5148
COVENTRY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
COVENTRY, R.I.
ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
Coventry Public Schools is providing employees and students with access to the District's electronic communication system called Coventry Network for Educational Technology or CNET that includes Internet access.
CNET has a limited educational purpose. The purpose of CNET is to assist in preparing students for success in life and work in the 21st century by providing them with electronic access to a wide range of information and the ability to communicate with people from throughout the world. Additionally, the system will be used to increase District intracommunication, enhance productivity, and assist District employees in upgrading their skills through greater exchange of information with their peers. CNET will also assist the District in sharing information with the local community, including parents, social service agencies, government agencies, and businesses.
Users may not use CNET for commercial purposes, defined as offering or providing goods or services or purchasing goods or services for personal use. District acquisition policies will be followed for District purchase of goods or services through CNET.
Users may not use the system for political lobbying. District employees and students may use the system to communicate with their elected representatives and to express their opinion on political issues.
The term "educational purpose" includes use of the system for classroom activities, professional and career development.
a. The Superintendent of Schools will give leadership with respect to the use and purpose of technology in the District.
b. The Assistant Superintendent of Schools will work on the District level to promote training of district personnel in the area of technology, facilitate the integration of technology into the curriculum, and support the integrated technology staff.
c. The Director of Technology will serve as the coordinator to oversee CNET and will work with CNET’s ISP (Internet Service Provider) RINET (Rhode Island Network for Educational Technology) and RIDE (Rhode Island Department of Education) as necessary, will establish a process for setting-up individual and class accounts, set quotas for disk usage on the system, establish a District virus protection process, and recommend disciplinary actions for infractions performed on CNET.
d. The building administrator, or an appointee, will serve as the building-level coordinator for CNET, will approve building-level activities, will ensure that teachers receive proper training in the use of the system and the requirements of this policy, will establish a system to ensure adequate supervision of students using the system, will maintain user agreements, and will be responsible for interpreting the District Acceptable Use Policy at the building level.
e. Each school’s technology committee will serve to interpret and implement District policies for their school, will provide avenues to obtain resources for individual curricula needs, will address training needs for building level teacher and staff needs, and will make recommendation for disciplinary actions for infractions performed on CNET.
a. E-mail. E-mail will allow employees and students groups to communicate with people from throughout the world. Users will also be able to subscribe to maillists to engage in group discussions related to educational subjects.
b. World Wide Web. The Web provides access to a wide range of information in the form of text, graphics, photographs, video, and sound, from throughout the world. The Web is a valuable research tool for students and employees.
c. Telnet. Telnet allows the user to log in to remote computers.
d. File Transfer Protocol (FTP). FTP allows users to download large files and computer software.
e. Newsgroups. Newsgroups are discussion groups that are similar to maillists. The District will provide access to selected newsgroups that relate to subjects that are appropriate to the educational purpose of the system.
f. Internet Relay Chat (IRC). IRC provides the capability of engaging in "real-time" discussions. The District will provide access to IRC only for specifically defined educational activities.
g. Blocking and monitoring software. The District will acquire software designed to block and monitor access to certain sites.
h. Public directories. Directories are made available to share information among users. Subdirectories in the public directory have limited access permissions based on a user’s role in the District. Individual Schools and teachers have directories through which students can access and share information.
i. Home directories. Each user, with an individual account, has access to an individual directory. They enjoy absolute privacy rights to that directory unless the user is suspected of a violation of section H of this document. In such a case an administrator will direct the Director of Technology to take ownership of the user’s home directory and perform a search of the contents of that directory.
a. With the exception of information contained in a user’s home directory all network resources on CNET are the property of Coventry Public Schools. As such, the District has the right to limit access, remove or modify a resource on CNET.
b. The District's Acceptable Use Policy will govern all use of CNET. Student use of the system will also be governed by the school code or ,in the case of elementary students, the CNET Handbook. Employee use will also be governed by the Agreement between the Coventry Teacher’s Alliance Local 1075, American Federation of Teachers, A.F.L.-C.I.O. and the Coventry School Committee.
c. World Wide Web. All District employees and students will have access to the Web through the District's networked computers. No agreement will be required.
d. Classroom Accounts. All students will be granted e-mail access only through a classroom account. Parents may specifically request that their child(ren) not be provided access through the classroom account by notifying the school in writing.
e. Individual E-mail Accounts and CNET Accounts will be provided for all District employees. No agreement will be required.
f. Student teacher will be provided with individual E-mail and CNET Accounts while teaching in the District. No agreement will be required. The request for this account should be made by the building administrator.
a. The District will notify the parents about CNET and the policies governing its use. All students in grades 6 through 12 will have an individual network account. Students in grades K through 5 will have a classroom network account. Student access to the network is necessary for instruction. Parents may request alternative activities for their child(ren) that do not require Internet access.
b. Parents have the right at any time to investigate the contents of their child(ren)'s electronic folders and files. Parents have the right to restrict access to resources on the network and restrict access to any Internet access. Parents must be aware that restrictions to non-Internet resource on the network may adversely effect their child(ren)’s ability to perform educational tasks. Parents requesting restrictions on network resources for their child(ren) need to contact the school in writing in order to make their objections known to the building administrator.
c. The District Acceptable Use Policy contains restrictions on accessing inappropriate material. There is a wide range of material available on the Internet, some of which may not be fitting with the particular values of the families of the students. It is not practically possible for the District to monitor and enforce a wide range of social values in student use of the Internet. Further, the District recognizes that parents bear primary responsibility for transmitting their particular set of family values to their children. The District will encourage parents to specify to their child(ren) what material is and is not acceptable for their child(ren) to access through CNET.
d. The District will provide students and parents with guidelines for student safety while using the Internet.
a. The District makes no warranties of any kind, either express or implied, that the functions or the services provided by or through CNET will be error-free or without defect. The District will not be responsible for any damage users may suffer, including but not limited to, loss of data or interruptions of service. The District is not responsible for the accuracy or quality of the information obtained through or stored on the system. The District will not be responsible for financial obligations arising through the unauthorized use of the system.
a. The District will cooperate fully with local, state, or federal officials in any investigation concerning to or relating to any illegal activities conducted through CNET.
b. In the event there is an allegation that a student has violated the District Acceptable Use Policy, the student will be provided with a written notice of the alleged violation and an opportunity to present an explanation before an administrator.
c. Disciplinary actions will be tailored to meet specific concerns related to the violation and to assist the student in gaining the self-discipline necessary to behave appropriately on an electronic network. If the alleged violation also involves a violation of other provisions of the school code of conduct, the violation will be handled in accord with the applicable consequences set forth by the school.
d. Employee violations of the District Acceptable Use Policy will be handled in accord with the Agreement between the Coventry Teacher’s Alliance Local 1075, American Federation of Teachers, A.F.L.-C.I.O. and the Coventry School Committee.
a. System users have a limited privacy expectation in the contents of their personal files on CNET.
b. Routine maintenance and monitoring of the system may lead to discovery that the user has or is violating the District Acceptable Use Policy, the School code or the law.
c. An individual search will be conducted if there is reasonable suspicion that a user has violated the law or the school code. The nature of the investigation will be reasonable and in the context of the nature of the alleged violation.
d. District employees should be aware that their personal files may be discoverable under state public records laws.
e. All files and directories placed outside a user’s home directory are property of the District. As such they can be searched, modified, or deleted.
a. District policies on copyright will govern the use of material accessed through CNET. Because the extent of copyright protection of certain works found on the Internet is unclear, employees will make a standard practice of requesting permission from the holder of the work if their use of the material has the potential of being considered an infringement. Teachers will instruct students to respect copyright and to request permission when appropriate.
b. District policies on plagiarism will govern use of material accessed through CNET. Teachers will instruct students in appropriate research and citation practices.
a. Federal and State laws on academic freedom and free speech will govern the use of the Internet.
b. When using the Internet for class activities, teachers will select material that is appropriate in light of the age of the students and that is the relevant to the course objectives. Teachers will preview the materials and sites they require or recommend students access to determine the appropriateness of the material contained on or accessed through the site. Teachers will provide guidelines and lists of resources to assist their students in channeling their research activities effectively and properly. Teachers will assist their students in developing the skills to ascertain the truthfulness of information, distinguish fact from opinion, and engage in discussions about controversial issues while demonstrating tolerance and respect for those who hold divergent views.
a. District Web Site. The District will establish a Web site and will develop Web pages that will present information about the District. The Director of Technology Services will be designated the Webmaster, responsible for maintaining the District Web site.
b. School or Class Web Pages. Schools and classes may establish Web pages that present information about the school or class activities. The building principal will designate an individual to be responsible for managing the school Web site. Teachers will be responsible for maintaining their class site.
c. Student Web Pages. With the approval of the building principal, students may establish personal Web pages. The principal will establish a process and criteria for the establishment and posting of material, including pointers to other sites, on these pages. Material presented in the student's Web site must be related to the student's educational and career preparation activities. Student Web pages must include the following notice: "This is a student Web page. Opinions expressed on this page shall not be attributed to the District."
d. Extracurricular Organization Web Pages. With the approval of the building principal, extracurricular organizations may establish Web pages. The principal will establish a process and criteria for the establishment and posting of material, including pointers to other sites, on these pages. Material presented on the organization Web page must relate specifically to organization activities and will include only student-produced material. Organization Web pages must include the following notice: "This is a student extracurricular organization Web page. Opinions expressed on this page shall not be attributed to the District.
Coventry Public Schools offers data networking and Internet service through CNET (Coventry Network for Educational Technology. This document contains the Acceptable Use Policy for your use of CNET.
a. CNET has been established for a limited educational purpose. The term "educational purpose" includes classroom activities and career development.
b. CNET has not been established as a public access service or a public forum. Coventry Public Schools has the right to place reasonable restrictions on the material you access or post through the system. You are also expected to follow the rules set forth in the School Board Policy #, Student Handbook or CNET Handbook for elementary schools and the law in your use of CNET.
c. You may not use CNET for commercial purposes. This means you may not offer, provide, or purchase products or services through CNET.
d. You may not use CNET for political lobbying. But you may use the system to communicate with elected representatives and to express your opinion on political issues.
a. All students will have access to network and Internet information resources through their classroom, library, or school computer lab.
b. All students will have access to an individual home directory for grades 4-12 students and a classroom home directory for K – 3 students for the purpose of storing classwork.
c. You and your parent must sign an Account Agreement to be granted an individual CNET account. This Agreement must be renewed on an annual basis. Your parent can withdraw their approval at any time in writing to the building administrator.
d. If approved by your building administrator or his/her designee, you may create a personal Web page on CNET. All material placed on your Web page must be pre-approved in a manner specified by the school. Material placed on your Web page must relate to your school and career preparation activities.
The following uses of CNET are considered unacceptable:
a. Personal Safety
1. You will not post personal contact information about yourself or other people. Personal contact information includes your address, telephone, school address, work address, etc.
2. You will not agree to meet with someone you have met online without your parent's approval. Your parent should accompany you to this meeting.
3. You will promptly disclose to your teacher or other school employee any message you receive that is inappropriate or makes you feel uncomfortable.
b. Illegal Activities
1. You will not attempt to gain unauthorized access to CNET or to any other computer system through CNET or go beyond your authorized access. This includes attempting to log in through another person's account or access another person's files. These actions are illegal, even if only for the purposes of "browsing.
2. You will not make deliberate attempts to disrupt the computer system or destroy data by spreading computer viruses or by any other means. These actions are illegal.
3. You will not use CNET to engage in any other illegal act, such as arranging for a drug sale or the purchase of alcohol, engaging in criminal gang activity, threatening the safety of person, etc.
c. System Security
1. You are responsible for your individual account and should take all reasonable precautions to prevent others from being able to use your account. Under no conditions should you provide your password to another person.
2. You will immediately notify a teacher, administrator or the Director of Technology if you have identified a possible security problem. Do not go looking for security problems, because this may be construed as an illegal attempt to gain access.
3. You will avoid the inadvertent spread of computer viruses by following the District virus protection procedures if you download software.
d. Inappropriate Language
1. Restrictions against Inappropriate Language apply to public messages, private messages, and material posted on Web pages.
2. You will not use obscene, profane, lewd, vulgar, rude, inflammatory, threatening, or disrespectful language.
3. You will not post information that could cause damage or a danger of disruption.
4. You will not engage in personal attacks, including prejudicial or discriminatory attacks.
5. You will not harass another person. Harassment is persistently acting in a manner that distresses or annoys another person. If you are told by a person to stop sending them messages, you must stop.
6. You will not knowingly or recklessly post false or defamatory information about a person or organization.
e. Respect for Privacy
1. You will not re-post a message that was sent to you privately without permission of the person who sent you the message.
2. You will not post private information about another person.
f. Respecting Resource Limits.
1. You will use the system only for educational and career development.
2. You will not download large files unless absolutely necessary. If necessary, you will download the file at a time when the system is not being heavily used and immediately remove the file from the system computer to your personal computer. Your home directory must not exceed 10MB in size. Home directories that exceed this limit will be searched and emptied.
3. You will not post chain letters or engage in "spamming." Spamming is sending an annoying or unnecessary message to a large number of people.
g. Plagiarism and Copyright Infringement
1. You will not plagiarize works that you find on the Internet. Plagiarism is taking the ideas or writings of others and presenting them as if they were yours.
2. You will respect the rights of copyright owners. Copyright infringement occurs when you inappropriately reproduce a work that is protected by a copyright. If a work contains language that specifies appropriate use of that work, you should follow the expressed requirements. If you are unsure whether or not you can use a work, you should request permission from the copyright owner. Copyright law can be very confusing. If you have questions ask a teacher.
h. Inappropriate Access to Material
1. You will not use CNET to access material that is profane or obscene (pornography), that advocates illegal acts, or that advocates violence or discrimination towards other people (hate literature). A special exception may be made for hate literature if the purpose of your access is to conduct research and both your teacher and parent have approved.
2. If you mistakenly access inappropriate information, you should immediately tell your teacher, administrator, or any faculty member. This will protect you against a claim that you have intentionally violated this Policy.
3. Your parents should instruct you if there is additional material that they think it would be inappropriate for you to access. The district fully expects that you will follow your parent's instructions in this matter.
a. Free Speech
Your right to free speech, as set forth in the Student Handbook or CNET Handbook applies also to your communication on CNET. CNET is considered a limited forum, similar to the school newspaper, and therefore the District may restrict your speech for valid educational reasons. The District will not restrict your speech on the basis of a disagreement with the opinions you are expressing.
b. Search and Seizure.
1. You should expect only limited privacy in the contents of your personal files on the District system. The situation is similar to the rights you have in the privacy of your locker.
2. Routine maintenance and monitoring of CNET may lead to discovery that you have violated this Policy, the Student Handbook, or the law.
3. An individual search will be conducted if there is reasonable suspicion that you have violated this Policy, the policies set in the Student Handbook, or the law. The investigation will be reasonable and related to the suspected violation.
4. Your parents have the right at any time to request to see the contents of your folders and files. They are to make this request in writing to the building administrator.
c. Due Process
1. The District will cooperate fully with local, state, or federal officials in any investigation related to any illegal activities conducted through CNET.
2. In the event there is a claim that you have violated this Policy or the policies set in the Student Handbook in your use of the CNET, you will be provided with a written notice of the suspected violation and an opportunity to present an explanation before an administrator.
3. If the violation also involves a violation of other provisions of the Student Handbook, it will be handled in a manner described in the Student Handbook. Additional restrictions may be placed on your use of your Internet account.
The District makes no guarantee that the functions or the services provided by or through the District system will be error-free or without defect. The District will not be responsible for any damage you may suffer, including but not limited to, loss of data or interruptions of service. The District is not responsible for the accuracy or quality of the information obtained through or stored on the system. The District will not be responsible for financial obligations arising through the unauthorized use of the system.
When you are using the CNET, it may feel like you can more easily break a rule and not get caught. This is not really true because whenever you do something on a network you leave little "electronic footprints," so the odds of getting caught are really about same as they are in the real world.
But the fact that you can do something or think you can do something without being caught does not make it right to do so. Even if you don't get caught, there is always one person who will know whether you have done wrong -- and that person is you. Your use of the Internet can be a mirror that will show you what kind of a person you are.
1st Reading 6/12/97
2nd Reading 8/19/97 Adopted: 8/19/97
Revised: 8/31/99