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Procedures & Notification

Google Workspace for Education logo

Introduction

As part of our continued efforts to provide students with greater opportunities to learn, engage, communicate, and develop skills, the Churchville-Chili CSD provides students with Google Workspace for Education accounts. Google Workspace for Education is a collection of free programs including email, document creation tools, and collaboration tools that are accessed through a web browser. Commonly referred to as working “in the cloud," Google Workspace for Education provides access to documents and projects from any internet connected computer or other compatible device, enabling students and staff to access their school documents and projects both in and out of school.

Google Workspace for Education services are available through an agreement between Google and Churchville-Chili CSD. Google Workspace for Education is available via an internet domain purchased and managed by Churchville-Chili CSD and is intended for educational use. Accounts and settings are managed by Churchville-Chili CSD and all advertising is disabled. Students in grades K-12 are issued an email address which serves as their login for Google Workspace for Education.

Student email can only be used within the district between students and teachers. School staff will monitor student use of Google Workspace for Education when students are at school. Parents are responsible for monitoring their student’s use of Google Workspace for Education when accessing the program at home. Students are responsible for their own behavior at all times.

What is Google Workspace for Education?

Google Workspace for Education is a specialized implementation of Google Apps, tailored specifically for educational institutions. Provided by Google at no cost to schools, the web based suite of programs includes some key differences for education, such as the removal of any and all advertising content.

The Google Workspace for Education agreement with Churchville-Chili CSD provides access to Google Applications and online storage. Churchville-Chili CSD maintains the ability to manage users, groups, and settings directly. This means that the Churchville-Chili CSD can grant and revoke user access and control other settings to ensure a safe and secure collaboration environment for students and teachers.

All of the Google Workspace for Education services can be accessed from any compatible device with an internet connection. This replaces the need for flash drives and/or external data drives to transport documents and other files. Google Workspace for Education is internet-based, ensuring that staff and students can log on anytime, anywhere. In addition, Google Workspace for Education allows students and staff to easily share documents and files, enabling students to collaborate on projects with their classmates and turn in assignments electronically.

 

Google Workspace for Education includes the following programs:

 

Gmail

Web-based email.
 

Calendar

An individual calendar providing the ability to organize schedules, daily activities, and assignments.
 

Drive

Google Drive provides cloud storage space for most file formats. Google Drive can be accessed and/or shared from any computer or other compatible device with an Internet connection.
 

Docs

Word processing program similar to Microsoft Word.
 

Sheets

Spreadsheet program similar to Microsoft Excel.
 

Slides

Multimedia presentation program similar to Microsoft PowerPoint.
 

Forms

Survey/data collection tool for creating forms and collecting data.
 

Google Classroom

A web-based tool that helps teachers and students manage coursework.

Using these tools, students can collaboratively create, edit and share files and slides for school related projects and communicate via email with other students and teachers. These services are entirely online and available 24/7 from any compatible internet-connected device. Examples of student use include showcasing class projects, building an electronic portfolio of school learning experiences, and working in small groups on presentations to share with others.

 

Acceptable Use

The Churchville-Chili CSD Google Workspace for Education domain is intended for educational use. Use of Google Workspace for Education is governed by the the Churchville-Chili CSD Student Use of Computerized Information Resources and Student Code of Conduct.

Privacy

Churchville-Chili CSD staff and administration has access to student email and documents for monitoring purposes. Students have no expectation of privacy on the Churchville-Chili CSD Google Workspace for Education domain.

Limited personal use

Students may use Google Workspace for Education for personal projects, such as word processing. Examples of inappropriate personal use include (but are not limited to):
 

  • Unlawful activities
  • Commercial purposes
  • Use for personal financial gain
  • Inappropriate sexual or other offensive content
  • Threatening or bullying others

Safety

  • Students should not post personal contact information about themselves or other people, including addresses and phone numbers
  • Students should tell their teacher or other school employee about any message they receive that is inappropriate or makes them feel uncomfortable
  • Students are responsible for the use of their individual accounts and should take all reasonable precautions to prevent others from being able to use their account
  • Under no conditions should a user provide his or her password to another person
     

Access Restriction

Access to Google Workspace for Education is a privilege accorded at the discretion of the Churchville-Chili CSD. The Churchville-Chili CSD maintains the right to immediately withdraw the access and use of Google Workspace for Education in accordance with the Churchville-Chili CSD Student Use of Computerized Information Resources and Student Code of Conduct, and/or other pertinent Churchville-Chili CSD policies.

Student Google Workspace for Education Account Set-up

Students in grades K-12 will be assigned an email account. This account will be considered the student's official Churchville-Chili CSD email address until such time as the student is no longer enrolled at Churchville-Chili CSD. 

Student Gmail Permissions

Churchville-Chili CSD student Gmail accounts cannot receive email from outside of the District domain, and will not be able to send email to anyone outside of the Churchville-Chili CSD domain. Therefore, students should not use their Churchville-Chili CSD email for registering accounts for third-party sites or services that require email verification, unless specifically pre-approved by the Churchville-Chili CSD Information Technology Department or under the direction of Churchville-Chili CSD faculty.

Uses for Student Gmail

Email is a powerful communication tool for students that can serve to increase communication and collaboration. Students are encouraged to check their email at least once per day. Teachers may send email to middle and high school students to communicate reminders, course content, pose questions related to class work, or to relay other instructional information. Students may send email to their teachers with questions or comments regarding their courses. Students may also send email to other students with whom they are collaborating on group projects or other assignments, as instructed.
 

General Email and overall Google Domain Guidelines

Below is a general summary of guidelines related to email:
 

  • Email is to be used for school-related communication only
  • Do not send harassing or offensive email or content
  • Do not send unsolicited “spam” email or content
  • Do not send email containing viruses or other malicious content
  • Do not send or read email at inappropriate times, such as during class instruction
  • Do not send email to share test answers or promote cheating in any way
  • Do not use the account of another person for any reason   
     

Content Filtering and Monitoring

Email sent within the Churchville-Chili CSD domain may be monitored and/or filtered based upon content. Rules and filters are set to monitor student email for profanity, harassment, and other inappropriate content. Student email that is identified as inappropriate will be reviewed by school administration.
 

Applicable Laws and Policies

These are the laws and policies that help to protect our students online:
 

G Suite for Education (Online) Agreement

Full text available at https://workspace.google.com/intl/en/terms/education_terms
 

Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA)

The school is required by CIPA to have technology measures and policies in place that protect students from harmful materials including those that are obscene and pornographic. This means that student email is filtered. Mail containing harmful content from inappropriate sites will be blocked.

CIPA Guide available at: https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/childrens-internet-protection-act
 

Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

COPPA applies to commercial companies and limits their ability to collect personal information from children under 13. By default, Google advertising is turned off for Apps for Education users. No personal student information is collected for commercial purposes. This policy allows the school to act as an agent for parents in the collection of information within the school context. The school’s use of student information is solely for education purposes.

COPPA FAQ available at: https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/complying-coppa-frequently-asked-questions
 

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

FERPA protects the privacy of student education records and gives parents rights to review student records. Under FERPA, schools may disclose directory information (name, phone, address, grade level, etc...) but parents may request that the school not disclose this information. The school will not publish confidential educational records (grades, student ID #, etc...) for public viewing on the Internet.
 

  • The school may publish student work and photos for public viewing but will not publish student last names or other personally identifiable information.
  • Parents may request that photos, names and general directory information about their children not be published.
  • Parents have the right to investigate the contents of their child’s email and Apps for Education files at any time.

FERPA information available at: https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/ferpa/ferpa-overview