Chromebooks

Qustodio is a free service that provides parents with additional resources to supervise school-issued Chromebooks outside school hours. We are pleased to provide these additional digital well-being tools to families. During school hours (7:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.), school staff will monitor student activity. Any concerns during school hours should be directed to the teacher or school's administration. 

On nights (4:45 p.m. - 7:30 a.m.), weekends, and school holidays, Qustodio allows families to: 

• Apply custom web filtering,
• Set daily screen time limits,
• Set custom rules for certain days & times such as bedtime & homework time,
• Pause internet access,
• Monitor browsing activity on their student's Chromebook,
• Receive email summaries of usage, and
• Read digital safety guidance from experts.

Families can create an account and connect with their student(s) using the parent email on file in Aspen.

The Online Safety Hub has articles for families related to screen time, app reviews, and more. 

We're in this together!

Everyone must take responsibility for their use of the district network or devices. Our staff will monitor student use of technology while they are at school. We ask the same of our families when the student brings their device home. Despite the best efforts of supervision and internet filtering, all users and their parents/guardians are advised that access to the electronic network may include the potential for access to materials inappropriate for school-aged students. 

Personal INformation

Have regular conversations with your child around what information should remain private. Information such as names, home address, and telephone number should never be shared online. 

While the primary goal of the district-provided Chromebook is to provide access to educational resources, KCS recognizes that these can also be used for fun or leisure activities.

After school Use

The district does not restrict Chromebook use to any specific time periods.

The Qustodio app allows families to monitor internet usage outside of school hours. During school hours (7:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.), teachers and school staff will monitor student activity.

Video Streaming Services

Many paid services, such as Netflix, are not restricted from use by the district. Access, payment, and use of the service is at the discretion of the parent/guardian.

Games

Some game sites are inaccessible on a district-provided Chromebook. Knox County reserves the right to restrict access to games that promote violence or have adult themes. 

Knox County Schools are bound by law and Board Policy to filter internet access. 

Filtering is accomplished by our software placing each website into a subject or category. Category-based filtering can result in sites being incorrectly blocked or allowed.

SafeSearch

Knox County enforces SafeSearch for all major search engines. 

YouTube

Moderate Restricted YouTube access is enforced for all KCS middle and high school Chromebooks. Strict Restricted mode is enforced at all Elementary locations. These settings do not block all videos, but work as a filter to screen out many videos based on an automated system, while leaving some videos still available for viewing.

Social Media

Students can not access sites categorized as social media on KCS Chromebooks. Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, and TikTok are all considered social media sites.

Filter Requests

Knox County Schools staff can submit a request for web filtering adjustments in our Incident IQ Ticketing System. Please include the website's URL for review. 

Once the Device Agreement and Device Insurance forms are submitted, your student’s school will be responsible for device distribution.

All devices are free, but families can buy device insurance for $20.

You can pay the insurance fee online. You may also submit a check, made payable to "Knox County Schools Device Insurance", to P.O. Box 314, Knoxville, TN 37901. 

The $20 insurance coverage is optional for families. Payment plans are available for as low as $5 per month.

If repairs are needed, parents will be provided with a schedule of costs. Typical repairs range from $10-$150 and will be charged as a fine if the parent did not purchase insurance. A total loss of the device will result in a charge based on the model of the device, up to $400.

Do not write, mark, paint, or add stickers to the school issued Chromebook.  Markings and stickers are considered intentional damage and not covered by the KCS Device Insurance program and subject to a fine to replace the damaged part.

Visit the Tech Support page for training videos and guides on how to use Chromebooks and the Google Workspace.

The district will issue clear policies about acceptable use, and parents will need to sign, indicating their agreement. There will be filtering software that will prevent students from accessing inappropriate or harmful content in most cases.

After school hours, families can monitor their student's online access with Qustodio.

Technology in the classroom is a tool for a teacher to enhance their teaching. KCS does not believe traditional teaching techniques and activities should be replaced by screen time. During a “normal schedule”, teachers will have the autonomy to develop their classroom model and determine what percentage of a student’s learning will be online and what will be face-to-face.

We also believe students need to learn from an early age about usage and time management of technology in the learning environment. We are encouraging teachers to talk with families about the importance of managing screen time for students.

The district will not allow students to use their own device instead of one issued by the district. Allowing students to use their own devices at school raises concerns about safety and appropriate usage. With district-managed devices, we can limit access and monitor content in a way that would not be possible on student-owned devices.

The district will give flexibility to school administration regarding device usage, including whether devices can go home with students.

In general, software cannot be downloaded onto the Chromebook. District or school subscriptions will be available if the software is web-based.

Visit Tech Support for help guides and to submit a help ticket.

Short-term travel, such as over a break, within the Continental US, with the device, is permitted. However, extra care should be taken to ensure the school-owned device is not left visible in a car, stored in a hot or unconditioned space for extended periods of time, or left unattended in a public place.

International travel is not permitted, and the device or school-issued accounts may be automatically locked when detected.