AR IFBGA-R Responsible Use of Technology (AUP)

Students and staff are only allowed to access the internet through wireless networks designated for personal devices. Personal devices are not allowed to utilize any network resources other than the designated networks and resources. At no time should they use their personal cell service to access the internet. Therefore, there will be no additional cost to your data plan.

 

Responsibility to keep the device secure rests with the individual owner. The Anderson School District Five, its staff or employees, will not be liable for any device stolen or damages to any device on campus.

If a device is stolen or damaged, it will be handled through the administrative office similar to other personal items in such situations.

 

It is recommended that appropriate skins (decals) and other custom touches are used to physically identify your device from others. Additionally, protective cases for technology are encouraged.

These devices have educational and monetary value. Students are prohibited from trading or selling these items to other students on District property, including school buses.

 

Each student is responsible for his/her own device; set-up, maintenance, charging, and security. Devices are only to be used for educational purposes at the direction of a classroom teacher.

 

Administrators and staff members have the right to prohibit use of devices at certain times or during designated activities that occur during the school day (guest speakers, campus presentations, or other performances).

An administrator may examine a student's personal device and search its contents, in accordance with disciplinary guidelines.

When using personal devices on buses, students must have one ear bud in ear and have the volume at a level that can only be heard by the user of the device.

In compliance with the Children's Internet Protection Act ("CIPA"), Pub. L. No. 106-554 & 47 U.S.C. § 254
(h),the district uses technological devices designed to filter and block the use of any of the district's computers withInternet access to retrieve or transmit any visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or "harmful to minors" as defined in the CIPA. Adult users of a district computer with Internet access may request that the"technology protection measures" be temporarily disabled by the chief building administrator of the building in which the computer is located, for bona fide research purposes or other lawful purposes not otherwise inconsistent with this Acceptable Use Policy.

For purposes of the Children's Internet Protection Act ("CIPA"), Pub. L. No. 106-554& 47 U.S.C. § 254 (l), this Administrative Rule is the district's "Internet safety policy." This Rule includes provisions to address access by minors to inappropriate matter on the Internet and World Wide Web; the safety and security of minors when using electronic mail, chat rooms, and other forms of direct electronic communications; unauthorized access,including so-called "hacking" and other unlawful activities by minors online; unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal identification information regarding minors; measures designed to restrict minors'access to materials harmful to minors, and provide for the education of minors about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking sites and chat rooms, and cyberbullying awareness and response.

Prior to accessing the Internet, students and staff must receive instruction on the appropriate use of the Internet,including interacting with others on social networking sites, in chat rooms, cyber bullying awareness and response, and safety and security of users when using electronic mail and other forms of direct electronic communications. The superintendent or his/her designee will develop a program to educate students on these issues. In addition, internet permission forms are sent home with each student by way of the student packets where students and parents are informed to review policy IFBGA and administrative rule IFBGA-R
which  govern the use of technology in our district. This form also gives parents the ability to deny permission for their child to access the internet using district resources should they elect to sign and return the form indicating their decision. Employees are made aware of the need to review this same policy and administrative rule by way of the employee handbook.

The purpose of the District's educational network is to support research and education in and among academic institutions by providing access to unique resources and the opportunity for collaborative work. All use of the Internet and network must be in support of education and research, and consistent with the educational objectives of the District. Use of other networks or computing resources must comply with the rules governing those networks. Transmission of any material in violation of any federal or state laws or regulations is prohibited; this includes, but is not limited to, copyrighted material, threatening or obscene material, or material protected by trade secret. Access to computer systems and networks owned or operated by the District impose certain responsibilities and obligations on users and is subject to District policies and local, state, and federal laws.

Acceptable use is always ethical, reflects honesty, and shows restraint in the consumption of shared resources. It demonstrates respect for intellectual property, ownership of information, system security mechanisms, and the individual's rights to privacy and freedom from intimidation, harassment, and unwarranted annoyance.

Administrators and teachers may access the Internet for educational or work-related purposes at any time, which is not disruptive and does not interfere with the performance of other responsibilities by the employee or other staff members. Occasional employee personal use is permitted.

Students will be allowed to access the Internet and receive digital communication services to include electronic mail services through their school resources and staff. Student use must be supervised at all times by a staff member.

The use of the Internet is a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use will result in cancellation of Internet privileges and will be subject to disciplinary consequences described in this policy. All staff and students must abide by the generally accepted rules of network etiquette, including the following:

Vandalism is prohibited and will result in disciplinary and/or legal action. Vandalism includes any malicious attempt to harm or destroy data of another user, Internet, or other networks that are connected to any of the Internet infrastructures. Vandalism also includes, but is not limited to, the uploading or creation of computer viruses, deletion or alteration of other user files or applications, removing protection from restricted areas, or the unauthorized blocking of access to information, applications, or areas of the network.

Never access or attempt to access inappropriate or restricted information, such as pornography or other obscene materials, or other information not directly related to the educational purposes for which access is being provided. Restricted information includes obscene, libelous, indecent, vulgar, profane, or lewd materials, advertisements for products or services not permitted to minors by law, insulting, fighting, and harassing words, and other materials which may cause a substantial disruption of the academic environment. Violations of this policy will result in disciplinary and/or legal action.

Be polite. Do not be abusive in messages to others. Always use appropriate language. Profanity,vulgarities, or other inappropriate language is prohibited. Illegal activities are strictly forbidden.

Documents, electronic mail, chat room messages, and any other form of direct communications may not include a student's social security number or any other personally identifiable information that may lead to the identity of one's self or others. For example, do not reveal personal home addresses or phone numbers to others.

No student pictures (video or still) or audio clips will be published without permission from the student's parent or guardian.

Documents may include "directory information," including a student's name, address, or telephone number, provided the parent/guardian has been informed about the release of "directory information" and has not notified the district in writing that he/she objects to the release of information.

Electronic mail is not guaranteed to be private. People who operate the system have access to all electronic mail. Messages relating to or in support of illegal or inappropriate activities will be reported to the appropriate authorities.

Do not disrupt, harass, or annoy other users.

All communications and information accessible via the network should not be assumed to be private property.

 

Always cite all quotes, references, and sources.

 

All subject matter on District Web pages shall relate to curriculum, instruction, school-authorized activities, or to the District.

Neither students nor staff may publish personal home pages as part of District Web sites, or home pages for other individuals or organizations not directly affiliated with the District.

All users should remain on the system only as long as necessary to complete their work, so that other individuals will have equal opportunities to access the Internet.

All users should use the Internet only for research and academic reasons; non-academic uses are prohibited.

 

Occasional employee personal use is permitted. Users may not use the system for financial or commercial gain.

All work should be proofread so as to avoid spelling and grammatical errors.

All pages on the District's server(s) are property of the School District.

Always follow the instructions of the supervising staff members.

Passwords are not to be used by unauthorized individuals. Individuals given passwords to access the district's systems will assume responsibility for proper use and safe keeping of those passwords. If a staff member feels that there is a security problem on the network, misuse of a district password, or a compromised password the matter should be reported to the building principal or the designated local school technology resource.

No user of the system may use the system to make an unauthorized disclosure or use of, or otherwise disseminate, personal identification information regarding minors and/or students.

The following list represents some of the inappropriate uses that are not permitted by the District:

Commercial advertising, commercial fundraising, or unethical/illegal solicitation.

Accessing a file or web site that contains pornographic or obscene pictures, videos, stories, or other material, making copies of such material, or distributing or exposing others to such material.

Using copyrighted material without permission.

Sending messages or materials that are obscene, profane, racist, sexist, inflammatory, threatening, or slanderous toward others.

Creating and/or placing a computer virus on the network or any workstation.

Sending messages or information with someone else's name on it or misrepresenting the source of information entered or sent.

Sending or receiving messages or information that is inconsistent with the school's conduct code or assisting others to violate that code.

 

Requesting or distributing addresses, home phone numbers, or other personal information, which could then be used to make inappropriate calls or contacts?

Sending chain letters or engaging in "spamming" (sending an annoying or unnecessary message to large numbers of people.)

Using material that is potentially disruptive to the learning environment.

Purchasing something which requires a credit card number and obligates a student or school to provide payment to another party.

Accessing, attempting to access, and/or altering information in restricted areas of any network.

Downloading or loading any software or applications without permission from the building network administrator or system administrator.

Violating the confidentiality rights of other users on any network.

Failing to report abuses or other conditions that may interfere with the appropriate and efficient use of school resources.

Any messages, files, web sites, or user activities that contain materials that are in violation of this policy.

Any messages, files, web sites or user activities that solicit personal information, such as an address,phone number, credit card number, or social security number, about the user or someone else, or request a personal contact with the user or another user.

Attempts by any user to abuse or damage the system or violate the security of the network and its resources.
Any illegal activity or violation of school policy.

An employee who violates the terms of this administrative rule or otherwise misuses the Internet to access inappropriate material will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including discharge. In addition, the privilege of accessing the Internet also will be subject to cancellation. Students who violate the terms of this administrative rule or who otherwise misuse their access to the Internet also will be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the applicable student related policies. Internet access privileges also may be cancelled.Violations of the laws of the United States or the state of South Carolina also may subject the user to criminal  prosecution. If a user incurs unauthorized costs, the user, as well as the user's parents if the user is a student, will be responsible for all such costs.

The District makes no warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, for the service it is providing. The District will not be responsible for any damages suffered by any user. This includes loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, misdirected deliveries, or service interruptions caused by the system's negligence, user errors, or omissions. Use of any information obtained via the Internet is at the user's own risk. The District specifically denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through its services.

Security on any computer system is a high priority, especially when the system involves many users. If you feel you have identified a security problem on the network you must notify the administrator for the School or the District Director of Technology. Do not demonstrate the problem to other users. Attempts to log on to any network as a system administrator will result in cancellation of user privileges. Any user identified as a security risk or having a history of problems with other computer systems may be subject to severe restriction or cancellation of privileges or other disciplinary and/or legal action.

User Privacy

The District reserves the right to examine, restrict, or remove any material that is on or passes through its network, just as it does any other work or material generated or brought to school by staff or students. Access to electronic information related to any student or staff member will be governed by the same policies that would apply to that information if it were not in electronic form.

All documents on the District's server(s) must conform to school board policies and regulations, as well as established school guidelines. Copies of board policies are available in all school offices. Persons developing or maintaining web documents are responsible for complying with these and other policies. Some of the relevant issues and related board policies include the following:

Electronic transmission of materials is a form of copying. As specified in District policy, no unlawful copies of copyrighted materials may be knowingly produced or transmitted via the District's equipment,including its Web server(s).

Documents created for the web and linked to District web pages will meet the criteria for use as an instructional resource.

Any links to District web pages that are not specifically curriculum-related will meet the criteria established in the District Internet related policies. Any other non-curricular materials should be limited to information about other youth activities, agencies, or organizations which are known to be non-sectarian,exclusively devoted to community interests or child welfare, non-profit, and non-discriminatory. Web page links may not include entities whose primary purpose is commercial or political advertising.

All communications via District web pages will comply with the District Technology Resources policy,Internet Acceptable Use & Safety policy, and the applicable student behavior policies. Offensive behavior that is expressly prohibited by this policy includes religious, racial, and sexual harassment and/or violence.

Any student information communicated via District Web pages will comply with District policies on Data Privacy and Public Use of School Records.

OTHER
Material on Web pages reflects an individual's thoughts, interests, and activities. Such web pages do not, in anyway, represent individual schools or the District, nor are they endorsed or sanctioned by any individual school or the District. Concern about the content of any page(s) created by students or staff should be directed to the building principal of that school.

Given the rapid change in technology, some of the technical standards outlined in this regulation may require change throughout the year. Such changes will be made with approval of the Superintendent. This web page regulation may be updated on an annual basis, or more frequently if required.
Issued 4/18/00; Revised 3/19/02, 11/21/06, 5/19/09, 7/17/12, 8/20/13, 8/16/16

Anderson School District Five