FILE: IFBGA
COMPUTER ACCESS AND USE
INTERNET SAFETY
The Internet is a vast, global computer network that provides access to major universities, governmental agencies, other school systems, and commercial providers of data banks. The Franklin Parish School Board shall establish appropriate guidelines for exploring and using Internet resources within the school district to enhance learning and teaching activities. Acceptable use of these resources shall be consistent with the philosophy, goals and objectives of the Franklin Parish School Board.
Age and grade appropriate classroom instruction shall be provided regarding Internet and cell phone safety. Such instruction shall include appropriate online behavior, interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms, and cyberbullying awareness and response, as well as areas of concern as authorized in state and federal law.
In addition, the School Board, in conjunction with local law enforcement agencies, shall develop and distribute age and grade appropriate information to each student regarding Internet and cell phone safety and online content that is a threat to school safety. The information shall include the following:
Instruction on how to detect potential threats to school safety exhibited online, including posting on any social media platform.
Visual examples of possible threats.
The process for reporting potential threats, which shall be in accordance with the procedures referenced in policy EBBB, School and Student Safety.
Such information shall be either distributed to or explained to students and school personnel at the beginning of each school year and shall be posted on an easily accessible page of the School Board’s website and the website of each school.
If information reported to a school is deemed a potential threat to school safety, the school shall present the written form and any further evidence to local law enforcement.
In its continued efforts to comply with the Children's Internet Protection Act, the School Board shall adopt and enforce a policy of Internet safety that incorporates the use of computer-related technology or the use of Internet service provider technology designed to block or filter Internet access for minors and adults to certain visual depictions, including without limitation those that are obscene, child pornographic, or harmful to minors, including without limitation sites that are excessively, violent, pervasively vulgar, or sexually harassing. Sites which contain information on the manufacturing of bombs or other incendiary devices shall also be prohibited. Only authorized persons may disable for an adult user the blocking or filtering mechanism in order to enable Internet access for bona fide research or other lawful purposes, which shall include online services for legitimate scientific or educational purposes approved by the School Board, or access to online services of a newspaper with a daily circulation of at least 1,000.
In addition to filtering requirements, the School Board shall maintain regulations which:
Prohibit access by minors to inappropriate matter on the Internet and World Wide Web;
Address the safety and security of minors when using electronic mail, chat rooms, and other forms of direct electronic communications, such as "Instant Messaging;"
Prohibit unauthorized access, including what is now known as "hacking" and other unlawful on-line activities by minors online;
Prohibit unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal information regarding minors; and
Institutes measures designed to restrict minors' access to materials harmful to minors.
Guidelines are provided so that Internet users are aware of the responsibilities they are about to assume. Responsibilities include efficient, ethical, and legal utilization of network resources. All users, including students, employees, or any other users of School Board computers, hardware, and School Board network shall abide by all policies of the School Board and any applicable administrative regulations and procedures.
The student and parent or guardians shall sign an Acceptable Use of Computers and Internet Agreement, which shall be required before any student will be allowed to use school system computers. The student and parent/guardians signatures shall be legally binding on all parties and shall indicate they have read the terms and conditions carefully and understand their significance.
COMPUTER AND INTERNET USE TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Acceptable Use - The purpose of the Internet is to support research and education in and among academic institutions in the United States by providing access to unique resources and opportunities for collaborative work. Transmission of any material in violation of any U.S., state, local or School Board regulations shall be prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, copyrighted material, threatening or obscene material, or material protected by trade institutions. Use for product advertisement, political lobbying, or illegal activities shall be strictly prohibited. Subscriptions to listservers, bulletin boards, and on-line services must be pre-approved by the Superintendent or his/her designee.
Privileges - The use of the Internet is a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use shall result in a cancellation of those privileges and may result in disciplinary or legal action by the administration, faculty, staff, or District Technology Committee.
Netiquette - Users shall be expected to abide by the generally accepted rules of network etiquette. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
Users shall be polite, and use appropriate language and graphics. No swearing, vulgarities, suggestive, obscene, belligerent, or threatening language shall be allowed. Personal attacks are an unacceptable use of the network. If a user is the victim of a harsh, critical, or abusive statement, the user should bring the incident to the attention of the immediate supervisor or technology coordinator. It is better not to respond to these types of attacks.
Users shall avoid language and/or graphic representations which may be offensive to other users. Network or Internet access shall not be used to make, distribute, or redistribute jokes, stories, or other material which is based on slurs or stereotypes relating to race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, religion, or sexual orientation.
Users shall not assume that a sender of e-mail is giving his or her permission to forward or redistribute the message to third parties or to give his/her e-mail address to third parties. This should only be done with permission or when you know that the individual would have no objection.
Teachers shall not allow individual students to use personal email, electronic chat rooms, instant messaging, social networking sites (i.e. facebook and myspace) and other forms of direct electronic communications. Webmail shall not be permitted on any computer located in the classroom or used by students except for school-provided student accounts that are educationally sound and safe that functions similar to that which is provided by services such as Gaggle. Teachers shall use due diligence to monitor and insure the safety/security of minors when using Gaggle email, chat rooms, or other direct electronic communications.
No personal addresses, personal phone numbers, or last names of minors shall be permitted to be given out on the Internet or for any type of student account. No identifiable photographs will be allowed to be published on the Internet without appropriate written consent. Concerning a student/minor, appropriate written consent means a signature by a parent or legal guardian of the student.
A student may not attempt to access any Internet resource without the prior consent of the teacher. The Internet is an extension of the classroom, and teachers are responsible for and must be aware of where his/her student goes on the Internet. Students shall be responsible for good behavior on school computer networks just as they are in a classroom or a school hallway. Communications on the network are often public in nature. General school rules for behavior and communications apply.
Students encountering information or messages they deem dangerous or inappropriate on the web or when using electronic mail or direct communications should notify their teacher or other adult faculty member.
Student Photos/Student Work. Publishing student pictures and work on websites promotes learning and collaboration and provides an opportunity to share the achievements of students. Images and products of K-12 students/minors may be included on the website without identifying captions or names. Parents/guardians must indicate their written consent to publish their child’s photo or school work on any school-related website before the item is published to the web. K-12 student photos or work shall not be identified with first and last name on a Franklin Parish School Board website, including the district, school, or teacher website.
Security - Security on any computer system is a high priority, especially when the system involves many users. Any suspected security problem on the Internet shall be reported to the building technology coordinator or the principal. The problem shall not be demonstrated to other users. Any user identified as a security risk or having a history of problems with other computer systems shall be denied access to the Internet.
Vandalism - Vandalism shall result in cancellation of privileges and or other disciplinary actions. Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy hardware or software data of the school system, another user, the Internet Service Provider, or other networks that are connected to Internet. This includes, but is not limited to, the uploading or creation of computer viruses. No software, programs, or files may be installed or downloaded by any user without the prior permission of the building technology coordinator, who must scan for appropriateness and viruses.
Consequences of Misuse - School principals may suspend from school any student who accesses, sends, receives, or configures electronically any profane or language or pictures or violates the Code of Conduct for computer use, or any rules contained in the Acceptable Use Agreement.
ACCEPTABLE USE
The Franklin Parish School Board acceptable use provisions apply to all users of the Internet. Honesty, integrity, and respect for the rights of others should be evident at all times. E-mail shall be limited to teachers and whole classes. Individuals shall not have accounts unless specifically authorized by the parent. In no case shall photographs be permitted. Students shall only be identified by first names.
The use of the Internet, in any school must be in support of education and academic research and consistent with the educational objectives of the School Board. Neither the School Board nor any of the schools shall be responsible for any financial obligations incurred by users of the Internet. Internet activities that are permitted and encouraged:
Investigation of topics being studied in school;
Investigation of opportunities outside of school related to community service, employment or further education.
The Internet user shall be held responsible for his/her actions and activities. Unacceptable uses of the network shall result in appropriate disciplinary action, including school suspension or revoking of these privileges.
Terms and Conditions of Use
Regulations for participation by anyone on the Internet shall include but not be not be limited to the following:
Personal Privacy and Safety
The School Board reserves the right to monitor, inspect, copy, review and store at any time and without prior notice any and all usage of the computer network and Internet access and any and all information transmitted or received in connection with such usage. All such information files shall be and remain the property of the School Board and no user shall have any expectation of privacy regarding such materials
Copyright
All students and faculty must adhere to the copyright laws of the United States (P.L. 94-553) and the Congressional Guidelines that delineate it regarding software, authorship, and copying information.
Network Access
Access to the school network is a privilege, not a right. Every school in the district relies on the district network; therefore, preserving the integrity of that network must come first. The use of personal wireless access points or routers is restricted, as their use causes network instability. The School Board technology department shall be notified before connecting any device to the school network to prevent network problems.
Websites
It is the policy of the Franklin Parish School Board that all district, school, classroom or other school related websites be updated and maintained by a faculty or staff member of the Franklin Parish School Board. Under no circumstance should a student/minor be allowed to post information on a district, school, classroom website or other school related websites without final approval from the site administrator.
Failure to Follow Acceptable Use Policy
The network is provided for students to conduct research, complete assignments, and communicate with others. Access to network services shall be provided to students who agree to act in a considerate and responsible manner. Use of the computer network and Internet is a privilege, not a right. A user who violates this agreement shall, at a minimum, have his or her access to the network and Internet terminated and is subject to disciplinary action by the school administrator. The School Board may also take other disciplinary actions. Listed below are examples of unacceptable uses of the network:
Uses that cause harm to others or damage to their property are prohibited. For example, students shall not:
engage in defamation (harming another’s reputation by lies);
employ another’s password or some other user identifier that misleads message recipients into believing that someone other than the student is communicating or otherwise using his/her access to the network or the Internet;
upload a work, virus, trojan horse, time bomb, or other harmful form of programming or vandalism; do not participate in hacking activities or any form of unauthorized access to other computers, networks, or information systems.
Uses that jeopardize the security of student access and of the computer network or other networks on the Internet are prohibited. For example, students shall not disclose or share passwords with others and shall not impersonate another user.
Uses that are commercial transactions shall not be allowed. Students may not use the SCS or school network to sell or buy anything over the Internet. Nor shall students disclose personal information about themselves or others.
Illegal activities, including copyright or contract violations, shall not be permitted on the Internet.
The Internet shall not be used for commercial, political, illegal, financial, or religious purposes. Violations shall be reported to a teacher or an administrator immediately.
Threatening, profane, harassing, or abusive language shall be forbidden.
Use of the network for any illegal activities is prohibited. Illegal activities include but are not limited to:
tampering with computer hardware or software
unauthorized entry into computers and files (hacking)
knowledgeable vandalism or destruction of equipment
deletion of computer files
Such activity is considered a crime under state and federal law. Any use which violates state or federal law relating to copyright, trade secrets, the distribution of obscene or pornographic materials, or which violates any other applicable law or municipal ordinance, is strictly prohibited.
No user shall be permitted to knowingly or inadvertently load or create a computer virus or load any software that destroys files and programs, confuses users, or disrupts the performance of the system. No third party software will be installed without the consent of the assigned administrator.
Invading the privacy of another user, using another's account, posting personal messages without the author's consent, and sending or posting anonymous messages shall be forbidden.
Accessing pornographic or obscene materials or using or sending profanity in messages shall be forbidden.
Any subscription to list serves, bulletin boards, or online services shall be approved by the Superintendent or his/her designee prior to any such usage.
The use of anonymous proxies or any site that allows the user to get around content filtering shall be strictly prohibited and is a direct violation of this agreement.
INTERNET SAFETY
Despite every effort for supervision and filtering, all students and their parents/ guardians shall be advised that access to the electronic network may include the potential for access to materials inappropriate for school-aged students. Every user must take responsibility for his or her use of the network and Internet and avoid these sites. Ultimately, parents and guardians of minors shall be responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their children should follow when using media and information sources.
Personal Safety
In using the network and Internet, users should not reveal personal information such as home address or telephone number. Users should never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone “met” on the Internet.
Confidentiality of Student Information
Personally identifiable information concerning students shall not be disclosed or used in any way on the Internet without the permission of a parent or guardian. Users should never give out private or confidential information about themselves or others on the Internet.
Active Restriction Measures
The School Board shall utilize filtering software or other technologies to prevent all users from accessing visual depictions that are (1) obscene, (2) pornographic, or (3) harmful to minors. The filter can be disabled for adults engaged in bona fide research or for other lawful purposes. The use of anonymous proxies or any site that allows the user to get around the content filter is strictly prohibited and will be considered a violation of this policy. All teachers shall use due diligence to monitor minors while on the Internet, and faculty and staff shall encourage students to be safe online.
All minors shall be educated each year about appropriate online behavior, including cyberbullying, awareness and response, and interacting with other individuals on social networking sites and in chat rooms.
Blogging/Podcasting Terms and Conditions
Online communication is critical to students’ learning of 21st Century Skills. Tools such as blogging and podcasting offer authentic, real-world vehicles for student expression. Classroom blogs, student protected e-mails, podcasts, or other Web interactive use shall follow all established Internet safety guidelines.
The use of blogs, podcasts or other Web 2.0 tools is considered an extension of the classroom. Therefore, any speech that is considered inappropriate in the classroom is also inappropriate in all uses of blogs, podcasts, or other Web 2.0 tools. This includes, but is not limited to, profanity, racist, sexist or discriminatory remarks.
Teachers shall monitor all communication on blogs, podcasts, or other Web 2.0 tools that are used in the classroom.
Students using blogs, podcasts or other web tools shall be expected to act safely by keeping all personal information out of their posts.
A student shall never post personal information on the web (including, but not limited to, last names, personal details including addresses or phone numbers, or photographs), and shall not agree to meet persons met over the Internet.
Any personal blog a student creates in class is directly linked to the class blog which is typically linked to the student profile, and, therefore, shall follow these blogging guidelines. In addition to following the information above about not sharing too much personal information (in the profile or in any posts/comments made), students need to realize that anywhere they use their blog login it links back to the class blog. Therefore, anywhere that login is used (posting to a separate personal blog, commenting on someone else's blog, etc.), the account should be treated the same as a school blog and should follow School Board blogging guidelines. Comments made on blogs shall be monitored and any inappropriate comments shall be deleted.
Students shall never create a link to web sites from a blog or blog comment without reading the entire article to make sure it is appropriate for a school setting.
Students using Web 2.0 tools shall agree to not share their user name or password with anyone besides their teachers and parents and to treat blog spaces as classroom spaces. Speech that is inappropriate for class shall also be inappropriate for a blog.
Students who do not abide by these terms and conditions may lose their opportunity to take part in the project and/or be subject to consequences appropriate to misuse.
Revised: December 3, 2018
Ref: 20 USC 7131 (Internet Safety)
47 USC 254 (Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA))
47 CFR 54.520 (Children's Internet Protection Act Certifications for Schools and Libraries)
La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81, 17:100.7, 17:280, 17:410
Board minutes, 1-14-14, 5-5-14, 12-3-18
Franklin Parish School Board