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Technology Guides for Students and Parents

Charles County Public Schools is committed to supporting students and parents as they navigate technology-enhanced homes and classrooms of the 21st Century.

CCPS understands parents have concerns regarding screen time, cyberbullying, digital citizenship, media literacy, and exposure to inappropriate content. CCPS has curated Technology Guides to provide families with timely information related to acceptable use and laptop care, best practices for digital learning for in-person or virtual classrooms, and to help parents find resources and guidance for raising responsible digital citizens . Check back for updates related to instructional technology.
Updates from the Office of Technology

School Year 2022-2023 Updates

Sunsetting the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Program

Due to enhancements in the CCPS instructional program and additional local, state, and federal funding, CCPS has been afforded the opportunity to provide each student with a device and therefore the school system is sunsetting the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program for students.  There are many benefits to the CCPS-issued device program.

Technology Equity
The CCPS-issued devices program addresses technology equity in the school system by providing every student with a similar, standardized device. 
 
Standard Interface and Support
Digital tools used throughout the school system are tested on CCPS-issued devices to ensure proper functionality and connectivity to support programs such as standardized testing, instructional technology classroom applications and classroom management software such as LanSchool Air. 
 
Device Classroom Management Software

LanSchool Air is a cloud-based classroom management solution that allows teachers to guide classroom learning and keep students safe with easy-to-use, easy-to-monitor device protection features such as:  

  • Limit Web - Limit online access to approved websites and disabling internet access during tests and quizzes.  

  • Blank Screen - Teachers can shift classroom attention to them by blanking student screens and locking their devices.  

  • Screen Monitoring - Teachers can quickly view every student monitor — or switch to view individual screens.  

  • Communication and Screen Sharing - Promote collaboration in the classroom with powerful screen sharing and one-to-one, one-to-many messaging features.  

  • Messaging - Receive students’ questions and chat one-on-one — or send a message out to the entire class.  

  • Raise Hand - Give students the ability to digitally raise their hands when they have completed an assignment — and the confidence to ask for additional help privately.  

  • Share Screen- Teachers can share their screens across all student devices, capturing attention, and saving valuable time.  

Approved Content Filtering

Families should discuss the importance of being safe, responsible and respectful online. However, CCPS does evaluate all sites used for instruction. Families should note that when CCPS-issued devices are connected to a personal home network they are configured to filter the sites students visit. The filtering used should not be tampered with or bypassed in any way. CCPS also offers reputation filtering to protect devices from accessing known sites with malware or parked domains.  

Responsible Stewardship of Funds

CCPS is a responsible steward of taxpayer money by fully expanding the use of technology equipment procured for student use.

Cell Phone Policy Remains in Effect

The Code of Student Conduct contains the current cell phone policy for students in CCPS. The policy continues to provide acceptable usage and responsibility guidelines for all students. Please review these frequently with your studen. An excerpt providing guidance by school level is below:

Elementary School - Once approved, students must keep their phone powered completely off (not on vibrate or silent mode) and inside their book-bag, locker or cubby throughout the entirety of each school day, unless other storage arrangements are made with the teacher.

Middle School  - Students may bring their phone or device but once school begins must keep them powered completely off (not on vibrate or silent mode) and remain in a non-visible, secure location throughout the entirety of each school day. 

High School - Students may bring their phone or device but once school begins the device must be powered completely off (not on vibrate or silent mode) and must remain in a non-visible, secure location, with the exception of lunchtime or during an approved activity period.  

Get Internet Program Continues

Your household may be eligible to receive a monthly discount on a new or existing Internet service plan with the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). For more information, read the Get Internet in the Community section of our CCBOE website.