2022P Procedure - Electronic Resources, Internet Safety, and Digital Citizenship

Network Acceptable Use Guidelines/Internet Safety Requirements
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.
 
Use of Personal Electronic Devices
In accordance with all district policies and procedures, students and staff may use personal electronic devices (e.g. laptops, mobile devices, and e-readers) to further the educational and research mission of the district. School staff will retain the final authority in deciding when and how students may use personal electronic devices on school grounds and during the school day. Without a specific and documented need (e.g. assistive technology), students do not have an absolute right to possess or use personal electronic devices at school.
 
Network
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.
 
All use of the network must support education and research and be consistent with the mission of the district.

Acceptable network use by district students and staff includes:
  1. Creation of files, digital projects, videos, web pages, and podcasts using approved network resources in support of education and research;
  1. 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;
  1. 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;
  1. Use of the network for incidental personal use in accordance with all district policies and procedures; and
  1. 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.
Unacceptable network use by district students and staff includes but is not limited to:
  1. Personal gain, commercial solicitation, and compensation of any kind;
  1. Actions that result in liability or cost incurred by the district;
  1. 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; 
  1. Support for or opposition to ballot measures, candidates, and any other political activity;

  1. Hacking, cracking, vandalizing, the introduction of malware, including viruses, worms, Trojan horses, time bombs, and changes to hardware, software, and monitoring tools;

  2. Unauthorized access to other district computers, servers, networks, and online systems;

  1. 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;
  1. Information published, sent, or stored online that could endanger others (e.g., bomb construction, drug manufacturing, threats);
  1. Accessing, uploading, downloading, storage and distribution of obscene, pornographic, or sexually explicit material;
  1. Attaching unauthorized devices to the district network. Any such device will be confiscated and additional disciplinary action may be taken; or
  1. Any unlawful use of the district network, including but not limited to stalking, blackmail, threats, violation of copyright laws, and fraud.
The district will not be responsible for any damages suffered by any user, including but not limited to, loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, mis-deliveries, or service interruptions caused by his/her own negligence or any other errors or omissions. The district will not be responsible for unauthorized financial obligations resulting from the use of, or access to, the district’s computer network or the internet. The district is not responsible for backup of personal data.
 
Internet Safety
 
Personal Information and Inappropriate Content

  1. 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;

  1. Students and staff should not reveal personal information about another individual on any electronic medium without first obtaining permission;

  1. 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;

  2. If students encounter dangerous or inappropriate information or messages, they should notify the appropriate school authority; and

  1. Students should be aware of the persistence of their digital information, including images and social media activity, which may remain on the internet indefinitely.

Filtering and Monitoring
Filtering software is used to block or filter access to visual depictions that are obscene and all child pornography in accordance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Other objectionable material could be filtered. The determination of what constitutes “other objectionable” material is a local decision.
 
  1. 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;
  1. 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);
  1. E-mail inconsistent with the educational and research mission of the district will be considered SPAM and blocked from entering district e-mail boxes;
  1. 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;

  1. Staff must make a reasonable effort to become familiar with district technology and to monitor, instruct, and assist effectively;

  2. 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

  3. 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.

Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship Instruction
All students will be educated about appropriate online behavior, including but not limited to interacting with other individuals using social networks, cyberbullying, and accessing digital resources.
 
  1. Age appropriate materials will be made available for use across grade levels; and
  1. Training on online safety topics and materials will be made available for administration, staff, students, and families.
Copyright
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.
 
Ownership of Work
All work completed by employees as part of their employment will be considered property of the district. The district will own any and all rights to such work including any and all derivative works, unless there is a written agreement to the contrary.
 
All work completed by students as part of the regular instructional program is owned by the student as soon as it is created, unless such work is created while the student is acting as an employee of the school system or unless such work has been paid for under a written agreement with the school system. If under an agreement with the district, the work will be considered the property of the district. Staff members must obtain a student’s permission prior to distributing his/her work to parties outside the school.
 
Network Security and Privacy
Passwords are the first level of security for a user account. System logins and accounts are to be used only by the authorized owner of the account for authorized district purposes. Students and staff are responsible for all activity on their account and must not share their account password.
 
The following procedures are designed to safeguard network user accounts:
  1. Change passwords according to district policy;
  1. Do not use another user’s account;
C. Do not insert passwords into e-mail or other communications;
 
  1. Do not write down your user account password;
  1. Do not store passwords in a file without encryption;
  1. Do not use the “remember password” feature of web browsers; and
  1. Lock the screen or log off if leaving the computer.
Student Data Privacy
District staff must maintain the confidentiality of student data in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
 
No Expectation of Privacy
The district provides the network system, e-mail, and internet access as a tool for education and research in support of the district’s mission. The district reserves the right to monitor, inspect, copy, review, and store, without prior notice, information about the content and usage of:
 

  1. 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;

  2. User files and disk space utilization;

  1. User applications and bandwidth utilization;

  1. User document files, folders, and electronic communications;

  1. E-mail;

  2. Internet access; and

  1. Any and all information transmitted or received in connection with network and e-mail use.

No student or staff user should have any expectation of privacy when using the district’s network. The district reserves the right to disclose any electronic messages to law enforcement officials or third parties as appropriate. All documents are subject to the public records disclosure laws of the State of Washington.
 
Educational Applications and Programs
All technology, including software, hardware, and online programs/resources must go through the district technology approval process and be approved prior to use. Once approved, staff should also as appropriate, provide notice to students’ parents/guardians that the staff person has requested that students download or sign up for any application or program, including a brief statement on the purpose of the application or program.
 
Archive and Backup
Backup is made of all district e-mail correspondence for purposes of public disclosure and disaster recovery. Barring power outage or intermittent technical issues, staff and student files are backed up on district servers regularly with exception of the Office 365 and OneDrive resources. Refer to the district retention policy for specific records retention requirements.
 
Disciplinary Action
All users of the district’s electronic resources are required to comply with the district’s policy and procedures and agree to abide by the provisions set forth in the district's acceptable use and responsible use agreements. Violation of any of the conditions of use explained in the district’s user agreement, Electronic Resources, Internet Safety, and Digital Citizenship policy, or in these procedures could be cause for disciplinary action, including suspension or expulsion from school and suspension or revocation of network and computer access privileges.
 
Accessibility of Electronic Resources
Federal law prohibits people, on the basis of disability (such as seeing and hearing impairments), from being excluded from participation in, being denied the benefits of, or otherwise being subjected to discrimination by the district. To ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to district programs, activities, and services, the content and functionality of websites associated with the district should be accessible.  Such websites may include, but are not limited to, the district’s homepage, teacher websites, district-operated social media pages, and online class lectures.
 
District staff with authority to create or modify website content or functionality associated with the district will take reasonable measures to ensure that such content or functionality is accessible to individuals with disabilities. Any such staff member with questions about how to comply with this requirement should consult with the Public Information Officer.
 
Date: 1/23/96
Revised: 9/9/08; 11/8/11; 4/10/12; 12/11/12; 2/11/20