Technology

Every 180 days, staff are required to reset their password. This is the password that you use to log in to your computer, PowerSchool, Google Apps, SchoolWires and other District systems. Staff will receive a personalized email from the system prior to their password expiration. Please note, staff will be locked out of the system if their password is not updated prior to the expiration date. Students and staff can change their computer/Google passwords by using the self-service website kiosk. Below are answers to frequently asked questions about resetting passwords.

Why do we need to reset our passwords?
Resetting passwords enhances the security of our online applications. It also stems from a recommendation from the District’s annual audit in 2015.

How often do I have to reset my password?

District policy states passwords must be reset every 180 days. Staff will receive a personalized email from the system prior to their password expiration. Please note, staff will be locked out of the system if their password is not updated prior to the expiration date. Staff are encouraged to reset their password prior to leaving for summer break to reduce the likelihood of having an expiration during the middle of summer.

How long will it take?
The entire process should take about five minutes, even less for those who have previously done it.

How do I reset my password?
View the step-by-step guide for resetting your password, which includes screenshots.

Can I use any password I want?
Yes, you can use any password of your choosing as long as it meets the following criteria (the portal will check your work automatically whenever a password is changed or created):

Your password must:

• Be at least seven characters in length
• Contain characters from three of the following four categories:
  • English uppercase characters (A through Z)
  • English lowercase characters (a through z)
  • Base 10 digits (0 through 9)
  • Non-alphanumeric characters (ex: !, $, #, %)

Your password cannot:

• Be the same as a previously used password
• Contain your account name or parts of your full name that exceed two consecutive characters

Can I change my password from anywhere?
Unfortunately, you cannot. Passwords will need to be reset while you are at school/work and connected to the District’s network. The password change process will only be successful within the District’s network.

What about my smart phone, iPad or other personal devices?
Staff who use their personal devices to connect to District resources (email, Powerschool, etc.) will need to update the password on each device once you have completed the password reset process on your District computer.

Can anyone help me?
For those needing assistance with this process, Ed Techs and the Technology Help Desk (x6033) can provide individual support.

The SDC Courtesy WiFi network is provided as a convenience for sta , students,  and guests to connect personal, non-district-managed devices. Security  requirements prohibit devices on this network from interacting with other  networked devices including wireless presentation systems such as AirTame, VIA,  ClearTouch, etc.. All users of the courtesy network must agree to the district’s  Terms and Conditions before use.  

Need Password Help? View the Self-Service Website Instructions

District computer and Google accounts are provisioned according to the following guidelines for students:

• Account Parameters
  • Students in grades K-12 are provisioned computer and Google accounts.
  • Students in grades K-2 can only receive email from internal senders. Students in grades 3-12 have access to inbound email from both internal and external senders.
• Naming Conventions
  • Computer usernames have the form of: first letter of first name + first 17 letters of last name + two digit random number (i.e. jdoe12).
  • Google usernames have the form of computer username @claytonschools.net (i.e. jdoe12@claytonschools.net).
• Passwords
  • Students are provided a unique default password
  • Students in grades 5-12 can change passwords at any time. Passwords must be a minimum length of 8 characters.
• Timelines
  • Account creation: Up to 45 days prior to enrollment start date.
  • Account suspension: Up to 45 days following enrollment end date. Graduating senior accounts are disabled 90 days following graduation.
  • Account deletion: 13 months after last date of attendance.

The School District of Clayton applies a web content filtering service to all web pages accessed from the District network. This includes sites accessed while at school and, for district-provided devices or when using district credentials, sites accessed at home or other locations. The service operates by blocking access to any URLs matching a list of blocklisted addresses and/or uncategorized content. The blocklist is assembled, updated, and maintained by the content filtering software used by the School District of Clayton. The software is designed, at a minimum, to seek out and block websites with the following categories of content.

• Violence
• Hate/Racism
• Nudism
• Pornography
• Adult/Mature Content
• Drugs/Illegal Drugs
• Gambling

If you find a site that is blocked that you feel should not be, or a site that is not blocked that should be, contact your building educational technology specialist on the Contact Us page. 

Google Workspace For Education
In the School District of Clayton, we use Google Workspace for Education, and we provide and manage an account for your child. Google Workspace for Education is a set of education productivity tools from Google including Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Classroom and more used by tens of millions of students and teachers around the world. Students will use their Google Workspace for Education accounts to complete assignments, communicate with their teachers, sign into Chromebooks and learn 21st century digital citizenship skills.

The notice below provides answers to common questions about what Google can and can’t do with your child’s personal information, including:

• What personal information does Google collect?
• How does Google use this information?
• Will Google disclose my child’s personal information?
• Does Google use student personal information for users in K-12 schools to target advertising?
• Can my child share information with others using the Google Workspace for Education account?

Please read it carefully, let us know of any questions, and then (annually) complete the online form within the PowerSchool Parent Portal to indicate that you’ve read the notice and give your consent. If you don’t provide your consent, we will not permit your child to use Google's Additional Services listed below.

This notice describes the personal information we provide to Google for these accounts and how Google collects, uses, and discloses personal information from students in connection with these accounts.

Google Workspace for Education Notice to Parents and Guardians
Using their Google Workspace for Education accounts, students may access and use the associated “Core Services” offered by Google. Examples of those services include:

• Gmail
• Calendar
• Classroom
• Jamboard
• Drive
• Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms
• Contacts
• Tasks
• Groups for Business
• Keep
• Sites
• Hangouts
• Meet
• Vault

In addition, we also allow students to access certain other Google services with their Google Workspace for Education accounts. Specifically, your child may access “Additional Services” including but not limited to the following:

• Bookmarks
• Books
• CS First
• Earth
• Groups
• Managed Play
• Maps
• My Maps
• Photos
• Takeout
• YouTube

Google provides documentation about the information it collects, as well as how it uses and discloses the information it collects from Google Workspace for Education accounts in its Google Workspace for Education Privacy Notice. You should review this information in its entirety, but below are answers to some common questions:

How does Google keep my child's data secure?
All Google products are protected by one of the world’s most advanced security infrastructures, and we resist any unlawful attempt to access our customers’ data. In fact, your school’s data gets the same industry-leading, multi-layer safeguards that Google uses for our own operations.

In fact, your school’s data gets the same industry-leading, multilayer safeguards that Google uses for our own operations. Google encrypts data at rest by default and our data centers are optimized for security and performance. Google’s security engineers, including some of the world’s foremost experts, work around the clock to spot threats early and respond quickly.

How does Google collect and use my child's information?
Google does not own user data.

Schools own and control all student work and retain full rights over its intellectual property. Personal information collected when using Google Workspace for Education or a Chromebook is never sold to third parties. Google uses this information to be helpful and to provide a more personalized learning experience for students. For example, we need to use a student’s email address, so they can send an email.

How does Google for Education protect my child's privacy?
Google for Education is committed to compliance, providing robust privacy and security protections built into our services to meet rigorous global education requirements. Google for Education can be used in compliance with GDPR, and we’re also audited by independent, third-party organizations.

Can my child share information with others using the Google Workspace for Education account?
We may allow students to access Google services such as Google Docs and Sites, which include features where users can share information with others or publicly. When users share information publicly, it may be indexable by search engines, including Google.

What if I have more questions or would like to read further?
If you have questions about our use of Google’s Workspace for Education accounts or the choices available to you, please contact the District's Technology Help Desk. If you want to learn more about how Google collects, uses, and discloses personal information to provide services to us, please review the Google Workspace for Education Privacy Center, the Google Workspace for Education Privacy Notice and the Google Privacy Policy.

Dell and Apple have made discounts available to District families and employees.
See the links below for more information.

Apple Education Store
Dell Purchase Offers (Member ID: US29282136)

The School District of Clayton uses a variety of systems to provide services to students and families. View the systems involving data exchange.

We’ve launched a new, fully digital process for requesting apps and software. All requests are now submitted online and routed through a streamlined approval workflow, making the process more efficient and reliable from start to finish.

If you need to request approval for a new application, software or renewal, you can find step-by-step instructions here:

How to submit a request

This new process ensures requests are tracked in one place, approvals move faster, and nothing gets lost along the way. Thank you for helping us improve how we manage apps and software across the district.