STUDENT EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE AND SAFETY
Policy 7540 - Summary:
The Board provides Education Technology so that students can acquire the skills and knowledge to learn effectively and live productively in a digital world. The Board provides students with access to the Internet for limited educational purposes only and utilizes online educational services to enhance the instruction delivered to its students. The Corporation's Internet system does not serve as a public access service or a public forum, and the Board imposes reasonable restrictions on its use consistent with its limited educational purpose. This policy and the Student Code of Conduct govern students' use of the Corporation's personal communication devices and students' use of their personal communication devices (that is, according to Board Policy 5136, computers, laptops, tablets, e-readers, cellular/mobile telephones, smartphones, and any other web-enabled device), network, and Internet connection and online educational services. Pursuant to Federal law, the Board has implemented technology protection measures, which protect against (e.g., filter or block) access to visual displays/depictions/materials that are obscene, constitute child pornography, and/or are harmful to minors, as defined by the Children’s Internet Protection Act. Any student who attempts to disable the technology protection measures will be subject to discipline. Parents of minors are responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their children should follow when using the Internet.
Staff members will monitor the online activities of students while at school. Monitoring may include, but is not necessarily limited to, visual observations of online activities during class sessions; or use of specific monitoring tools to review browser history and network, server, and computer logs.
Students will be assigned a school email account that they are required to utilize for all school-related electronic communications, including those to staff members and individuals and/or organizations outside the Corporation with whom they are communicating for school-related projects and assignments. Further, as directed and authorized by their teachers, they shall use their school-assigned email account when signing up/registering for access to various online educational services, including mobile applications/apps that will be utilized by the student for educational purposes. Students shall not access social media for personal use from the Corporation’s network, but shall be permitted to access social media for educational use in accordance with their teacher's approved plan for such use.
Due Process and Discipline in the CSCSHC Technology Program
The entire foundation and success of public school education, depends on the basic concept of self-discipline that will allow all individuals to exist in a world of change and with the individual rights afforded them by our federal and state constitutions. Certain standards of conduct are necessary to assure that people seeking to express their own individual rights do not at the same time infringe upon the rights of others. Recognizing that some users may misuse or abuse the technology of the school district, school administration may find it necessary to remove a user from the district’s technology program. In this event, due process procedures according to the present code of conduct and the standing district policies will be followed as appropriate. Intentional actions that are harmful or potentially harmful to computer and/or laptop case and all accessories (i.e. throwing laptop or case on the floor or desk or defacing them in any way).
• 1st Offense: Parent/student pay for damages and parent contacted
• 2nd Offense: Parent/student pay for damages, parent contacted, and after school time assigned at the discretion of the administrator
• 3rd and Subsequent Offense: Parent/student pay for damages, parent contacted and discipline consequences at the discretion of the administrator and could include loss of the device.
Technology Device Misuse Inappropriate Use Includes but is not limited to:
• Inappropriate use of websites, iChat, iTunes, Photo Booth, or any software
• Searching or attempting to search inappropriatetopics
• Videoing on school property when not related to an assignment
• Video chatting, emailing, or online chatting during class time (when not related to an assignment)
• Profanity
Consequences
• 1st referral - Parent contact and automatic Discipline Detention
• 2nd referral - Parent contact and 3 Hour Friday School
• 3rd referral - Parent contact and loss of computer for 5 days
*Additional referrals will result in loss of laptop use and parent conference.
Unacceptable Use Includes but not limited to:
• Pornography (real life or cartoon) - Pornography can be a felony offense and if so will be turned over to the authorities. This includes: possession, manufacturing (using the camera to create pictures/movies), and distributing (sending to someone via email, iChat, flash drive, etc.).
• Searching or attempting to search unacceptable topics.
• Taking pictures or videoing on school property when not related to an assignment and sharing the video or picture (showing it to another person, texting it, posting it to the Internet in any way, etc.)
• Inappropriate use of images of weapons - these will be turned over to authorities and will be taken seriously. Weapon referral will result in an automatic counseling referral.
• Gang related files
• Creating bootleg movies or music
• Logging into a computer application using someone else’s login information
• Cheating
• Using computer to plan a fight
• Profanity directed at faculty or staff
• Threats and/or cyber bullying
• Hacking the laptop and/ or the network
Consequences
• 1st referral - Parent contact, loss of laptop for number of days to be determined by administrator, Internet loss not to exceed 30 days, up to 3 days of ISS.
• 2nd referral - Parent contact, loss of laptop for number of days to be determined by administrator, Internet loss not to exceed 30 days, up to 5 days of ISS.
• 3rd referral - Parent conference, loss of laptop as designated by the administrator, Internet loss for the remainder of the grading period or at least 30 days, and up to 5 days of OSS.
PLEASE REMEMBER:
Administration reserves the right to take computers at any time if they suspect misuse. Teachers may also suspend use of computers during their class times if they suspect misuse. Computers will be monitored to determine Internet violations and misuse. Serious and/or habitual offenses may result in more severe consequences as the situation warrants.