School District of Colfax
Bylaws & Policies
 

7540.03 - STUDENT EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE AND SAFETY

Technology has fundamentally altered the ways in which information is accessed, communicated, and transferred in society. As a result, educators are continually adapting their means and methods of instruction, and the way they approach student learning to incorporate the vast, diverse, and unique resources available through the Internet. The Board of Education provides students with access to the Internet for limited educational purposes only and utilizes online educational services to enhance the instruction delivered to its students. The District’s Internet system does not serve as a public access service or a public forum, and the Board imposes reasonable restrictions on its use consistent with its limited educational purpose. This policy and its related administrative guidelines and the Student Code of Conduct govern students’ use of the District’s computers, laptops, tablets, personal communication devices (as defined by Policy 7530.02), network, and Internet connection and online educational services ("Education Technology" or "Ed-Tech"). The due process rights of all users will be respected in the event there is a suspicion of inappropriate use of the Education Technology. Users have no right or expectation to privacy when using the Ed-Tech (including, but not limited to, privacy in the content of their personal files, e-mails, and records of their online activity while on the network and Internet).

The Board encourages students to utilize Education Technology to develop the resource sharing, innovation, and communication skills and tools that are essential to both life and work. The instructional use of the Internet and online education services is guided by the Board's policy on instructional materials.

The Internet is a global information and communication network that provides a valuable opportunity to education and information resources to our students. The Internet connects computers and users in the District with computers and users worldwide. Through the Internet, students and staff can access relevant information that will enhance their learning and the education process. Further, the Education Technology provides students and staff with the opportunity to communicate with other people from throughout the world. Access to such a vast quantity of information and resources brings with it, however, certain unique challenges.

The Board may not be able to technologically limit access to services through its Education Technology to only those that have been authorized for the purpose of instruction, study and research related to the curriculum. Unlike in the past when educators and community members had the opportunity to review and screen materials to assess their appropriateness for supporting and enriching the curriculum according to adopted guidelines and reasonable selection criteria (taking into account the varied instructional needs, learning styles, abilities, and developmental levels of the students who would be exposed to them), access to the Internet, because it serves as a gateway to any publicly available file server in the world, opens classrooms and students to electronic information resources that may not have been screened by educators for use by students of various ages.

Pursuant to Federal law, the Board has implemented technology protection measures, that protect against (e.g., filter or block) access to visual displays/depictions/materials that are obscene, constitute child pornography, and/or are harmful to minors, as defined by the Children’s Internet Protection Act. At the discretion of the Board or the District Administrator, the technology protection measures may be configured to protect against access to other material considered inappropriate for students to access. The technology protection measures may not be disabled at any time that students may be using the Education Technology if such disabling will cease to protect against access to materials that are prohibited under the Children’s Internet Protection Act. Any student who attempts to disable the technology protection measures will be subject to discipline.

The Board utilizes software and/or hardware to monitor online activity of students and to block/filter access to child pornography and other material that is obscene, objectionable, inappropriate and/or harmful to minors. "Harmful to minors" is a term defined by the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(h)(7)) as 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;

   
 

C.

taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value as to minors.

At the discretion of the Board or the District Administrator, the technology protection measure may be configured to protect against access to other material considered inappropriate for students to access. The technology protection measure may not be disabled at any time that students may be using the Network, if such disabling will cease to protect against access to materials that are prohibited under the Children's Internet Protection Act.

The District Administrator or designee may temporarily or permanently unblock access to websites or online education containing appropriate material if access to such sites has been inappropriately blocked by the technology protection measure. The determination of whether material is appropriate or inappropriate shall be based on the content of the material and the intended use of the material, not on the protection actions of the technology protection measure.

The District Administrator or designee may disable the technology protection measure to enable access for bona fide research or other lawful purposes.

Parents are advised that a determined user may be able to gain access to services on the Internet that the Board has not authorized for educational purposes. In fact, it is impossible to guarantee students will not gain access through the Internet to information and communications that they and/or their parents may find inappropriate, offensive, objectionable or controversial. Parents of minors are responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their children should follow when using the Internet.

The District Administrator shall prepare guidelines which address students' safety and security while using e-mail, chat rooms, instant messaging and other forms of direct electronic communications, and prohibit disclosure of personal identification information of minors and unauthorized access (e.g., "hacking") and other unlawful activities by minors online.

Education Technology is provided as a tool for education. The School District reserves the right to monitor, inspect, copy, review and store at any time and without prior notice any and all usage of the computer network and Internet access and any and all information transmitted or received in connection with such usage. All such information files shall be and remain the property of the School District and no user shall have any expectation of privacy regarding such materials.

Pursuant to Federal law, students shall receive education about the following:

 

A.

safety and security while using e-mail, chat rooms, social media, and other forms of direct electronic communications;

   
 

B.

the dangers inherent with the online disclosure of personally identifiable information;

   
 

C.

the consequences of unauthorized access (e.g., "hacking"), cyberbullying, and other unlawful or inappropriate activities by students online;

   
 

D.

unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal information regarding minors.

Staff members shall provide instruction for their students regarding the appropriate use of technology and online safety and security as specified above. Furthermore, staff members will monitor the online activities of students while at school.

Monitoring may include, but is not necessarily limited to, visual observations of online activities during class sessions; or use of specific monitoring tools to review browser history and network, server, and computer logs.

Building Principals are responsible for providing training so that Internet users under their supervision are knowledgeable about this policy and its accompanying guidelines. The Board expects that staff members will provide guidance and instruction to students in the appropriate use of the Education Technology. Such training shall include, but not be limited to, education concerning appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms, and cyberbullying awareness and response. All Internet users (and their parents if they are minors) are required to sign a written agreement to abide by the terms and conditions of this policy and its accompanying guidelines.

Students will be assigned a school email account that they are required to utilize for all school-related electronic communications, including those to staff members and individuals and/or organizations outside the District with whom they are communicating for school-related projects and assignments. Further, as directed and authorized by their teachers, they shall use their school-assigned email account when signing-up/registering for access to various online educational services, including mobile applications/apps that will be utilized by the student for educational purposes.

Students and staff members are responsible for good behavior on the Board's Education Technology just as they are in classrooms, school hallways, and other school premises and school sponsored events. Communications on the Internet are often public in nature. General school rules for behavior and communication apply. The Board does not sanction any use of the Education Technology that is not authorized by or conducted strictly in compliance with this policy and its accompanying guidelines.

Students shall not access social media for personal use from the District’s network, but shall be permitted to access social media for educational use in accordance with their teacher’s approved plan for such use.

Users who disregard this policy and its accompanying guidelines may have their use privileges suspended or revoked, and disciplinary action taken against them. Users of the Board's Education Technology are personally responsible and liable, both civilly and criminally, for uses of the Ed-Tech not authorized by this Board policy and its accompanying guidelines.

The Board designates the District Administrator and principals as the administrators responsible for initiating, implementing, and enforcing this policy and its accompanying guidelines as they apply to students' use of the District’s Education Technology.

H.R. 4577, P.L. 106-554, Children's Internet Protection Act of 2000
47 U.S.C. 254(h), (1), Communications Act of 1934, as amended
20 U.S.C. 6801 et seq., Part F, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965,
as amended
18 U.S.C. 2256
18 U.S.C. 1460
18 U.S.C. 2246

© Neola 2014