The Student Laptop Program at Vistas High School Program is designed to help students succeed academically as well as help prepare them for their future. Laptop computers will be the primary instructional tool for Vistas High School. It is crucial, therefore, that students care for and use their laptops in accordance with these guidelines.

Students will be required to complete orientation on the care and use of the laptop when the laptop is issued. Each student and the student’s parent/guardian must sign and submit the Laptop Acceptance and Agreement form prior to the student’s participation in laptop orientation. During the school year, students will have full use of the District-owned laptop assigned to them for purposes relating to their participation in the Vistas instructional program.

Students are responsible for their laptops at all times, no matter where they are.

Each student will be issued a laptop backback on the first day of school. This will be the only backpack that will be permitted on campus. This will be yours to use for the remainder of the year. If you lose of damage your backpack, you will be charged an $18.00 replacement fee. Backpacks will be turned in at the end of each year.

Each student will be assigned to a laptop locker. This locker is opened with a key. Replacement cost for a lost key is $20.00. Your locker number and key will be issued to you on the first day of school.

At the time of distribution, the student will be required to sign the Laptop Agreement and Acceptance form verifying the receipt of the laptop and all peripherals (these are typically external devices that expand the capabilities of the computer). The Klein ISD Tag Number, Laptop Serial Number, and Vistas Barcode Number will be on the Laptop Agreement and Acceptance form.

Students will not be allowed to use a family or personally owned laptop at school. Only a District-owned laptop is permitted for use at school, on the District network, and for all coursework completed at the Vistas program.

The laptops issued to students will remain District property. As with all materials issued to students by the District, the student is responsible for the care of the laptop.

In the event equipment is lost or stolen student/parent must immediately notify the Vistas Program Director who will immediately file a report with the Klein ISD Police Department.

If technical issues arise, students must notify their instructor immediately. If the problem cannot be resolved, students will be referred to the Instructional Media Specialist who will arrange for repairs.

Laptops will be collected at the end of each school year for maintenance. Students shall not be permitted to use the District laptops during the summer.

In the event a student no longer attends school at Vistas, he/she shall return the laptop and all peripherals prior to or when withdrawn from the campus. The laptop and all peripherals are to be returned to the Instructional Media Specialist.

Students issued a laptop are required to bring their laptops to school every day with a fully charged battery. This is part of the Vista student’s homework.

General guidelines
• Security: Log in under your assigned username.
Use only your user account, password, or identification. Do not share this information with others. Note: the student shall be required to report his/her password to the teacher, who shall keep this information in a secure location in the event of concerns, problems, maintenance, or inspection.
• Screensavers: No personal screensavers shall be used. Passwords on screensavers are not permitted.
• Sound: Volume must be muted at all times unless permission is obtained from the teacher for instructional purposes.
• Deleting files: Do not delete any folders or files that you did not create or that you do not recognize. Deletion of certain files can result in a computer failure and can interfere with your ability to complete class work, which may affect your grades.
• Music/Games/Programs: Music and games are a distraction during class and shall not be brought to school unless the student has received written permission from a teacher for a special project. Students are prohibited from downloading or saving music, games, or any applications to the laptop unless express written permission from a teacher has been granted for a special project. All software loaded on the system must be provided by the district. No personal software is permitted on District laptops; students who install personal software on District laptops shall be subject to disciplinary action.
• Network Etiquette
o Be polite
o Use appropriate language; no profanity, slang, or vulgar language is permitted.
o Comply with KISD acceptable use guidelines regarding computer use.
o Disciplinary action may be taken for inappropriate use of the network and/or the laptop.
• Managing Files and Saving Work
All students will have a folder on a network drive (N drive). This is a network drive setup from their login. Students shall always save their work to the N: drive. The networked servers are backed up nightly. Any work saved to the laptop itself, rather than the network, is at risk if not backed up by the student.


• Laptop Storage
When students are not using laptops, they should be stored in their backpacks or charging in their locker, which must be locked. Students are encouraged to take their laptops home every day after school, regardless of whether they are needed. Laptops shall not be stored in a student’s vehicle at any time. Laptops shall always be stored in a safe, secure location.

Each laptop is identified by a specific number and assigned to a specific backpack. To ensure that you always have the laptop that is assigned to you, laptops should never be switched from case to case.

Passwords shall not be shared and shall not be kept in the carrying case.

Sensitive, personal data shall not be stored on the computer’s hard drive. The computer is for school use only, not personal use.

Nothing shall be downloaded to the laptop computer without KISD permission.

Students are prohibited from loaning their laptop to anyone, including another KISD student.

Under no circumstances may laptops be left in unsupervised areas. Unsupervised areas include the school grounds and campus, the cafeteria, locker rooms, library, unlocked classrooms, dressing rooms and hallways, and any place outside of school that is not the student’s home. Any computer left in these areas is in danger of being stolen. The student and parent are responsible if a laptop is stolen.

Unsupervised laptops will be confiscated by staff and taken to the Library Media Center. Disciplinary action may be taken for leaving a laptop in an unsupervised location

If a student leaves his/her laptop at home, or if the battery is not fully charged, he/she may be required to complete assignments using alternate means, such as hand-written assignments.

If available, loaner laptops will be issued to a student when his/her laptop has been submitted for repair.

Laptops must be brought to school each day in a fully-charged condition. Students need to charge their laptops each evening (The battery cannot be overcharged). In cases where use of the laptop has caused batteries to become discharged, students may be able to connect their computers to a power outlet in class or borrow a battery from the library. Extra batteries must be returned to the library the same school day as borrowed.

Students may use printers with teachers’ permission during class or breaks. Printers are located in the hallway near the laptop lockers and in the Library Media Center

Students are responsible for the general care of the laptop issued by the school. Laptops that are broken or fail to work properly must be taken to the school library. Before attempting to clean a laptop, the student should consult with his/her teacher for assistance. Computers are sensitive to chemicals, moisture, and other elements; great care must be taken, therefore, not to damage the laptop while cleaning.

General Precautions
• Never leave your laptop unattended. Laptops must never be left in a car or any unsupervised area.
• Do not place food and/or liquids near your laptop.
• Use your laptop only on solid, flat surfaces.
• Lock your laptop in your locker if you will not be taking your laptop home after school.
• Do not stack other items on top of the laptop.
• Never attempt self repair or reconfiguration of the laptop or peripherals.
• Carefully insert cords, cables, and removable storage devices into the laptop.
• Do not write or draw on your laptop.
• Do not place stickers or labels on your laptop that are not the property of Klein ISD.
• Keep your laptop and other electronic storage media away from magnetic fields, which can erase or corrupt your data.
• Do not expose your laptop to direct sunlight, extreme temperatures, or ultraviolet light (e.g., taking laptop into a tanning booth) for extended periods of time. Do not leave a laptop in the car!! Such exposure to extreme heat or cold could result in damage.
• Do not obstruct the laptop’s vents and do not place the laptop on surfaces such as paper or carpet.

Laptop screens are particularly sensitive to excessive pressure. Extreme care must be emphasized to protect the screen from accidental damage.
• Do not place anything on the laptop or lean on the laptop when it is closed.
• Do not place anything in the backpack that may press against the cover of the laptop.
• Do not poke the screen.
• Do not place anything on the keyboard before closing the lid (e.g., pens, pencils or disks).
• Take extreme care to not place your fingers directly on the screen when closing the laptop. If pressure is applied to the screen, especially close to the edges, crystals can be broken which will damage or ruin the screen.

• Do not carry the laptop while the screen is open. Close the laptop before moving it.
• Carry and store your laptop in the backpack provided.
• The laptop must be shut down before placing in the backpack provided.
• Do not place an excessive amount of additional objects (e.g., folders,textbooks) in the backpack with the laptop. Excessive objects can place too much pressure and/or weight on the laptop screen.
• Do not stack items on top of the carrying case.

Regular maintenance on the laptops will be conducted by KISD.

Installed District Software includes:
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Microsoft One Note
• Microsoft Internet Explorer
• AppleWorks for Windows
• Inspiration
• Adobe Reader

The software installed by the District must remain on the laptop in usable condition and be easily accessible at all times. Students are prohibited from tampering with District-installed software.

Additional software may need to be added for use in a particular course. If so, the District will arrange for and conduct the installation. The District will schedule routine updates as required.

Students are prohibited from installing any software or software updates on the laptop. All software installation must be performed by KISD Technology Staff.

Virus protection software is installed on the laptop. This software will scan the hard drive for known viruses on boot up. The virus software will be automatically upgraded from the network.

Student laptops will be inspected if a teacher or other school official suspects the laptop has been reconfigured outside the District guidelines outlined in this document.

Student laptops are property of the District and are subject to inspection or search at any time a District administrator has cause to believe the student has violated these guidelines, KISD acceptable use guidelines, or has used the laptop for inappropriate and/or illegal purposes.

At Vistas during the school day, notify the teacher of any problems with laptop operation. The teacher may refer you to the Instructional Media Specialist.

In the event the student laptop must be left for repair, a “loaner” laptop may be checked out to the student. The same rules and procedures that apply to the student issued laptop apply to the “loaner” computer.

In the event equipment is lost or stolen, the student must immediately notify the Vistas Program Director who will immediately file a report with the Klein ISD Police Department.