Student Login Credentials

  • Grade Level Expectations for Student Passwords:   

    At the beginning of the school year, you may want to use a common password structure (e.g. teachername+studentID) for students. Although this is not ideal, you may need to do this until you have had time to teach students how to create their own unique passwords. Ideally, all students will be able to create and use unique passwords by the end of the school year. The Nevada Technology Standards describe the grade level expections that school personnel are required to help students achieve.

    Kindergarten: By the end of Kindergarten, each student must be able to explain that a password helps protect the privacy of information. Students may create unique passwords by putting a few of the letters in their name in random order (e.g., trtrr). They may also add a favorite number.   

    Grade 1: By the end of Grade 1, each student must be able to explain why we keep personal information (e.g., name, location, phone number, home address) private. Students may create unique passwords by putting a few of the letters in their name in random order (e.g., trtrr). They may also add a favorite number.   

    Grade 2: By the end of Grade 2, each student must be able to explain what passwords are and why we use them and use strong passwords to protect devices and information from unauthorized access. Students are required to create and use strong passwords (including length and complexity factors). A common strategy for creating a strong password is to use the first letter of each word in a line from the student's favorite song, movie or book. The school should not instruct students to use the same password; nor should the school create a common password structure for students. The use of a common password structure does not ensure the protection of student privacy. Students should not be encouraged to use unsafe passwords such as the following: Pets' names, birthdates, people's names, only numbers, or any word that appears in a dictionary (e.g., favorite color, superhero, or animal). Passwords for older students should have a minimum length of 8 characters. WCSD recommends that students use a password that has a minimum of 13 characters for added security. To strengthen their passwords, students may add complexity factors which include using a combination of lower-case letters, capital letters, numbers, and special characters. 

    Login cards must be kept in a locked drawer or cabinet when not being used. A copy of the login cards may be given to classroom teachers. Students should not share the password with anyone. It is not appropriate for anyone to know a student's password (other than the student's parent/guardian).

    Creating Login Cards:

    First, download this login card template, click on File > Save As, and save it to your computer desktop.    

    To facilitate the creation of login cards, ask the school secretary to generate an AdHoc report from the student information system. The secretary will need to export the data into an Excel spreadsheet and email you the Excel file that contains the data. The report should include student names, student ID numbers, and teacher names. It may include all of the students enrolled at your school, if desired.  

    Once you have the Excel file that contains the specified data, you may use the Mail Merge functionality in Microsoft Office Word to quickly create student login cards. To learn how to use Mail Merge functionality, watch this video.  

    You may want to use all UPPERCASE letters in Calibri or Arial font to match the font on the computer keyboard. This makes it easier for younger students to find the keys on the keyboard.  

    The Login Card Template is designed to be printed on cardstock or on 2" x 4" labels with 10 labels per sheet (Avery 5163). After printing the login cards, stick each label to a  3"x5" index card.   

    Resetting Passwords for In-Person Learners: 

    The first time a student or staff member signs in to a district computer, he/she is required to enter his/her username or student ID number in the username field and in the password field. The system will then prompt the user/student to create a personal password.

    To reset student passwords in Active Directory, follow the steps in this document.

    Start with an Excel spreadsheet that contains student names and ID numbers. Sort the data by classroom/teacher. To save time, reset the passwords for students in one class. Then, reset passwords for the next class. Follow these recommendations to use hot keys:

    Grades 2-6:

    • Use the same temporary password for all students (e.g., 12345).
    • Copy the temporary password (Ctrl-C).
    • Right-click on the first student. Click on “Reset Password”.
    • Use the Ctrl-V keys, to paste the temporary password in both fields.
    • Leave the check mark in the box, "user must change password at next logon". Click “Okay”.
    • Once you have reset the students' passwords, they will use the temporary password you gave them and then create a new password on a non-Intune computer on the district network (a lab or library computer, for example). This cannot be done from an Intune laptop.

    Grades K-1:

    • Kindergarten and (new-to-district) Network Logins
    • First, create a simple password structure that will be easy for younger students to find on the keyboard. See the ETS and Elementary Librarians Team for examples. HINT: Use the FlashFill function in Excel to create unique passwords.
    • Copy the first student’s password.
    • Right-click on the first student. Click “Reset Password”.
    • Use the Ctrl-V keys, to paste the password in both fields.
    • Remove the check mark from the box "user must change password at next logon". Click “Okay”.

     

    Resetting Passwords for Distance Learners: 

    To reset passwords for distance learners and those using an Intune laptop, please have the school call the IT Help Desk at 789-3456.

    When you send laptops home with students/parents for distance learning, have them sign in to the device before they leave the building.

    Here are the updated laptop checkout forms for checking out devices to students:

     

    How to Create Unique Passwords:            

    Grades 2-6:

    At the end of the 2nd grade and during 3rd-6th grade, students may use the first letters of the words in a familiar song, book, or movie to create a strong password. Encourage students to choose a phrase or sentence that they will easily remember, write the phrase on the back of the login card, and circle the first letter of each word.  

    Example: Mary Had A Little Lamb. Its Fleece Was White As Snow.     

    Here are some options for passwords:        

    • mhallifwwas -- (Use the first letter of each word.)   
    • 5mhallifwwas1 -- (Add your favorite numbers.)                    
    •  mH@771Fwwa$ -- (Add complexity by substituting special characters and numbers in place of letters.)         
    • maryhadalittlelamb (A password containing a string of words often contains a large number of characters. Consequently, this type of password is stronger than a password containing only a single word.)     

     

    Grades K-1:

    At the start of the school year, many 2nd graders are able to create their own simple passwords with little assistance from adults, which means that you may be able to work with an entire class of 2nd graders at once. On the other hand, you may want to work with smaller groups of Kindergarten and 1st Grade students (4 or 5 students at a time) while the other students work independently on educational games. At the beginning of a school year, you may want to sign in to most of the computers using the credentials for the temporary generic account (abc123), which is available only until the end of the first semester of each school year. 

    ****This Video Tutorial shows a lesson in a 2nd grade classroom.****  

    Teaching the lesson:

    • For each student, you'll need 5 small squares of blank paper (e.g., small post-it notes) and a login card which contains the student's name (ALL CAPS), the student's ID number, and a blank space to write the student's new password. You'll also need two keys, either car keys or door keys.   
    • Display two car keys and explain why each key is different. Use this example to explain why each person needs to have a different, or unique, computer password. Explain why you keep your car keys in a safe place and why people need to keep their passwords in a safe place.  
    • Invite each student to choose 2-3 favorite letters of the alphabet. They might be letters in their name.   
    • Write one of the student's favorite letters on each sticky note. The same letter may be written more than once.  
    • Invite each student to arrange the letters in random order to create a unique password.   
    • Write the student's new password on his/her login card. Be sure to write the password in ALL CAPS.