7540.03 - STUDENT NETWORK AND INTERNET ACCEPTABLE USE AND SAFETY

Duneland School Corporation

Bylaws & Policies

7540.03 - STUDENT NETWORK AND INTERNET ACCEPTABLE USE AND SAFETY
Overview

The Duneland School Corporation supports access by students and staff to the rich educational resources available on the Internet. Electronic information research skills are now fundamental to the preparation of life-long learners and future employees. Access to the Internet enables users to explore thousands of libraries, databases, and other resources to meet both curricular needs and personal interests.

The mission, goals, and objectives of the Duneland School Corporation shall provide the foundation for decisions relating to Internet access. Faculty members will provide developmentally appropriate guidance to students as they make use of the Internet to conduct research and other studies related to the District curriculum. As much as possible, access to Internet resources should be structured in ways that point students to those sites that have been evaluated prior to use. Since students will be able to move beyond those resources to others that staff members may not have evaluated, it is essential that students understand the appropriate use of online resources.

Safety

The Duneland School Corporation shall implement procedures to insure the safety of students using online resources. Students using the Internet must first have the permission of and must be supervised by the Duneland School Corporation professional staff. Personal information regarding students will not be disclosed, used, or disseminated without administrative authorization. Internet access will be filtered in accordance with the Children's Internet Protection Act. Unsolicited online contact should be reported by students to their teacher and by staff members to their building administrator.

Warranties

All users should not expect that files stored on district servers will be private. The administration may direct network personnel to review files, communications, and sites visited to maintain system integrity and insure that systems are being used responsibly. Although filtering will be implemented, material on the Internet is uncensored and no guarantee can be made that information found will be valuable, reliable, or inoffensive.

The Duneland School Corporation will not be held liable for any lost, damaged, or unavailable information due to technical or other difficulties. The District will not be responsible for unauthorized costs incurred by students, nor will it vouch for the accuracy of information obtained through the Internet, nor will it be responsible for student's negligence or mistakes.

Acceptable Use

Acceptable use of computers, networks, network equipment, and Internet access is any use that is consistent with the educational objectives of the Duneland School Corporation. Students using the Internet are responsible for good behavior just as they are in a classroom or other area of the school. Any violation of acceptable use policy and rules may result in loss of access to the Internet. Additional disciplinary action may be determined in keeping with existing procedures and practices regarding inappropriate behavior.

It shall be the policy of the Duneland School Corporation that the following uses of school provided Internet access are specifically prohibited:

	A.	to access, upload, download, or distribute pornographic, obscene, or sexually explicit material;
	B.	to transmit abusive, threatening, harassing, intimidating, obscene or sexually explicit language;
	C.	to violate any local, State, or Federal statute;
	D.	to vandalize, damage, or disable the property of another individual or organization;
	E.	to access another individual's or organization's materials, information, or files without permission;
	F.	to violate copyright laws by using the intellectual property of others without permission.

Notification

The Duneland School Corporation believes the educational value of student Internet Access is the joint responsibility of students, parents, and employees of the school corporation. Therefore, the administration shall develop and implement procedures that:

	A.	notify parents that activities involving Internet access are a part of the District's educational program;
	B.	make Internet policies available for review by all parents, guardians, staff, and members of the community upon request;
	C.	provide parents the option to request alternative activities not requiring Internet access.

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