Important Change to Google Services

Important Update on Student Access to Google Additional Services

The Rochester City School District has been informed by the New York State Education Department that we must adjust student access to certain Google Additional Services. This decision is based on the fact that these services are not covered under the necessary agreements between Google, RCSD, and other districts to meet NYS EdLaw 2-d requirements.

What Does This Mean for Students?

• No Change: Google Core Services (Gmail, Classroom, Drive, Docs, Slides, Forms, Calendar, Sheets, etc.) remain available as usual.

• Changes: Google Additional Services (YouTube, Translate, Earth, Photos, etc.) will be disabled for students starting March 24, 2025. Students will no longer have direct access to these services.

• Workarounds: Teachers can still embed YouTube videos in Google Classroom, Seesaw, eLearning, and other instructional apps to support student learning. Please be assured that there are alternative and safe ways of using Google Translate, and translation services are built into Chrome and Google Core apps.

• Alternative access and resources for impacted services are available—please refer to the tabs above for more details.

While these changes may seem significant, we anticipate minimal disruption to students’ daily use of technology. Ensuring compliance with NYS EdLaw 2-d reflects our district’s commitment to student privacy and data security.

For specific details on affected services and alternative options, please explore the tabs above.