FILE: G-8.3
STUDENT ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY SOURCES AND NETWORKS
The Central Community School Board shall authorize the Superintendent and staff to establish appropriate guidelines for exploring and using Internet resources within the School District to enhance learning and teaching activities. Acceptable use of these resources shall be consistent with the philosophy, goals, and objectives of the Central Community School Board.
INTERNET SAFETY
The Internet is a vast, global computer network that provides access to major universities, governmental agencies, other school systems, and commercial providers of data banks. Electronic information research skills are now fundamental to preparation of citizens and future employees. The School Board expects that faculty will blend thoughtful use of the Internet throughout the curriculum and will provide guidance and instruction to students in its use. As much as possible, access from school to Internet resources should be structured in ways which point students to those which have been evaluated prior to use.
Age and grade appropriate classroom instruction shall be provided regarding Internet and cell phone safety. Such instruction shall include appropriate online behavior, interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chatrooms, and cyberbullying awareness and response, as well as areas of concern as authorized in state and federal law.
The Central Community School Board shall authorize the Superintendent and staff to establish appropriate administrative regulations and procedures for exploring and using Internet resources within the School District to enhance learning and teaching activities. Acceptable use of these resources shall be consistent with the philosophy, goals, and objectives of the Central Community School Board.
The School Board shall incorporate the use of computer-related technology or the use of Internet service provider technology designed to block access or exposure to any harmful materials or information, such as sites that contain obscene, pornographic, pervasively vulgar, excessively violent, or sexually harassing information or material. Sites which contain information on the manufacturing of bombs or other incendiary devices shall also be prohibited. However, the School Board does not prohibit authorized employees or students from having unfiltered or unrestricted access to Internet or online services, including online services of newspapers with daily circulation of at least 1,000, for legitimate scientific or educational purposes approved by the School Board.
In addition to filtering requirements, the School Board shall maintain regulations which:
Prohibit access by minors to inappropriate matter on the Internet
and World Wide Web;
Address the safety and security of minors when using electronic
mail, chat rooms, and other forms of direct electronic communications,
such as multimedia messaging;
Prohibit unauthorized access, including what is now known as
"hacking" and other unlawful on-line activities by minors
online;
Prohibit unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of
personal information regarding minors; and
Institutes measures designed to restrict minors' access to materials harmful to minors.
Guidelines shall be provided so that Internet users are aware of the responsibilities they are about to assume. Responsibilities include efficient, ethical, and legal utilization of network resources. All students or any other users of School Board computers, hardware, and School Board network shall abide by all policies of the School Board and any applicable administrative regulations and procedures.
USE OF TECHNOLOGY
Acceptable Use - The purpose of the Internet is to support
research and education in and among academic institutions in the United
States by providing access to unique resources and opportunities for
collaborative work. Transmission of any material in violation
of any U.S., state, local or School District regulations shall be
prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, copyrighted
material, threatening or obscene material, or material protected by
trade institutions. Use for product advertisement, political
lobbying, or illegal activities shall be strictly prohibited. Subscriptions
to listservers, bulletin boards, and online services must be pre-approved
by the Superintendent or his/her designee.
Privileges - The use of the Internet is a privilege,
not a right, and inappropriate use shall result in a cancellation
of those privileges and may result in disciplinary or legal action
by the School Board.
Netiquette - Users shall be expected to abide by the generally accepted rules of network etiquette. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
Do not send abusive messages to others. Use appropriate
language.
Do not reveal personal addresses or phone numbers of students
or others.
Note that electronic mail (e-mail) is not guaranteed to
be private. People who operate the technology system
do have access to all mail. Messages relating to or
in support of illegal activities must be reported to the authorities. All
users should be aware that routine monitoring of the technology
network may lead to discovery that the user has violated or is
violating, School Board policies, school regulations, the Student
Handbook and/or the law. Routine maintenance of
the network may also purge files from individual accounts.
Do not use the network in a way that would disrupt the use
of the network by other users (e.g. downloading huge files during
prime time, sending mass e-mail messages, or annoying other users
using the talk or write functions). Hardware or software
shall not be destroyed, modified, or abused in any way.
Malicious use of the network to develop programs that harass
other users or infiltrate a computer or computing system and/or
damage the software components of a computer or computing system
shall be prohibited.
Hate mail, harassment, discriminatory remarks and other
antisocial behaviors shall be prohibited on the network.
The illegal installation of copyrighted software for use
on district computers shall be prohibited.
Use of the network to access or process pornographic material, inappropriate text files, or files dangerous to the integrity of the local area network (LAN) shall be prohibited.
Security - Security on any computer system is a high
priority, especially when the system involves many users. Any
suspected security problem on the Internet shall be reported to the
building technology coordinator or the principal. The problem
shall not be demonstrated to other users. Any user identified
as a security risk or having a history of problems with other computer
systems shall be denied access to the Internet.
Vandalism - Vandalism shall result in cancellation of
privileges and or other disciplinary actions. Vandalism
is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy hardware or
software data of the School Board, another user, the Internet service
provider, or other networks that are connected to Internet. This
includes, but is not limited to, the uploading or creation of computer
viruses. No software, programs, or files may be installed
or downloaded by any user without the prior permission of the building
technology coordinator, who must scan for appropriateness and viruses.
Consequences of Misuse - School principals may suspend
from school any student who accesses, sends, receives, or configures
electronically any profane or language or pictures or violates the
Student Code of Conduct for computer use, or any regulations
or procedures promulgated by the School District.
Monitoring – School Board employees shall be responsible for monitoring and reviewing student Internet and/or computer-related activities, including e-mail, routing of information, or visiting sites, etc., using the system’s network or any of its technology resources. Other monitoring activities to limit student access to inappropriate Internet sites shall be employed by the School Board.
INTERNET USAGE
Any use of the Internet that adversely affects its operation in pursuit of teaching and learning or jeopardizes its use or performance for other community members is prohibited and may result in loss of Internet privileges, suspension or other appropriate disciplinary action. The provisions of this policy shall also apply to the use of private e-mail accounts when access is attained using School Board equipment or networks and to access attained through any authorized personal digital device while on School Board property. The Central Community School Board does not condone the use of the Internet for any illegal or inappropriate activities and shall not be responsible for any such use by staff or students.
The School Board may suspend or terminate any privilege to use the Internet at any time solely at the School Board's discretion. Any policies and/or regulations of the School Board defining use of the Internet serve as guidelines but do not warrant or guarantee access to or use of the Internet. Consequently, the School Board may, at any time and in its sole discretion, end the privilege of any individual to use the Internet without notice, cause, or reason.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Use of school computers or the Internet shall be reserved for academic purposes and the conducting of business aspects of the School Board. Students using school computers or a computer network located on school property, or computers accessing the Internet shall be accountable for their use. Teacher or class files on the network shall be treated as School Board property subject to control and inspection by School Board personnel. Access codes or passwords shall be kept on file in a secured location by the building administrator or principal or his/her designee in case an inspection is warranted. Use of the Internet and/or any computers shall be considered a privilege and any inappropriate use may result in appropriate disciplinary action and loss of privileges to use School Board computers or the Internet.
UNAUTHORIZED AND ILLEGAL USE
Tampering with selection menus, procedures, or icons for the purpose of misleading or confusing other users shall be prohibited. Any use by any person of the School Board's internal network that incurs expenses to a school or the School Board other than the monthly user fees and rates shall be strictly prohibited. Furthermore, the technology network shall not be used for commercial, political or religious purposes.
Use of the School Board’s network for any illegal activities shall also be prohibited. Illegal activities of a user may include such actions as (a) tampering with computer hardware or software, (b) unauthorized entry into computers and files (hacking), (c) knowledgeable vandalism or destruction of equipment, and (d) deletion of computer files. Such activity shall be considered a crime under state and federal law and students may be punished accordingly.
SECURITY
Teachers and personnel who have computers in their charge shall be responsible for the security of those computers in terms of both hardware and software. Computers must be secured such that students acting without the consent or supervision of a teacher or administrator cannot enter the network system or the Internet. Students shall observe all security regulations regarding use and maintenance of computers which they use.
REGULATIONS FOR COMPUTER USE
The following regulations, terms, and conditions for the use of computers and other technology equipment and the School Board’s network and Internet resources are not all-inclusive, but are only representative and illustrative. Any person using computers or other electronic technology resources shall be required to use such equipment and resources in a responsible, legal manner. A user who commits an act of misconduct or inappropriateness which is not listed may also be subject to disciplinary action or suspension, or termination, or be subject to appropriate criminal or civil prosecution.
Appropriate language and manners which demonstrate honesty,
ethics, and respect for others shall be required.
Individual students shall not be permitted to have e-mail accounts. Only
classes as a whole or teachers and administrators may be permitted
to have an e-mail account. Only appropriate teacher or
class messages shall be allowed.
No photographs, personal addresses, personal phone numbers,
or last names will be permitted on the Internet. Pseudonyms,
impersonations, and anonymity are not permitted.
Illegal activities, including copyright or contract violations,
shall not be permitted on the Internet.
The Internet shall not be used for commercial, political, illegal,
financial, or religious purposes. Violations shall be reported
to a teacher or administrator immediately.
Threatening, profane, harassing, or abusive language shall be
forbidden.
No user is permitted to knowingly or inadvertently load or create
a computer virus or load any software that destroys files and programs,
confuses users, or disrupts the performance of the system. No
third party software shall be installed except by certified personnel
or designee.
A student may not attempt to access any Internet resources without
the prior consent of the teacher.
Invading the privacy of another user, using another's account,
posting personal messages without the author's consent, and sending
or posting anonymous messages shall be forbidden.
Accessing pornographic or obscene materials or using or sending
profanity in messages shall be forbidden.
Perusing or otherwise accessing information on manufacturing
bombs or other incendiary devices shall be forbidden.
Any subscription to list serves, bulletin boards, or on-line services shall be approved by the Superintendent or his designee prior to any such usage.
CONSEQUENCES OF INAPPROPRIATE USE
The use of the Internet is a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use may result in the temporary or permanent cancellation of that privilege and/or other disciplinary action (including suspension, expulsion, or legal action) as deemed appropriate by administration, faculty, and staff. Inappropriate use of the network may also result in legal action and/or prosecution, and may require restitution for costs associated with system restoration, hardware, or software costs.
No information on the network (including email and personal files) is guaranteed to be private. Information relating to or in support of illegal activities must be reported to the authorities.
Users bringing illegal and/or inappropriate materials onto the network shall be subject to disciplinary action.
DISCLAIMER
The Central Community School Board technology network and computer system is provided on an “as is, as available” basis. The School Board does not make any warranties, whether expressed or implied, including, without limitation, those of fitness for a particular purpose with respect to any services provided by the system and any information or software contained therein. The School Board uses a variety of vendor-supplied hardware and software. Therefore, the School Board does not warrant that the functions or services performed by, or that the information or software contained on the system will meet the user’s requirements. Neither does the School Board warrant that the system will be uninterrupted or error-free, nor that defects will be corrected. Opinions, advice, services, and all other information expressed by system users, information providers, service providers, or other third party individuals in the system are those of the providers and not necessarily the School Board.
The School Board shall not be responsible for any damages users suffer, including but not limited to, loss of data resulting from delays or interruptions in service. The School Board shall not be responsible for the accuracy, nature, or quality of information stored on School Board diskettes, hard drives, or servers; nor for the accuracy, nature, or quality of information gathered through School Board-provided Internet access. The School Board shall not be responsible for personal property used to access School Board computers, technology, networks or Internet access. The School Board shall not be responsible for unauthorized financial obligations resulting from School Board-provided access to the Internet.
The School Board shall cooperate fully with local, state, or federal officials in any investigation concerning or relating to misuse of the School Board’s computer systems and networks.
Ref: 20 USC 7131 (Internet Safety)
47 USC 254 (Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA))
47 CFR 54.520 (Children's Internet Protection Act Certifications for Schools and Libraries)
La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81, 17:100.7, 17:280
Central Community School Board