2022P Procedure - Electronic Resources, Internet Safety, and Digital Citizenship
These procedures are written to support the Electronic Resources, Internet Safety, and Digital Citizenship policy of the Board of Directors and to promote positive and effective digital citizenship among students and staff. Digital citizenship includes the norms of appropriate, responsible, and healthy behavior related to technology use. Successful, proficient digital citizens recognize and value the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of living, learning, and working in an interconnected digital world. They cultivate and manage their digital identity and reputation, and are aware of the permanence of their actions in the digital world. Expectations for student and staff behavior online are no different from face-to-face interactions.
The district network includes wired and wireless devices and peripheral equipment, files and storage, e-mail, and digital content (blogs, websites, collaboration software, social networking sites, audio/video, wikis, etc.). The district reserves the right to prioritize the use of, and access to, the network.
Acceptable network use by district students and staff includes:
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Creation of files, digital projects, videos, web pages, and podcasts using approved network resources in support of education and research;
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Participation in approved blogs, wikis, bulletin boards, social networking sites, and the creation of content for podcasts, e-mail, and webpages that support education and research;
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With parental permission, the online publication of original educational content, curriculum-related content, and student work. Sources outside the classroom or school must be cited appropriately;
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Use of the network for incidental personal use in accordance with all district policies and procedures; and
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Connection of personal electronic devices (wired or wireless), when authorized, including portable devices with network capabilities, to the district network after checking with the Chief Technology Officer to confirm that the device is equipped with up-to-date virus software, compatible network card, and is configured properly. Connection of any personal electronic device is subject to all procedures in this document and district policy.
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Personal gain, commercial solicitation, and compensation of any kind;
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Actions that result in liability or cost incurred by the district;
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Downloading, installing and use of games, audio files, video files, or other applications (including shareware or freeware) without permission or approval from the Chief Technology Officer;
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Support for or opposition to ballot measures, candidates, and any other political activity;
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Hacking, cracking, vandalizing, the introduction of malware, including viruses, worms, Trojan horses, time bombs, and changes to hardware, software, and monitoring tools;
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Unauthorized access to other district computers, servers, networks, and online systems;
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Action constituting harassment, intimidation, or bullying, including cyberbullying, hate mail, defamation, discriminatory jokes, and remarks. This may also include the manufacture, distribution, or possession of inappropriate digital media content;
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Information published, sent, or stored online that could endanger others (e.g., bomb construction, drug manufacturing, threats);
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Accessing, uploading, downloading, storage and distribution of obscene, pornographic, or sexually explicit material;
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Attaching unauthorized devices to the district network. Any such device will be confiscated and additional disciplinary action may be taken; or
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Any unlawful use of the district network, including but not limited to stalking, blackmail, threats, violation of copyright laws, and fraud.
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Students and staff should not reveal personal information, including but not limited to home address and phone number, username or password on web sites, blogs, podcasts, videos, social networking sites, wikis, e-mail, or as content on any other electronic medium;
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Students and staff should not reveal personal information about another individual on any electronic medium without first obtaining permission;
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No student pictures or names can be published on any public class, school, or district website unless the appropriate permission has been obtained according to district policy;
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If students encounter dangerous or inappropriate information or messages, they should notify the appropriate school authority; and
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Students should be aware of the persistence of their digital information, including images and social media activity, which may remain on the internet indefinitely.
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Filtering software is not 100 percent effective. While filters make it more difficult for objectionable material to be received or accessed, filters are not a solution in themselves. Every user must take responsibility for his/her use of the network and internet and avoid objectionable sites;
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Any attempts to defeat or bypass the district’s internet filter or conceal internet activity are prohibited (e.g., proxies, https, virtual private network, special ports, modifications to district browser settings, and any other techniques designed to evade filtering or enable the publication of inappropriate content);
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E-mail inconsistent with the educational and research mission of the district will be considered SPAM and blocked from entering district e-mail boxes;
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Staff members who supervise students, control electronic equipment, or have occasion to observe student use of said equipment online, must make a reasonable effort to monitor the use of this equipment to assure that student use conforms to the mission and goals of the district;
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Staff must make a reasonable effort to become familiar with district technology and to monitor, instruct, and assist effectively;
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The district may monitor student use of the district network, including when accessed on students’ personal electronic devices and devices provided by the district, such as laptops, cell phone, tablets, e-mail, and documents; and
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The district will provide a procedure for students and staff members to request access to websites blocked by the district’s filtering software. The procedure will indicate a timeframe for a designated school official to respond to the request. The requirements of the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) will be considered in evaluation of the request. The district will provide an appeal process for requests that are denied.
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Age appropriate materials will be made available for use across grade levels; and
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Training on online safety topics and materials will be made available for administration, staff, students, and families.
Downloading, copying, duplicating, streaming, or distributing software, music, sound files, movies, images, or other copyrighted materials without the specific written permission of the copyright owner is generally prohibited. However, the duplication and distribution of materials for educational purposes is permitted when such duplication and distribution falls within the Fair Use Doctrine of the United States Copyright Law (Title 17, USC) and content is cited appropriately.
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Change passwords according to district policy;
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Do not use another user’s account;
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Do not write down your user account password;
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Do not store passwords in a file without encryption;
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Do not use the “remember password” feature of web browsers; and
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Lock the screen or log off if leaving the computer.
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The district network, including when accessed on students’ personal electronic devices and on devices provided by the district, such as laptops, cell phones, and tablets;
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User files and disk space utilization;
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User applications and bandwidth utilization;
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User document files, folders, and electronic communications;
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E-mail;
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Internet access; and
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Any and all information transmitted or received in connection with network and e-mail use.