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Littleton Public Schools Policy |
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Policy Code JS Policy Name Student Use of the Internet Adoption January 25, 2001 Revised June 18, 2009 |
The Board of Education strongly believes in the educational value of the Internet, other related information sources, and publishing services. The potential of such sources to support the District curriculum and student learning is significant. The Internet offers students an opportunity to participate in distance learning activities, ask questions of and consult with experts, communicate with other students and individuals, publish, and locate material to meet education and personal information needs. Internet activities instill problem-solving skills, hone computer publishing and research skills that employers demand, encourage life-long learning, and require students to think critically, analyze information, create media, and write clearly.
The District provides network services that connect District facilities to each other and to the Internet at large. The District’s goal in providing this resource is to promote educational opportunities to schools by facilitating resource sharing, innovation, and communication. The District will make every effort to see that this resource is used responsibly by students. District staff have a professional responsibility to help students develop the intellectual skills needed to discriminate among information sources, to identify information appropriate to their age and developmental levels, protect their identities, publish in appropriate forums, and to evaluate and use information to meet their educational goals. The Board of Education authorizes the Superintendent or designee to establish additional procedures or guidelines for appropriate use of the District Internet system.
The Internet is a fluid environment in which information available to students is constantly changing, and the District does not endorse any content or make any guarantee as to the accuracy of information or the appropriateness of any material accessible to students. Further, the publishing services available online are similarly fluid. The Board of Education acknowledges that it is impossible to predict with certainty what information students might locate on or publish to the Internet, but believes that the valuable information and interaction available on the Internet outweigh the possibility that users may access or publish material that is not consistent with the educational goals of the District.
Internet Availability/Opt-Out Alternative
Given that the benefits outweigh the risks, the District will provide appropriate Internet access to each student, unless that student’s parents/guardians have indicated in writing that they prefer to deny their child such access. The District will inform parents/guardians of their opportunity to opt out of Internet use and will make opt-out forms available throughout the school year.
Personal Responsibility and Consequences for Misuse
Student use of the District Internet system is a privilege, not a right. Use of this resource demands personal responsibility and an understanding of acceptable uses of the Internet. Depending on the nature and degree of the violation and the number of previous violations, unacceptable use of the District Internet system may result in one or more of the following consequences:
Suspension or cancellation of use or access privileges.
Denial of future access.
Payments for damages and/or repairs.
Discipline under other applicable District policies, including suspension and expulsion.
Civil or criminal liability under other applicable laws.
Student users who violate this policy will be subject to the disciplinary procedures set forth in the Student Code of Conduct and Board policy. The District will cooperate fully with local, state, or federal officials in any investigation related to any illegal activities conducted through the District Internet system.
Appropriate Uses (applicable to public or private messages or material posted in Web pages)
Student users will:
Use the District Internet system in a manner consistent with District policies and the mission of the District.
Use the system only for educational and career development activities.
Promptly disclose to a member of the school staff any message that is inappropriate or makes the user feel uncomfortable.
Remain responsible for their individual use, including taking reasonable precautions to prevent others from using their accounts and keeping their passwords private.
Promptly notify a member of the school staff of any possible security problems.
Follow District virus protection procedures.
Promptly disclose to a member of the school staff any inadvertent access to unacceptable materials or information or an unacceptable Internet site.
Follow any individual school’s or teacher’s instructions for Internet use that may be imposed in addition to this policy.
Inappropriate Uses (applicable to public or private messages or material posted on Web pages)
Students will NOT use the District Internet system to:
Access, review, upload, download, store, print, post, or distribute pornographic, obscene, or sexually explicit material.
Transmit or receive obscene, abusive, profane, lewd, vulgar, rude, inflammatory, threatening, discriminatory, disrespectful, or sexually explicit language.
Access, review, upload, download, store, print, post, or distribute materials that use language or images that are inappropriate in the educational setting or disruptive to the educational process or post information or materials that could cause damage or danger of disruption.
Access, review, upload, download, store, print, post, or distribute materials that use language or images that advocate violence or discrimination toward other people [hate literature] or that may constitute harassment or discrimination.
Knowingly or recklessly post false or defamatory information about a person or organization or harass another person or engage in personal attacks, including prejudicial or discriminatory attacks.
Engage in any illegal act or violate any local, state, or federal statute or law.
Vandalize, damage, or disable the property of another person or organization, including the School District, or attempt to degrade or disrupt equipment, software, or system performance by spreading computer viruses or by any other means tamper with, modify, or change the District Internet system software, hardware, or wiring or take any action to violate the system security or use the system in such a way as to disrupt its use by other users.
Gain unauthorized access to information resources or access another person’s materials, information, or files without the direct permission of that person or provide access to unauthorized users.
Post private information about another person or post personal contact information about themselves or other persons, including, but not limited to, addresses, telephone numbers, school addresses, work addresses, identification numbers, account numbers, access codes or passwords, or repost a message that was sent to the user privately without permission of the person who sent the message.
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the District Internet system or any other system through the District Internet system; attempt to log in through another person’s account; use computer accounts, access codes, or network identification other than those assigned to the user; or distribute passwords to others.
Violate copyright laws or usage licensing agreements or otherwise use another person’s property without the person’s prior approval or proper citation, including downloading or exchanging pirated software or copying software to or from any school computer or plagiarize works they find on the Internet.
Conduct a business or further unauthorized commercial purposes or attain financial gain unrelated to the mission of the District or offer or provide goods or services or make product advertisement or purchase goods or services for personal use without authorization of the appropriate school official.
Support any political or lobbying activity.
Post chain letters or engage in “spamming,” i.e., the sending of an annoying or unnecessary message to a large number of people.
Limited Expectation of Privacy
While authorizing use of the District Internet system, the District nevertheless retains control over materials on the system or contained in files on the system including the right to review all materials and files. Communication conducted over the system is not private, and District staff may, in conducting routine maintenance and monitoring of the system, review and inspect directories or messages. The District reserves the right to access stored records to assure compliance with the policy. Parents have the right to investigate or review the contents of their child’s files and to request the termination of their child’s access to the system at any time.
Limitation of Liability
Use of the District Internet system is at the user’s own risk. The District makes no warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, for the service it is providing. The District will not be responsible for any damages users may suffer, including, but not limited to, loss of data resulting from delays, nondeliveries, misdeliveries, or service interruptions, regardless of the cause. The District specifically denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through the Internet. The District will not be responsible for financial obligations arising through the unauthorized student use of the system.
Cross Reference: JICDA, Student Code of Conduct
JK, Student Discipline and subcodes
JKBA, Disciplinary Removal From Classroom