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SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BRODHEAD EPS FILE IJNDI

School Board Policy Page 1 of 6

INTERNET, NETWORK, & EMAIL USE POLICY

The Internet is the major global network for education, research, public services, business and information exchange. In its present form, which is constantly evolving, the Internet is a collection of countless computer files from all over the world. School districts that provide access to the Internet believe the benefits of providing such availability far outweigh the concern that network users may see some inappropriate material. The Internet provides a wealth of up-to-date information unavailable by any other medium, and can enrich the quality of education that is provided to the students and staff of the School District of Brodhead.

Although the District does not have control over the information contained on computer networks like the Internet, it can provide policy guidance regarding how such networks are to be accessed and used within the schools. The District is taking precautions to restrict availability to certain inappropriate materials; however, on a global network it is impossible to control all materials and a user may discover questionable information. The District shall maintain an Internet filtering measure that blocks access to the three categories of visual depictions specified by CIPA (Children’s Internet Protection Act, 2001) – obscene, child pornography, and material that is deemed harmful to minors.

Each school within the District will have some unique rules and guidelines for Internet and Email access, due to the equipment available and the maturity of the students. Use of the Internet and Email is a privilege, not a right; access entails responsibility. Users abusing this privilege will lose access privileges along with other consequences deemed appropriate. Due process rights and appeals will apply in these situations. Students are advised never to access, keep, or send anything that they would not want their teachers or parents to see. All provisions of this policy are subordinate to local, state and federal statute. Parents may request the termination of their children’s individual accounts at any time.

Communication over the networks should not be considered private. Network supervision and maintenance will require review and inspection of directories or messages. The District will not be responsible for the accuracy or quality of the information obtained through or stored on the system. School computers are the property of the School District of Brodhead. At no time does the District relinquish its exclusive control of computers provided for the convenience of the students and staff. The District reserves the right to inspect and review the computer files, if it has reasonable cause to suspect that someone is using the computer for illicit or illegal purposes, or for purposes in violation of this District policy or building rules. School authorities may conduct such inspections when they deem it necessary, without notice, without consent, and without a search warrant.

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SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BRODHEAD EPS FILE IJNDI

School Board Policy Page 2 of 6

The following are general rules and procedures for using the Internet, Email and computer communication services. As noted above, individual buildings may have additional rules. The District reserves the right to modify or add to these rules, as needed, to address unforeseen problems or emerging trends. Violations of the following rules will be reported to the building principal by staff.

Student use of the Internet, Email or other similar services can only be done with permission of the staff member in charge or a supervising teacher.

Users will abide by all rules of etiquette associated with the use of the Internet and Email. Such conduct would include, but is not limited to, the placing of unlawful information on or through the computer system and accessing another person’s files or Email. Use of appropriate language is expected. No swearing or use of vulgarities or any other abusive language is allowed. Use of the Internet or Email to harm or harass others is not acceptable, and any use of the Internet or Email to facilitate illegal activity is prohibited.

Passwords are the property of the user and the system administrator. Any activity related to a specific account use is the responsibility of the owner of the account. Any suspected compromise of passwords should be reported to the system administrator immediately. The system administrator may suspend or revoke use of a network account in the event these rules are violated.

A user exercising his/her privilege to use technology as an educational resource also accepts the responsibility for all material received over the Internet/network. Students are not allowed to download or upload files without staff permission, nor use their account to obtain, view, download, or otherwise gain access to potentially objectionable materials. File size and time needed for downloading must be assessed and the staff member in attendance must be advised of any downloads as they take up space on the hard drive. The student’s network account provides for personal storage space on the District resources, which may be treated as a student locker and should be cleared periodically. All students will be advised verbally and on a signed acceptable Internet use agreement that they should have no expectation of privacy regarding digital information stored on District technology equipment.

While online, users will not reveal their personal address, phone number, social security number or any other personal information about themselves or those of any other person. If this rule is violated, building principals will contact the network administrator who will then disable the user’s Internet access privileges for a period of at least one month.

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SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BRODHEAD EPS FILE IJNDI

School Board Policy Page 3 of 6

Users are responsible for the ethical and educational use of their own Internet and Email accounts. These accounts are to be used only by the authorized owner of the account for the authorized purpose. Users shall not intentionally seek information on, obtain copies of, or modify files, data, or passwords belonging to other users on the network without their permission. No use of the network shall serve to disrupt the use of the network by others. Hardware and/or software shall not be destroyed or abused in any way.

To insure copyright protection, all communication and information accessible via the Internet or Email should be assumed to be the private property of the copyright owner and shall not be copied or used by others without permission of the owner of the information. Instructors will enforce and reiterate the importance of citing references used by students when completing research assignments. Commercial software is placed on the computer for the use and convenience of students and staff. Any unlawful use such as copying of copyrighted material without the express written permission of the owner or the proper license is prohibited.

Use of the Internet and Email to access or attempt to access obscene, pornographic, or inappropriate materials or language (as determined by the attending staff member), in either public or private files or messages, is prohibited. School officials will apply the same criterion of educational suitability used for other educational resources when providing access to the Internet.

Any use of the Internet or Email for commercial or for-profit purposes is prohibited, including product endorsement. This also includes buying, selling or bartering, including the use of credit cards. The District will not be responsible for unauthorized financial obligations resulting from unauthorized use of the system.

Chat rooms and blogs are “off-limits” without the supervision of a teacher or staff member. Users will not download or use instant messaging software on any computer or hand-held device in the school.

Users will report known violations of the rules to appropriate staff members.

Because of the potentially large number of individuals who might need to use the computers for Internet, Email, and personal productivity, student access may be limited to a specified time, as provided by the instructor(s) and/or Administration. Users will log off the system after use, or notify the staff member that they are finished, to provide others access to the system. The District’s Internet, Email and network access is provided primarily for educational purposes under the direction of District staff. Non-educational use may be limited at any time by District staff. It is recommended that Email communication be brief, accurate, and contain descriptive subject lines.

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SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BRODHEAD EPS FILE IJNDI

School Board Policy Page 4 of 6

The Director of Technology shall be responsible for overseeing the use of the District’s Internet, Email and other network accounts. No guest accounts will be granted on the network. Individuals needing temporary access will be given a typical user account with a set expiration period deemed appropriate by the network administrator.

Any unauthorized deliberate action which damages or disrupts a computing system (including the willful introduction of computer “viruses” or other disruptive/destructive programs), alters its normal performance, or causes it to malfunction is prohibited. Intentional attempts to “crash” network systems or programs are punishable disciplinary offenses.

The District does not warrant that the functions of the system will meet any specific requirements you may have, or that it will be error-free or interrupted; nor shall it be liable for any direct or indirect, incidental, or consequential damages (including lost data, information, or profits) sustained or incurred in connection with the use, operation, or inability to use the system. Further, even though the District may use technical or manual means to regulate access and information, these methods do not provide a foolproof means for enforcing the provisions of this policy.

Any student wishing to use the Internet, Email or other school networks must have on file in the school office a parental-signed Internet/Email/Network Acceptable Use Agreement (see Appendix).

LEGAL REF: Federal Children’s Internet Protection Act

Adopted: January 8, 1997

Last Revision: October 11, 2006

Last Review:

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Appendix to Policy IJNDI

SCHOOL DISTRICT of BRODHEAD

INTERNET and EMAIL USE AGREEMENT

(Signed copy must be on file in school office prior to Internet or Network computer use)

The Internet is the major global network for education, research, and information exchange. In its present form, which is constantly evolving, the Internet is a collection of countless computer files from all over the world. School districts that provide access to the Internet believe the benefits of providing such availability far outweigh the concern that network users may see some inappropriate material. The Internet provides a wealth of up-to-date information unavailable by any other medium, and can enrich the quality of education that is provided to the students and staff of the School District of Brodhead.

Each school within the District will have some unique rules and guidelines for Internet and Email access, due to the equipment available and the maturity of the students. Use of the Internet and Email is a privilege, not a right; access entails responsibility. Users abusing this privilege will lose access privileges along with other consequences deemed appropriate by the District. Due process rights and appeals will apply in these situations. The students are advised never to access, keep, or send anything that they would not want their teachers or parents to see. All provisions of this policy are subordinate to local, state and federal statute.

Communication over the networks should not be considered private. Network supervision and maintenance will require review and inspection of directories or messages. School computers are the property of the School District of Brodhead. At no time does the District relinquish its exclusive control of computers provided for the convenience of the students and staff. The District reserves the right to inspect and review the computer files, if it has reasonable cause to suspect that someone is using the computer for illicit or illegal purposes or for purposes in violation of this District policy or building rules. School authorities may conduct such inspections when they deem it necessary, without notice, without consent, and without a search warrant.

The following are general rules and procedures for using the Internet, Email and computer networks:

Student use of the Internet, Email or other similar services can only be done with permission of the staff member in charge or a supervising teacher.
Users will abide by all rules of etiquette associated with the use of the Internet and Email. Such conduct would include, but is not limited to, the placing of unlawful information on or through the computer system and accessing another person’s files or email. Use of appropriate language is expected. No swearing or use of vulgarities or any other abusive language is allowed. Use of the Internet or Email to harm or harass others is not acceptable, and any use of the Internet or Email to facilitate illegal activity is prohibited.
Passwords are the property of the user and the system administrator. Any activity related to a specific account use is the responsibility of the owner of the account. Any suspected compromise of passwords should be reported to the system administrator immediately.
A user exercising his/her privilege to use technology as an educational resource also accepts the responsibility for all material received over the Internet/network. Students are not allowed to download or upload files without staff permission, nor use their account to obtain, view, download, or otherwise gain access to potentially objectionable materials. File size and time needed for downloading must be assessed and the staff member in attendance must be advised of any downloads as they take up space on the hard drive. The student’s network account provides for personal storage space on the District resources, which may be treated as a student locker and should be cleared periodically. Students should be aware they have no expectation of privacy regarding digital information stored on District technology equipment.
While online, users will not reveal their personal address, phone number, social security number or any other personal information about themselves or those of any other person.
Users are responsible for the ethical and educational use of their own Internet and Email accounts. These accounts are to be used only by the authorized owner of the account for the authorized purpose. No use of the network shall serve to disrupt the use of the network by others. Hardware and/or software shall not be destroyed or abused in any way. Deletion, examination, copying, or modification of files and/or data belonging to other users without their prior consent is prohibited.
To insure copyright protection, all communication and information accessible via the Internet or Email should be assumed to be the private property of the copyright owner and shall not be copied or used by others without permission of the owner of the information. Commercial software is placed on the computer for the use and convenience of students and staff. Any unlawful use such as copying of copyrighted material without the express written permission of the owner or the proper license is prohibited.
Use of the Internet and Email to access or attempt to access obscene, pornographic, or inappropriate materials or language (as determined by the attending staff member), in either public or private files or messages, is prohibited.
Any use of the Internet or Email for commercial or non-profit purposes is prohibited, including product endorsement. This also includes buying, selling or bartering, including the use of credit cards. The District will not be responsible for unauthorized financial obligations resulting from this.
Chat rooms and blogs are “off-limits” without the supervision of a teacher or staff member. Users will not download or use instant messaging software on any computer in the school.
Users will report known violations of the rules to appropriate staff members.
Because of the potentially large number of individuals who might need to use the computers for Internet and Email, as well as personal productivity, student access may be limited to a specified time, as provided by the instructor(s) and/or administration. Users will log off the system after use, or notify the staff member that they are finished, to provide others access to the system. The District’s Internet, Email and Network access is provided primarily for educational purposes under the direction of District staff. Non-educational use may be limited at any time by District staff. It is recommended that Email communication is brief, accurate, and contains descriptive subject lines.
The Director of Technology shall be responsible for overseeing the use of the District’s Internet, Email and other network accounts.
Any unauthorized deliberate action which damages or disrupts a computing system (including the willful introduction of computer “viruses” or other disruptive/destructive programs), alters its normal performance, or causes it to malfunction is prohibited. Intentional attempts to “crash” network systems or programs are punishable disciplinary offenses.
The District does not warrant that the functions of the system will meet any specific requirements you may have, or that it will be error-free or interrupted; nor shall it be liable for any direct or indirect, incidental, or consequential damages (including lost data, information, or profits) sustained or incurred in connection with the use, operation, or inability to use the system. Further, even though the District may use technical or manual means to regulate access and information, these methods do not provide a foolproof means for enforcing the provisions of this policy.
Any student wishing to use the Internet, Email or other school networks must have on file in the school office a parental-signed Internet/Email/Network Acceptable Use Agreement.

It is important that both parent and student understand these responsibilities. Your signatures below indicate that you have read and agree to the guidelines. A signed agreement is necessary before an account will be issued.

I have read, or have had read to me, and/or have discussed this agreement and agree to use the network in an appropriate and responsible manner.

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Student’s name (printed)

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Student’s signature

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Date

I have read and/or discussed the agreement with my student and give the District permission to issue an account to my student.

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Parent’s name (printed)

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Parent’s signature

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Date

The School District of Brodhead supports and respects each family’s decision whether or not to apply for student access and whether to terminate or suspend that access.