Orange County Public Schools

LaunchED Participation

• Devices: The LaunchED program provides devices for students in grades K-12. Students in Kindergarten and first grade are provided with iPads while students in second through 12th grades are provided with laptops. In addition, one hotspot per qualifying family is available for checkout.
• Check Out: Registered OCPS students are issued digital devices at their school sites. At the beginning of the school year schools will often host device distribution dates before the first day of school. Check with the school for those dates. Newly registered students enrolled after the first day of school are issued a device within two school days of registration.
• Check In: Students withdrawing from or changing schools within OCPS must return the device before they leave the school. Graduating seniors must also return devices before they leave.
• Device Refusal: Parents/Guardians reserve the right to refuse acceptance of the digital device issued to their student. Parents guardians can then opt for either total device refusal or Bring Your Own Device. For information about Bring Your Own Device please go to BYOD.ocps.net.
• Device Eligibility: High school students dual enrolled at local colleges and universities who have at least one class on a LaunchED campus are eligible to check out a device. Middle school students at LaunchED sites taking a high school credit course on a LaunchEd high school campus should bring their digital device to the high school campus.

Parent and Guardian Responsibilities

Parents, guardians, and students are important partners in the LaunchED Digital Learning Program and are responsible for:

• Reading and signing the Parent Technology, Media, and Information Consent Form (PTMICF) annually
• Reporting any loss or damage to the digital device within 72 hours, to report a device as lost, please call (407) 317-3290
• Providing the school with a copy of the police report listing OCPS as the property owner in the event of theft

The OCPS Parent Portal is your one-stop shop for all of the most important information. The OCPS Parent Portal provides access to:

• Canvas Parent - this provides access to students' Canvas course assignments, calendar, and grades on work completed in Canvas
• OCPS Digital Resource Course - this provides guides and information on how to use each of the OCPS platforms
• School Pay - this provides the ability to pay school issued fines and fees
• Skyward Family Access - this provides access to student grades, schedules, reports cards, interim reports and more

Student Responsibilities

Students are responsible for keeping track of and caring for their device and any device accessories. To guide students in appropriately caring for their device, students are annually asked to view a device care video. In general, students should:

• Keep food and drinks away from the device
• Make sure the device is charged daily for school use
• Carry the device with both hands when moving it around the classroom
• Carry the device in a padded backpack and always set the bag down gently on desks, tables or the floor
• Return the device to the school at the end of the school year, during inventory periods, when damaged, and/or upon withdrawal

In case of device or accessory damage, students should report to the Media Center for support.

Device Support

Students, parents, and guardians are encouraged to try simple troubleshooting methods such as:

• Restarting the device
• Reconnecting to the OCPS network
• Force quitting unresponsive applications

If students require troubleshooting support or a repair for their device or accessory, they should report to the Media Center. A Media Center staff member will work with the student to determine the device issue and provide troubleshooting support for both software or hardware related issues. Depending on the nature of the issue, a new device may need to be issued to the student.

In some cases, devices may require repair as a result of accidental or intentional damage to device or accessory. Once that determination has been made, parents and guardians will receive a phone call from the school principal alerting them of a device or accessory fine, if applicable. Visit the fines tab to learn more about the the district’s device and accessory fine structure.

Device and Network Use

Students are required to read and sign the Student Technology Acceptable Use Agreement at the beginning of each school year. The agreement outlines acceptable behaviors for students while using their device while on the district network.

The district filters Internet access for LaunchED devices both on campus and off campus in compliance with the Children's Internet Protection Act. Parents and families are encouraged to monitor student use of the LaunchED device, especially internet use, at home. Misuse of the LaunchED device or district network access will result in consequences as prescribed by the OCPS Code of Student Conduct.

Protecting student data and privacy on the internet is important to the district. Students in grades K-12 are provided with personal credentials to access the network, their device, and their instructional resources. Students in grades 6-12 are able to create a unique password at any point throughout the school year by accessing the studentid.ocps.net site.

OCPS School Board Policy IHAR requires that the district continually educate students on appropriate online behavior through a set of annual lessons and courses provided to all students at the elementary and secondary levels. These lessons or courses are assigned at the beginning of the school year and taught through English Language Arts and Social Studies courses.

Financial Liability

Parents/Guardians/Students are responsible for the cost of repair or replacement if the digital device is:

• accidentally damaged

• intentionally damaged

• damaged due to negligence

• lost due to negligence

• not returned at the end of the year or upon withdrawal, and/or

• stolen but not reported to local law enforcement

Students are made aware that damage of any school property is a violation of the OCPS Code of Student Conduct when they review it annually.

Parents/Guardians must indicate whether they require a printed copy of the Code of Student Conduct. The Code of Student Conduct form is signed by students at school. Parents/guardian must sign and return the parent/guardian form to their child's school. Failure or refusal to sign this acknowledgement form will not relieve a student or the parent/guardian of the responsibility for compliance with the code or accountability for loss or damage to OCPS property. For parents/guardians of students in grades 6-12, this form may recorded electronically.

Fine Schedule

The fine schedule and assessment form for this school year can be found below.

Requesting Repair Costs

Repairs are made by an external vendor and the district is invoiced after the fact. As a result, repair costs may not be immediately known or available. Repair costs can be requested by contacting the school administration. If there is a difference between the actual cost of repair and the fine paid by the family, a refund will be issued by the school bookkeeper.

Paying Fines

Fines are due at the time they are assessed. Fines can be paid in the school media center daily in cash or check. School Pay can also be used to pay fines, where available.

Payment Plans

If unable to pay the fine in full at the time assessed, please contact the school for needs-based payment plan options. All financial obligations must be settled by graduation or withdrawal from school, whichever comes first.

Disputing Fines

If you would like to dispute a fine that has been assessed, please contact your school principal in writing. Any fine disputes that are not able to be resolved at the school level can be addressed to the learning community. The decision of the learning community Area Superintendent is final.

Fine Duration and Portability

Fines which are not paid in full by the end of the school year, roll forward to the following school year until graduation. Fines are connected to a student not to a school. When students move between schools, fines convey between schools.