Section 6

TECHNOLOGY / LEARNING DEVICES / INTERNET
Technology / Learning Devices 
Ritenour is a 1:1 school district.  All Ritenour K-12 students will be given a Chromebook. The district also will make Wi-Fi  available to students who need it so they can engage in their learning, complete assignments and tests, and communicate with our teachers, counselors and their own peers while they are working virtually.

Computers and other technology resources are an integral part of the district’s curriculum and students must meet specific skill requirements for each grade. All district computers have access to the Internet for research and instructional purposes only.

Technology Assistance
For help with Google accounts for all grades, as well as support for devices issued to students please email techsupport@ritenourschools.org or call (314) 493-6085.

Technology Usage Regulations
Ritenour is committed to providing ease of access to and extensive use of technology in support and enhancement of learning for all district learners. It is also necessary that staff members, students, and any other users abide by federal and state laws and district regulations governing the use of the district’s technology. Accordingly, staff members, students, and their parents must acknowledge their agreement to abide by these requirements by completing an application/permission form to use district systems.  The form will be provided to families in electronic back-to-school packets each school year.

Users should be aware that all information stored on district technology resources, including files deleted from a user's account, and all use of technology are subject to access, monitoring, review, and interception by authorized district  personnel at any time. Inappropriate use of district technology may result in withdrawal of the privilege and/or disciplinary or legal action.

Optional Technology Insurance Plan
An optional insurance plan is available to Ritenour families through a company called One2One Risk Solutions. The annual (one year) cost of the optional insurance is $20 per device and is due when the Chromebook or Tablet is issued. All families must register with One2One Risk Solutions online and either accept and pay for insurance or decline coverage. Visit www.one2onerisk.com for more information.

Internet 
The Internet is an important resource for the district’s academic program. Teaching students proper and safe usage of the Internet is also a basic and vital part of the district’s technology program. Parents are required to give written permission before their children are allowed access to the Internet. Students and their parents must also sign an acceptable use policy before the student is permitted to use the Internet. Students who violate the terms of this agreement may have their Internet privileges revoked and be subject to disciplinary action. The district operates filtering software to assist in providing appropriate content to students.

TELEPHONES
Telephones are important elements in the district’s safety and communication plans and are located in offices and in each classroom. These telephones are for school business and are generally not available for student use during the school day. In case of an emergency, parents who wish to get a message to their child may call the school office and the message is delivered to the student. Parents are encouraged to coordinate their child’s schedule and any after-school activities prior to the school day. Students are encouraged not to bring cell phones to school since their use is permitted only before and after school, unless specifically authorized by an administrator. If used otherwise, they will be taken from students and held for parents to pick up later. The school is not responsible for lost and/or stolen cellular phones or other electronic devices.

TESTING
The Ritenour District administers a broad range of assessment tools to monitor student progress in addition to the state-mandated Missouri Assessment Program (MAP). Exams are administered as ongoing diagnostic and instructional tools to measure instruction and learning as well as for screening purposes. In addition to formal testing measures, students are assessed through innumerable informal daily exchanges between teacher and student, screening programs, curriculum unit tests, portfolios of student work and the assignment of numerical and letter grades for coursework, as well as by standards-based reporting that constitutes a cumulative academic record for each student.

Grade Level Assessments
Grade Level Assessments, developed by the state of Missouri, are mandated at grades 3-8 in English Language Arts, Mathematics and Science (grades 5 and 8). The results indicate how well students have achieved according to levels established by the state rather than in comparison to other students nationwide.

End-Of-Course (EOC)
At the high school level, end-of-course examinations in Algebra, English II, Biology, Government and Personal Finance are mandated by the state.

Access for English Learners
The state required yearly language assessments for all students identified as English Learners is given on an annual basis to measure English language development in listening, speaking, reading and writing in content areas.

TEXTBOOKS / OTHER MATERIALS
Students are entitled to the free use of resource materials to support learning. Books and other non-consumable materials distributed to students must be returned in good condition at the end of the school year. Students are required to pay the replacement costs for lost books and other resource materials or for damage in excess of normal wear from use for the year.

VISITORS
Parents are welcome at school and are encouraged to visit. Upon entering the building, parents are required to report to the school office, sign in and obtain a visitor’s badge. The safety and security of all Ritenour students and staff members is the district’s top priority. During the school day all exterior doors, including main entrances, are locked. All Ritenour schools have a video intercom system at each main entrance.

To enter the school during the day, please push the button on the video intercom system. A member of the school’s office staff will greet you and ask you for your name and additional information. Visitors will then be “buzzed in” and the door will be unlocked. Visitors will report directly to the front desk near the main entrance and you will be asked to sign in and receive a temporary visitor’s badge. If necessary, you will be escorted by a member of the office staff to the classroom or other location in the building. Please do not be offended if a staff member asks to see your visitor badge.

As a courtesy to the teacher, parents are asked to contact their child’s teacher and/or building administrator before a classroom visit, especially to observe your child. At no point while observing your child is a parent permitted to observe, take notes, record the actions of, or discuss the behaviors of other children in the classroom. Such behavior by the parent could be deemed as violating the privacy rights of that student and may have actionable consequences by local law enforcement agents.

If a parent wishes to confer with a teacher, the parent is asked to schedule an appointment at a time that does not interfere with the teacher’s classroom instructional schedule. Many parents enjoy eating lunch with their child during a visit to school. Please check with the teacher or office for scheduled lunch periods. Parents are discouraged from using schools as custody visitation sites. Any visitor to the school who engages in conduct that is disruptive to the learning environment may be asked to leave and restricted from future visits.

Visits by school-age students, including relatives and friends of Ritenour students, are not permitted, except for those scheduled for educational purposes and approved by an administrator (such as new students enrolling and touring the building). Students are also not permitted to bring babies or young children to school during school hours.

At no time is the use of cell phones or other electronic devices allowed to capture images or voices of students or staff while visiting.

VOLUNTEERS
As part of the district's ongoing efforts to ensure student safety, all volunteers in the Ritenour School District must complete a Volunteer Application Form. Background checks are completed annually for anyone where the potential exists for the individual to be alone with children.

The Ritenour School District reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to refuse a volunteer from serving in a position based on the results of the background check if it is in the best interest of the students and school.

Volunteers are expected to follow all Ritenour Board of Education and building policies and procedures, including confidentiality of student information.

The Volunteer Application form can be found by going to www.ritenourschools.org and clicking on the “Community” tab and selecting “Volunteers.” When you have completed the Volunteer Application, take it to the school or building in which you wish to volunteer. The form will be processed by Ritenour’s Human Resources office and results take approximately two weeks. Please note: During the peak season (August-November), the process can take longer.

Volunteer background checks are only good for one year. Background checks are completed annually.

WITHDRAWALS FROM SCHOOLS / FORWARDING RECORDS
Families who plan to move out of the Ritenour District should notify a school secretary as soon as possible. Official student records are forwarded upon written request from the new school. If the child is under 17 and a request from the new school is not received within five to 10 business days, a call to Children’s Division may occur to report educational neglect.