West Clermont Local School District
Bylaws & Policies
 

7540.02 - WEB CONTENT, SERVICES AND APPS

Creating Web Pages/Sites/Services and Apps

The Board of Education authorizes staff members and students to create web content, apps and web services (see Bylaw 0100 Definitions) that will be hosted by the Board on its servers or District-affiliated servers and published on the Internet.

The web content, services and apps must comply with State and Federal law (e.g., copyright laws, Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)), and reflect the professional image/brand of the District, its employees, and students. Web content, services and apps must be consistent with the Board's Mission Statement and staff-created web content, services and apps are subject to prior review and approval of the Superintendent before being published on the Internet and/or utilized with students.

Student-created web content, services and apps are subject to Policy 5722 – School-Sponsored Student Publications and Productions.

The creation of web content, services and apps by students must be done under the supervision of a professional staff member.

The purpose of web content, services and apps hosted by the Board on its servers or District-affiliated servers is to educate, inform, and communicate. The following criteria shall be used to guide the development of such web content, services and apps:

 

A.

Educate

 
 

Content should be suitable for and usable by students and teachers to support the curriculum and the Board's Objectives as listed in the Board's Strategic Plan.

 
 

B.

Inform

 
 

Content may inform the community about the school, teachers, students, or departments, including information about curriculum, events, class projects, student activities, and departmental policies.

 
 

C.

Communicate

 
 

Content may communicate information about the plans, policies and operations of the District to members of the public and other persons who may be affected by District matters.

The information contained on the Board's website(s) should reflect and support the Board's Mission Statement, Educational Philosophy, and the School Improvement Process.

When the content includes a photograph or information relating to a student, the Board will abide by the provisions of Policy 8330 - Student Records.

All links included on the Board’s website(s) or web services and apps must also meet the above criteria and comply with State and Federal law (e.g. copyright laws, CIPA, Section 504, ADA, and COPPA). Nothing in this paragraph shall prevent the District from linking the Board’s website(s) to 1) recognized news/media outlets (e.g., local newspapers' websites, local television stations' websites) or 2) to websites, services and/or apps that are developed and hosted by outside commercial vendors pursuant to a contract with the Board. The Board recognizes that such third party websites may not contain age-appropriate advertisements that are consistent with the requirements of Policy 9700.01, AG 9700B, and State and Federal law.

Under no circumstances is District-created web content, services or apps, to be used for commercial purposes, advertising, political lobbying or to provide financial gains for any individual. Included in this prohibition is the fact no web content contained on the District’s website may: 1) include statements or other items that support or oppose a candidate for public office, the investigation, prosecution or recall of a public official, or passage of a tax levy or bond issue; 2) link to a website of another organization if the other website includes such a message; or 3) communicate information that supports or opposes any labor organization or any action by, on behalf of, or against any labor organization.

Under no circumstances is staff member-created web content, services or apps, including personal web pages/sites, to be used to post student progress reports, grades, class assignments, or any other similar class-related material. Employees are required to use the Board-specified website, service or app (e.g., Progressbook) for the purpose of conveying information to students and/or parents.

Staff members are prohibited from requiring students to go to the staff member's personal web pages/sites (including, but not limited to, their Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest pages) to check grades, obtain class assignments and/or class-related materials, and/or to turn in assignments.

If a staff member creates web content, services or apps, related to his/her class, it must be hosted on the Board's server or a District-affiliated server.

Unless the web content, service or app contains student personally-identifiable information, Board websites, services or apps that are created by students and/or staff members that are posted on the Internet should not be password protected or otherwise contain restricted access features, whereby only employees, student(s), or other limited groups of people can access the site. Community members, parents, employees, staff, students, and other website users will generally be given full access to the Board’s website(s), services and apps.

Web content, services and apps should reflect an understanding that both internal and external audiences will be viewing the information.

School website(s), services and apps must be located on Board-owned or District-affiliated servers.

The Superintendent shall prepare administrative guidelines defining the rules and standards applicable to the use of the Board's website and the creation of web content, services and apps by staff.

The Board retains all proprietary rights related to the design of web content, services and apps that are hosted on Board-owned or District-affiliated servers, absent written agreement to the contrary.

Students who want their class work to be displayed on the Board's website must have written parent permission and expressly license its display without cost to the Board.

Prior written parental permission is necessary for a student to be identified by name on the Board's website.

Instructional Use of Web Services and Apps

The Board authorizes the use of web services and/or apps to supplement and enhance learning opportunities for students either in the classroom or for extended learning outside the classroom.

The Board requires the Technology Coordinator pre-approve each web service and/or app that a teacher intends to use to supplement and enhance student learning. To be approved, the web service or app must have a FERPA-compliant privacy policy, as well as comply with all requirements of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA).

The Board further requires prior written parental permission to use a student’s personal e-mail address in the login process.

R.C. 9.03
O.A.G. Opinion No. 2002-01

Revised 4/13/15
Revised 1/9/17

© Neola 2016