COMPUTER, NETWORK AND INTERNET USE POLICY

Transcription

1 4526 COMPUTER, NETWORK AND INTERNET USE POLICY The Westhampton Beach Board of Education affirms the district's commitment to preparing students for the future. Students need to be technologically literate to become successful, productive citizens and to succeed in an internationally competitive work force. The Westhampton Beach Union Free School District permits students, faculty, and staff to use the District s computers and other electronic devices inside and outside the school in order to enhance, enrich, and facilitate learning, teaching, and administrative duties, as well as school communications. The District s computers and other electronic devices are to be used as productivity tools for school-related business, curriculum enhancement, research, communications, and student learning. Personal use must not interfere with the student s school responsibilities or the performance of an employee s job-related responsibilities. The faculty and staff shall also exercise appropriate professional judgment and all users shall exercise common sense when using the District s computers and other electronic devices. All computers and related equipment are District property and are provided to the students, faculty, and staff for a period of time as deemed appropriate by the District administration. Students, faculty, and staff must provide immediate access to any District computer and related equipment upon the request of the administration. All users are expected to exercise reasonable precaution to protect the District s computer equipment and other electronic devices from damage and theft. Educational technology is to be integrated into instruction and management to promote student learning, while enhancing both the teaching process and the operations of the school system. Through the use of such technology, instruction will be delivered so that students and district personnel can access and process information as well as manage and communicate information. The applicable use of computers and technology will be communicated to all users throughout the district. Age appropriate instruction regarding acceptable online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking sites and in chat rooms, and cyber bullying awareness and response, will be provided by the district. All directives provided by the district on bullying prevention, including cyber bullying, which includes awareness and response, must be adhered to. The use of computers and networks will provide for the facilitation of the exchange of information to further communication, education, and research; and is, accordingly, consistent with the mission of the Westhampton Beach Union Free School district. The messages and documents residing within, created and/or transmitted on any computer or network may be subject to the district's monitoring and review. The district administration reserves the right to supervise the use of all computers, networks and to inspect the information and content they contain. An authorization form must be completed by each person requesting access to the district's computers or networks. Any use without authorization is prohibited. Use of district computers and networks for private or commercial business, political or religious purposes is prohibited. Use of district computers and/or networks for illegal activity or to access or transmit obscene or pornographic material is prohibited. Transmitting or storing

2 4526 offensive or objectionable material is prohibited on district computers or networks; the district's determination as to whether the nature of the material is considered offensive or objectionable is to be considered as final. The audio and/or video recording of any individual is prohibited without the expressed consent of the individual being recorded. Any use of district computers that access outside resources must conform to the terms and conditions of the Westhampton Beach School district's "Computer, Network and Internet Use Policy"(4526). Responsibilities of all Computer Users of the Westhampton Beach School district Computer Network Privileges, Rights and Responsibilities The purpose of the Internet is to support research and education in and among academic institutions by providing access to unique resources and the opportunity for collaborative work. The use of an Internet account must be in support of education and research and consistent with the educational objectives of the Westhampton Beach School District. The use of the district's computer and Internet resources is a privilege. It is expected that all individuals utilizing the district's computers and networks will undertake responsibility for their actions and words and will, furthermore, respect the rights and privileges of all network users. Users need to familiarize themselves with these responsibilities. The Superintendent of Schools shall establish regulations (Computer Use in Instruction Regulation 4526-R) governing the use and security of the district's computer network. All users of the district s computer network and equipment shall comply with this policy and those regulations. Failure to comply may result in disciplinary action as well as suspension and/or revocation of computer access privileges. The Computer, Network and Internet Use Agreement, 4526-E, shall be signed by each student user as well as their parent/guardian. This executed agreement shall be submitted prior to use to the district s technology. The district will have the teacher/parent/guardian and student execute the release-user agreement, and the district will provide for the promulgation of the guidelines stated in the policy by the student. Implementation of this policy will be the responsibility of the Building Principals and/or their designees. The policy and the consequences for infractions will be clearly delineated, communicated and enforced. Unacceptable uses of the district's computer resources may result in the suspension or revocation of these privileges, as well as disciplinary and/or monetary consequences and possible legal actions. Any appeal may be brought to the Superintendent of Schools whose decision will be final.

3 4526 Equal access to network and computer services All approved student users of the network or computer services have the right to equal access to resources. Some uses, however, such as approved class work, have priority over other uses, such as browsing or "net surfing". Student users may be asked to remove files from the network if storage space becomes low. Safety from harassment The users of our computers and network should be free from harassment and/or threats. All computer use agreements will include language prohibiting harassing or threatening behaviors. A procedure will be established for reporting such behaviors. Using programs that harass users or infiltrate a computing system and/or damage the hardware or software components is prohibited. Cross ref: Internet Safety Faculty & Staff Computer Use 4526-E Computer Network and Internet Use Agreement 4526-R Computer Use in Instruction Regulation Adopted: June 17, 1996 Revision adopted: October 19, 1998 Revision adopted: October 5, 2009 Revision adopted: July 7, 2010

4 COMPUTER USE IN INSTRUCTION REGULATION 4526-R The following rules and regulations govern the use of the Westhampton Beach Union Free School District s computer network system and access to the Internet. I. Administration A. The Director of Technology will oversee the district s computer network. B. The Director of Technology or his or her designee will monitor and examine all network activities, as appropriate, to ensure proper use of the system. C. The Director of Technology will be responsible for disseminating and interpreting district policy and regulations governing use of the district s network at the building level with all network users. D. The Director of Technology will provide employee training for proper use of the network and will ensure that staff supervising students using the district s network provide similar training to their students, including providing copies of district policy and regulations governing use of the district s network. E. The Director of Technology or his or her designee will ensure that all electronic devices used in association with the computer network have been scanned for computer viruses. F. All student agreements to abide by district policy and regulations and parental consent forms will be kept on file at the building level where students attend. II. Internet Access A. Students, faculty, and staff will be provided with the appropriate Internet access to meet the goals of the district as stated in the Computer, Network and Internet Use Policy (4526). III. Acceptable Use and Conduct A. Access to the district s computer network is provided primarily for educational purposes and research consistent with the district s mission and goals. B. Use of the district s computer network is a privilege, not a right. Inappropriate use may result in the suspension or revocation of that privilege. C. Each individual in whose name an access account is issued is responsible at all times for its proper use. D. All network users will be issued a login name and password that will provide appropriate levels of access. Passwords must be changed periodically. E. Only those network users with written permission from the Director of Technology may access the district s system from off-site (e.g., from home). F. All network users are expected to abide by the generally accepted rules of network etiquette. This includes being polite and using only appropriate language. Abusive or sexual language or images, vulgarities and profanities are all inappropriate.

5 4526-R G. Network users identifying a security problem on the district s network must notify the administrator or Director of Technology. Under no circumstance should the user demonstrate the problem to anyone other than to the district official or employee being notified. H. Any network user identified as a security risk or having a history of violations of district computer guidelines may be denied access to the district s network. IV. Prohibited Activity and Uses The following is a list of prohibited activity concerning use of the district s computer network. Violation of any of these prohibitions may result in discipline or other appropriate penalty, including suspension or revocation of a user s access to the network. A. Using the network for commercial activity, including advertising. B. Infringing on any copyrights or other intellectual property rights, including copying, installing, receiving, transmitting or making available any copyrighted software on the district computer network. C. Using the network to receive, transmit or make available to others messages that are racist, sexist, and abusive or harassing to others. D. Using another user s account or password. E. Attempting to read, delete, copy or modify the electronic mail ( ) of our system users and deliberately interfering with the ability of other system users to send and/or receive . F. Forging or attempting to forge messages. G. Engaging in vandalism. Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy district equipment or materials, data of another user of the district s network or of any of the entities or other networks that are connected to the Internet. This includes, but is not limited to, creating and/or placing a computer virus on the network. H. Using the network to send anonymous messages or files. I. Using the network to receive, transmit or make available to others a message that is inconsistent with the district s Code of Conduct. J. Revealing the personal address, telephone number or other personal information of oneself or another person. K. Using the network for sending and/or receiving personal messages. L. Intentionally disrupting network traffic or crashing the network and connected systems. M. Installing personal software or using personal disks on the district s computers and/or network without the permission of the appropriate district official or employee. N. Using district computing resources for commercial or financial gain or fraud. O. Stealing data, equipment or intellectual property. P. Gaining or seeking to gain unauthorized access to any files, resources, or computer or phone systems, or vandalize the data of another user. Q. Wastefully using finite district resources.

6 4526-R R. Changing or exceeding resource quotas as set by the district without the permission of the appropriate district official or employee. S. Using the network while access privileges are suspended or revoked. T. Using the network in a fashion inconsistent with the directions from teachers and other staff and generally accepted network etiquette. U. Leaving your account open and unattended.. V. Installation of software is allowed only by the district's administration, and should not be undertaken by any other user unless authorized by administration. W. Using the network to work in or modify the Network Operating System. Unauthorized exploration or changes to any system files are prohibited. V. No Privacy Guarantee Student s using the Westhampton Beach Union Free School District s computer network should not expect, nor does the district guarantee privacy for electronic mail ( ) or any use of the district s computer network. The district reserves the right to access and view any material stored on district equipment or any material used in conjunction with the district s computer network. VI. Sanctions All users of the Westhampton Beach Union Free School District s computer network and equipment are required to comply with the district s policy and regulations governing the district s computer network. Failure to comply with the policy or regulation may result in disciplinary action as well as suspension and/or revocation of computer access privileges. In addition, illegal activities are strictly prohibited. Any information pertaining to or implicating illegal activity will be reported to the proper authorities. Transmission of any material in violation of any federal, state and/or local law or regulation is prohibited. This includes, but not limited to materials protected by copyright, threatening or obscene material or material protected by trade secret. Users must respect all intellectual and property rights and laws. VII. District Responsibilities The Westhampton Beach Union Free School District makes no warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied, for the access being provided. Further, the district assumes no responsibility, accuracy, nature or reliability of the service and/or information provided. Users of the district s computer network and Internet use information at their own risk. Each user is responsible for verifying the integrity and authenticity of the information that is used and provided. The district will not be responsible for any damages suffered by any user, including, but not limited to, loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, misdeliveries, or service interruptions caused by its own negligence or the errors or omissions of any user. The district also will not be responsible for unauthorized financial obligations resulting from the use of or access to the district s computer network or the Internet. Further, even though the district may use technical or manual means to regulate access and information, these methods do not provide a foolproof means of enforcing the provisions of the district policy and regulation.

7 4526-R Cross ref: 4526 Computer, Network and Internet Use Policy Internet Safety Policy R Internet Safety Regulation Faculty and Staff Computer Use 4526-R Computer Use in Instruction Regulation Adoption date: October 5, 2009

8 4526-E COMPUTER, NETWORK and INTERNET USE AGREEMENT AUTHORIZATION FORM I have read the district s Computer, Network and Internet Use Policy (4526). I understand that this access is designed for educational purposes. I will abide by the district s Computer, Network and Internet Use Policy and any other computer related regulations. I further understand that any violation of the regulations is unethical and may constitute a criminal offense. Should I commit a violation, my access privileges may be revoked and school disciplinary and/or appropriate legal actions may be taken. Student Name (please print): Student Signature: Date: Parent or Guardian I have read the district s Computer, Network and Internet Use Policy (4526). I understand that this access is designed for educational purposes. I also recognize it is impossible for the Westhampton Beach School District; its Board of Education; agents; administrators; and staff to restrict access to all controversial materials and, accordingly, I will not hold it (them) responsible for materials my child may access on the network. Further, I accept full responsibility for supervision if and when my child s use is not in a school setting. I hereby give permission to the Westhampton Beach School District to issue an account for my child and certify that the information contained on this form is correct. Parent/Guardian s Name: (Please print) Address: Telephone: Signature: Date: Adoption date: November 19, 2001 Revision adopted: October 5, 2009

9 INTERNET SAFETY POLICY The Westhampton Beach Board of Education is committed to undertaking efforts that serve to make safe for children the use of district computers for access to the Internet and World Wide Web. To this end, although unable to guarantee that any selected filtering and blocking technology will work perfectly, the Board directs the Superintendent of Schools to procure and implement the use of technology protection measures that block or filter Internet access by: A. Adults to visual depictions that are obscene or child pornography, and B. Minors to visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or harmful to minors, as defined in the Children s Internet Protection Act(CIPA) Subject to staff supervision, however, any such measures may be disabled or relaxed for adults conducting bona fide research or other lawful purposes, in accordance with criteria established by the Superintendent or his or her designee. The superintendent or his or her designee also shall develop and implement procedures that provide for the safety and security of students using electronic mail, chat rooms, and other forms of direct electronic communications; monitoring the online activities of students using district computers; and restricting student access to materials that are harmful to minors. In addition, the board prohibits the unauthorized disclosure, use and dissemination of personal information regarding students; unauthorized online access by students, including hacking and other unlawful activities; and access by students to inappropriate matter on the Internet and the World Wide Web. The Superintendent or his or her designee shall establish and implement procedures that enforce these restrictions. The Director of Technology or his or her designee will monitor and examine all district network and online activities of staff and students to ensure compliance with the Internet Safety Policy (4526.1) and the district s Computer, Network and Internet Use Policy (4526). He or she may inspect, copy, review, and store at any time, and without prior notice, any and all usage of the district s computer network for accessing the Internet and World Wide Web and direct electronic communications, as well as any and all information transmitted or received during such use. All users of the district s computer network shall have no expectation of privacy regarding any such materials. All users of the district s computer network, including access to the Internet and World Wide Web, must understand that use is a privilege, not a right, and that any such use entails responsibility. They must comply with the requirements of this policy and accompanying regulation, Internet Safety Regulation R, in addition to generally accepted rules of network etiquette, and the district s policy on the acceptable use of computers and the internet (policy 4526). Failure to comply may result in disciplinary action including, but not limited to, the revocation of computer access privileges.

10 Age-appropriate instruction will be provided to students regarding appropriate online behavior. Positive interactions with others online, including on social networking sites and in chat rooms, proper online social etiquette, protection from online predators and personal safety, and how to recognize and respond to cyberbullying and other threats must be adhered to. Students are directed to consult with their classroom teacher if they are unsure whether their contemplated activities when accessing the Internet or Worldwide Web are directly related to their course work. Cross ref: 4526 Computer, Network and Internet Use Policy R Internet Safety Regulation Ref: Children s Internet Protection Act, Public Law No Broadband Data Services Improvement Act/Protecting Children in the 21 st Century Act, Public Law No USC USC 6777 Adoption Date: October 5, 2009

11 INTERNET SAFETY REGULATION R The following rules and regulations implement the Internet Safety Policy (4526.1) adopted by the Westhampton Beach Board of Education to make safe for children the use of district computers for access to the Internet and World Wide Web. I. Definitions A. Child pornography refers to any visual depiction, including any photograph, film, video, picture or computer generated image or picture, whether made or produced by electronic, mechanical, or other means, of sexually explicit conduct, where the production of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. It also includes any such visual depiction that (a) is, or appears to be, of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; or (b) has been created, adapted or modified to appear that an identifiable minor is engaging in sexually explicit conduct; or (c) is advertised, promoted, presented, described, or distributed in such a manner than conveys the impression that the material is or contains a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. B. Harmful to minors means any picture, image, graphic image file, or other visual depiction that (a) taken as a whole and with respect to minors, appeals to a prurient interest in nudity, sex, or excretion; (b) depicts, describes or represents, in a patently offensive way with respect to what is suitable for minors, an actual or simulated sexual act or sexual contact, actual or simulated normal or perverted sexual acts, or a lewd exhibition of the genitals; and (c) taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value as to minors. II. Blocking and Filtering Measures A. The District shall utilize an Internet blocking and filtering technology protection system that is designed to block access from all district computers to visual depictions on the Internet and World Wide Web that are obscene, child pornography or harmful to minors. The system shall be appropriately updated to ensure the maximum protection. Included in any system shall be an Internet monitoring feature that will track usage and potential problem areas. B. The Director of Technology or his or her designee is responsible for ensuring the installation and proper use of any Internet blocking and filtering technology protection measure obtained by the district. C. The Director of Technology may disable or relax the district s Internet blocking and filtering technology measure only for adult staff members conducting research related to the discharge of their official responsibilities. D. Internet users are provided access based on a foundational set of Internet access privileges established by the Board of Education and Superintendent at the district level. III. Monitoring of Online Activities

12 A. The Director of Technology or his or her designee is responsible for monitoring to ensure that the online activities of staff and students are consistent with the district s Internet Safety Policy and this regulation. He or she may inspect, copy, review, and store at any time, and without prior notice, any and all usage of the district s computer network for accessing the Internet and World Wide Web and direct electronic communications, as well as any and all information transmitted or received during such use. All users of the districts computer network shall have no expectation of privacy regarding any such materials. B. The Director of Technology or his or her designee will monitor student online activities to ensure students are not engaging in hacking (gaining or attempting to gain unauthorized access to other computers or computer systems), and other unlawful activities. IV. Training A. The Building Principal or his or her designee will provide training to staff and students on the requirements of the Internet Safety Policy (4526.1) and this regulation at the beginning of each school year. B. The Instructional Technology Director or his or her designee will provide age-appropriate instruction to students regarding appropriate online behavior. Positive interactions with others online, including on social networking sites and in chat rooms, proper online social etiquette, protection from online predators and personal safety, and how to recognize and respond to cyberbullying and other threats will be adhered to. C. Students are directed to consult with their classroom teacher if they are unsure whether their contemplated activities when accessing the Internet or Worldwide Web are directly related to their course work. D. Staff and students are also to be informed of the range of possible consequences attendant to a violation of the Internet Safety Policy (4526.1) and this regulation. V. Reporting of Violations A. Violations of the Internet Safety Policy and this regulation by students and staff will be reported to the Building Principal. B. The Principal will take appropriate corrective action in accordance with authorized disciplinary procedures. Cross ref: Internet Safety Policy Adoption Date: October 5, 2009