Click here for our Internet Safety & Responsible Use Policy in pdf format.


 

7540 - INTERNET SAFETY AND RESPONSIBLE USE OF TECHNOLOGY

Purpose and Expectations

Technology is the property of the Ashwaubenon School District and is provided for students and staff to help achieve excellence in education. Technology includes computer facilities, all hardware and software, the Internet, e-mail, phone and voicemail systems, audio/video equipment, peripherals, networks, servers, telecommunications, and related services.

Access is a privilege, not a right. All individuals using the system must have approval from school officials. For security purposes, all authorized users will be issued user accounts and passwords that are age appropriate, which they will be required to use.

Access entails responsibility. Students and staff are responsible for good behavior on the Board’s technology equipment and the Internet just as they are in classrooms, school hallways, and other school premises and school sponsored events. Students and staff are also responsible for good behavior on the Board’s technology equipment and the Internet when using District owned equipment providing Internet access “off school property.”  Communications on the Internet are often public in nature. General school rules for behavior and communication apply. The Board does not sanction any use of the Internet that is not authorized by or conducted strictly in compliance with this policy and its accompanying guidelines. Users who disregard this policy and its accompanying guidelines may have their use privileges suspended or revoked, and disciplinary action taken against them. Users granted access to the Internet through the Board’s equipment assumes personal responsibility and liability, both civil and criminal, for uses of the Internet not authorized by this Board policy and its accompanying guidelines.

Utilization of technology for non-school related purposes may occur, during personal time. All users must be aware that personal privacy is not, and cannot be guaranteed.

User accounts may be treated like school lockers (Legal Reference: WI Statute 118.32 and 118.325). Technology administrators may review files and communications to maintain system integrity and ensure that users are using the system responsibly. The Board reserves the right to access, inspect, review, monitor and preserve any directories, files, and/or messages sent from or to, or residing on, the District’s computers, network, or other District-owned technology.

Furthermore, the district does not warrant network functionality and is not responsible for any information that may be lost, damaged or irretrievable when using the network. Likewise, the district does not guarantee the accuracy of information received via the Internet by its users.

It is impossible to completely define unacceptable use, however, for the purpose of illustration, some examples are:

Users are responsible for reporting occurrences of unacceptable use to school staff or officials.

Sanctions

Internet Safety (CIPA and NCIPA-Compliant)

Introduction

It is the policy of the Ashwaubenon School District to make a good faith effort to: (a) prevent user (students, staff, minors, adults) access over its computer network to, or transmission of, inappropriate material via Internet, electronic mail, or other forms of direct electronic communications; (b) prevent unauthorized access, including so-called hacking, and other unlawful online activity; (c) prevent unauthorized online disclosure, use, or dissemination of personal identification information of minors; and (d) comply with the Children’s Internet Protection Act [Pub. L. No. 106-554 and 47 USC 254(h)] and the Neighborhood Children’s Internet Protection Act (NCIPA).

Access to Inappropriate Material

To the extent practical, technology protection measures (or “Internet filters”) shall be used to block or filter Internet, or other forms of electronic communications, access to inappropriate information.

Specifically, as required by the Children’s Internet Protection Act, blocking shall be applied to visual depictions of material deemed obscene or child pornography, or to any material deemed harmful to minors.

Subject to staff supervision, technology protection measures may be disabled or, in the case of minors, minimized only for bona fide research or other lawful purposes.

Realizing that no internet filtering device is 100% effective, the Ashwaubenon School District shall make every effort to maintain effective filtering continuously.

The District acknowledges that the potential exposure to inappropriate information is not and cannot be entirely avoided. It is impossible to guarantee students will not gain access through the Internet to information and communications that they and/or their parents/guardians may find inappropriate, offensive, objectionable or controversial. A student, staff member, parent or citizen may complain, either to school administration or directly to the FCC if banned material repeatedly gets through the filter.

The aforementioned policy, “Access to Inappropriate Material” includes Internet access using hardware devices that have been checked out by a student or assigned to a student through a school sponsored program.  Devices will have, to the extent practical, technology protection measures to be used to lock or filter Internet Content.

Inappropriate Network Usage

To the extent practical, steps shall be taken to promote the safety and security of users of the Ashwaubenon School District online computer network when using electronic mail, chat rooms, social media, instant messaging, and other forms of direct electronic communications (whether use is intended or accidental).

Specifically, as required by the Children’s Internet Protection Act, prevention of inappropriate network usage includes: (a) unauthorized access, including so-called ‘hacking,’ and other unlawful activities; and (b) unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal identification information regarding minors.

Social Media

An employee’s personal or private use of social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, blogs, wiki’s, etc., may have unintended consequences.  While the Board respects employees First Amendment Rights, those rights do not include permission to post inflammatory comments that could compromise the District’s mission, undermine staff relationships, or cause a substantial disruption to the school environment. This includes staff members’ online conduct that occurs off school property including from the employee’s private computer.  Postings to social media should be done in a manner sensitive to the staff member’s professional responsibilities and should maintain an appropriate professional relationship with students.

Social media shall be defined as internet-based applications (such as, but not limited to Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.) that turn communication into interactive dialogue between users.  The Board authorizes the instructional staff to access social media from the District’s network, provided such access has an educational purpose.

Personal access and use of social media, blogs, or chat rooms from the District’s network by staff is expressly prohibited during instructional time.  Staff shall access social media through District hardware, network or other resources for educational purposes only, during instructional time.

Student use of any technology resources including accessing social networking within school grounds, or during school sanctioned events shall be in accordance with all provisions of this Responsible Use Policy.

Students shall not access social media for personal use from the District’s computers, network or other resources, but shall be permitted to access social media for educational use in accordance with their teacher’s approved plan by administration for such use. This includes, but is not limited to student or group informational pages.

Education, Supervision and Monitoring

It shall be the responsibility of all instructional members of the Ashwaubenon School District staff to educate, supervise and monitor appropriate use of the online computer network, access to the Internet in accordance with this policy, responsible use of social media, the Children’s Internet Protection Act, the Neighborhood Children’s Internet Protection Act, and the Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act (Pub. L. No. 110-385 Title II).

The Ashwaubenon School district will promote safe online activity for children and educate students about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms and cyber-bullying awareness and response. This includes, but is not limited to:

Procedures for disabling or otherwise modifying any technology protection measures shall be the responsibility of the Network Systems Specialist under the direction of the Curriculum and Instructor Director or other representatives they may designate.

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Definitions

Key terms are as defined in the Children’s Internet Protection Act.

Technology Protection Measure. 
The term "technology protection measure'' means a specific technology that blocks or filters Internet access to visual depictions that are:

Harmful to Minors
The term "harmful to minors'' means any picture, image, graphic image file, or other visual depiction that:

Sexual Act; Sexual Contact
The terms "sexual act'' and "sexual contact'' have the meanings given such terms in section 2246 of title 18, United States Code.

Policy reviewed/revised/adopted:
ASHWAUBENON SCHOOL DISTRICT, Green Bay, Wisconsin 11/17/03                                                                 
12/14/09 Reviewed/Revised
1/25/10 Adopted
02/28/11 Revised/Adopted
01/23/12 Revised/Adopted
02/25/13 Revised/Adopted