadsheet says “Assigned”, they were reported to have an SPS laptop as summer started.

If a student or parent requests a laptop from your school – and on this list they show as “Assigned” – we recommend that you request from them some evidence or documentation from their prior school that the laptop was returned (this could be as simple as an email from the prior school’s Principal or Technology Coordinator).

Without such evidence, the student should not be assigned a new laptop with take home permission (they can certainly use a laptop in school). Thanks and please let me know if you have questions.

Paul Foster, Director

Should known repeat offenders be given HP laptops at the start of the year or Dell?

If a student lost or damaged a device, the school has the discretion to require that the student leave the device at school and not take it home, but this is a “per year” rule so we should start this year fresh. If they lose or damage two devices, then they have to leave their device at school.

After a student reaches out to the help desk and it’s confirmed they need a replacement, do they directly contact the coordinator, teacher or office first? What is the process now that school will start?

After contacting the help desk themselves and obtaining a replacement code, the student would then contact the school to indicate they need a replacement. Each school can define the process that works best for them (i.e. the student calls the office, they notify their teacher, they contact the tech coordinator, etc.)

What is the process for students/families that do not speak English when they need to contact the student help desk?

The help desk is available in English and Spanish. For other languages, they can work with the school to place the call with someone from the school using the District-provided translation service.

Policy for single day loaners (students who forget their laptops that day).

Students can be provided a loaner. Daily loaners do not need to be reimaged each day but we recommend they be reimaged every few weeks. While the device will technically be “assigned” to the first student who uses it, other students will be able to sign in, but only the first student will be able to install apps from the company portal until the device is re-imaged again.

The computers need to be kept in a secure place where they will not be lost and where students cannot access them freely. These computers should also be tracked/documented since they are part of the school supply and must be accounted for.

Can schools keep laptops on premise at all times instead of having students take laptops home?

All students in all grades need to have the opportunity to take a device home every night (it presents equity problems if one school lets kids take them home and another doesn’t, along with all the benefits of letting students have a device at home).

The big exception is that schools can make individual exceptions and require a student to leave the device at school if the student has persistently abused the device or is persistently having problems bringing it back and forth (or if the parent doesn’t want the student to bring the device home).