Download File: IIB ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY for Internet/Online

File: IIB
ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
for
Internet/Online Services/School District Computers and Networks
We in the Oak Hills Local School District are pleased to be able to offer our students and staff access to computer technology, including access
to the Internet, certain online services, and the Oak Hills schools computer network. Access to the networks allows students and staff to
conduct research on an almost limitless range of subjects and to utilize resources which would otherwise be unavailable to them. These
networks also allow students and staff to participate in valuable educational projects.
Unfortunately, the great potential of computer networks is not always used in a positive and constructive way. The Internet, in particular, has
been subject to some abuses because it is simply a system of interconnected computers which is not controlled by any country or organization.
Therefore, it is possible to find on the Internet material which would be highly offensive to most people, harassing messages, and fraudulent
commercial offers. In certain instances, the Internet and commercial online services have also been used by criminals to seek out children.
On the whole, we believe that the tremendous value of computers and the Internet as an educational resource far outweighs the potential
risks. Almost all of these risks can be avoided by simply using common sense. However, if parents feel they do not want their child to have
live Internet access, then they will be responsible for informing their child’s teachers, in writing, before the end of the second week of school.
Acceptable Use Policy
1.
Acceptable Uses and Limitations
For the purposes of this policy, the term “network” is defined to be any computers linked together by wire, wireless, fiber, or other
connection, including district computers, dial-in access to district computers, or computers of the HCCA. Computers and computer
networks shall be used solely for academic purposes or other purposes which support the educational mission of the Oak Hills Local
School District. Computers and computer networks may not be used for illegal activities, transmitting or receiving sexual materials,
commercial activity, political activity, personal use, entertainment, accessing unauthorized computers, promoting any illegal activity, or
promoting the use of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco.
The district reserves the right to determine which uses constitute acceptable use and to limit access to such uses. The district also reserves
the right to limit the time of access and priorities among competing acceptable uses.
The district shall not warrant the functions of the system to meet any specific requirements the user may have, or that it would be errorfree or uninterrupted; nor shall the district be liable for any direct or indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, including lost data,
information or time sustained in connection with the use, operation or inability to use the system.
2.
Security and Safety
The Internet and other computer networks may contain information and images which are obscene, offensive, false, fraudulent, or illegal.
Other persons using a computer network may also be attempting to exploit children and other users. For these reasons, users:
a.
must not reveal real names, addresses, phone numbers, or other personally identifiable information about themselves or others
without the express permission of a supervising staff administrator and signed approval of parent or guardian
b. must not participate in any real-time communications (such as "chat rooms" and social networking sites) without the expressed
permission of a supervising staff member or administrator
c.
must not agree to meet any person contacted through a computer network without parental permission
d. shall inform his/her teacher, staff member, or administrator of any inappropriate or sexually oriented messages
or unsolicited requests for personal information about a student
e.
must notify supervising staff member and exit immediately from any site containing sexually explicit material, material considered
to be harmful to minors or other material deemed inappropriate under this policy. The staff member will email the URL of the
offending website to the Internet Coordinator as soon as possible to have it blocked by our filter
f.
shall protect their individual or administrative passwords and account identification and may not give such information to others or
allow other unauthorized persons to use their passwords and/or account identification
g. must log off all networks before leaving a computer
3.
Responsibilities of Users
It shall be the responsibility of the user:
a.
to use the network only for appropriate purposes
b. to notify a staff member or administrator of computer or network malfunctions through the creation of a service request in IT assist
c.
to reimburse the district for any damage or loss incurred as a result of inappropriate use
d. to be a courteous computer user by avoiding the use of language which is obscene, vulgar, abusive, or
disrespectful
e.
to avoid any use or practice which interferes with the use of the computer or network by others
f.
to respect the privacy of other computer users to the maximum extent possible.
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4.
General Prohibitions
Computer and computer network users:
a.
may not violate any copyright laws
b. may not engage in or attempt to engage in the unauthorized copying of files, programs, or other software
c.
may not engage in or attempt to engage in the unauthorized installation of files, programs, or other software
d. may not engage in any form of plagiarism
e.
may not write or attempt to write to any authorized folder other than their own without permission of the supervising staff member
or administrator
f.
may not delete or modify or attempt to delete or modify any system files
g. may not engage in or attempt to engage in any interference/sabotage/vandalism of others' computers, servers,
software, or network applications (such as "hacking," "spamming," or virus copying)
h. may not use another person's password or account information, or secure or attempt to secure another person's
password or account information
i.
may not abuse, damage, or vandalize or attempt to abuse, damage, or vandalize computer and related
equipment, including software and operating systems
j.
may not introduce, attempt to introduce, or allow to be introduced, a virus in any form into any computer or
network
k. may not make any remote connection to another computer or server outside the Oak Hills Local School District network without
the express consent of the system administrator. The ability to connect to another computer or network
does not imply a right to do
so.
l.
may not use profanity, obscenity or other language which may be offensive to another user or which is intended to harass
or bully other users.
m. may not use a different proxy or proxy site to intentionally bypass the district’s security filters
n. may not connect personal electronic devices (including personal laptops, handhelds, or printers) to the computer network
via Ethernet or wirelessly except in areas where wireless guest access is provided and, then, only for Internet access.
5.
Loss of Privileges and Accountability
Computer access is a privilege and not a right. Any person who engages in any inappropriate use, whether listed specifically in this
policy or not, or violates any other provision of this policy may have his/her access privileges suspended or revoked without notice.
Violations of this policy may also be punishable under the Student Code of Conduct or local, state, or federal law.
Suspected criminal activity shall be reported to appropriate authorities, such as the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Regional Electronics
Computer Intelligence Task Force.
6.
Right of Access
The district will make efforts to respect the privacy of students and staff using computer networks for e-mail communications and other
purposes. While e-mail or files reside in an inbox, outbox, or other directory on a district computer, the contents are the property of the
district.
The district reserves the right, but is not obligated, to examine any such communications or other computer-based information when
reasonably necessary to investigate a suspected violation of school rules or this policy, or where necessary to ensure the security and
integrity of the computer or computer network. Students and staff should have no expectation of privacy in anything created, received,
sent, or stored on district equipment or transmitted over district-provided telecommunications services.
7.
Disclaimer of Liability
The district shall not be responsible for any material encountered on a computer network, including the Internet, which may be deemed
objectionable to a staff member, student or his/her parents; for any inaccurate information disseminated over the network; for any
hostile or injurious actions of third parties encountered through a computer network; for any charges incurred by the user of a computer
or computer network without prior permission; or for any damage or loss incurred by a user or any subsequent party by the use of files
or software obtained over a computer network. Due to the nature of electronic communications and Ohio public records law, it is also
impossible for the district to guarantee confidentiality of e-mail sent and received over any computer network.
[Adoption date: September 5, 1995]
[Revision date: January 12, 1998]
[Revision date: May 3, 1999]
[Revision date: April 11, 2005]
[Revision date: May 7, 2007]
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LEGAL REFS:
U. S. CONST. ART. I, SECTION 8
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act; 20 USC 1232g et seq.
Children’s Internet Protection Act; (P. L. 106-554, HR 4577, 2000, 114 Stat 2763)
ORC 1329.54-1329.67
3313.20
3319.321
CROSS REFS.:
AC, Nondiscrimination
ACA, Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex
ACAA, Sexual Harassment
IB, Academic Freedom
IIA, Instructional Materials
IIBG, Computer-Assisted Instruction
JFC, Student Conduct (Zero Tolerance)
Staff Handbooks
Student Handbooks
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Oak Hills Local School District
Acceptable Use Policy
TEACHER/STAFF/SUPERVISOR AGREEMENT
I have read the Acceptable Use Policy of the Oak Hills Local School District relating to the use of the Internet and other
computers and computer networks at school.
I would like to be given access to the Internet and other computers and computer networks accessible on the district's
computers and computer networks at school.
I agree to comply with the provisions of the Acceptable Use Policy and to monitor students under my supervision to comply
with such Policy when using computers and computer networks at school.
I will screen material furnished to students and not knowingly furnish any offensive, inappropriate or obscene material to
students, or knowingly furnish illegal material to students.
Staff Member/Supervisor
Date
OFFICE USE ONLY
Login Name
Initial Password
[Adoption date: September 5, 1995]
[Revision date: January 12, 1998]
[Revision date: May 3, 1999]
File: IIB-R
NETWORK USE POLICY
The Hamilton/Clermont Cooperative Association of Boards of Education
1.
Mission Statement
The computer network environment supported by the Hamilton/Clermont Cooperative Association is designed to
enhance the learning and teaching activities of the participating Boards of Education located in the Greater Cincinnati
area. The term *network" in this document refers to a number of computers and other electronic tools that are connected
to each other for the purpose of communication and data sharing. HCCA is a State sponsored Data Collection Center
funded by the member school districts and the Ohio State Department of Education, and use of the network is provided
to allow access to the Internet and other network connections. as powerful educational resources for administrators,
educators and students.
a.
Purpose of the Internet
The Internet (a global network made up of many smaller contributing networks) and its services are intended to
support open research and education in and among US research and instructional institutions, plus research arms of
for-profit firms when engaged in open scholarly communication and research. Use for other purposes, e.g. for-profit
activity or extensive personal business, is not acceptable.
b.
Purpose of the HCCA Network
The purpose of the HCCA Network is to facilitate communications and collaboration between members of the HCCA
community. Network use is primarily intended for the support of project work conducted for participating members
which students and teachers determine to of educational value. The HCCA Network has limited resources, and
HCCA classrooms ha limited time available for network-supported teaching and learning activities. Any use of the
network which adversely affects its operation in pursuit of teaching and learning or jeopardizes its use or
performance for other community members is prohibited, and may result in the loss of network privileges.
2.
Services Available on the HCCA Network
The HCCA Network consists of a variety of computing equipment, software, and network connections. This section
describes the primary tools and services approved for use in the HCCA Network. Other tools may be used, but may not
be supported by the system administrators:
General-Use Internet Tools. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
3.
a.
Electronic Mail, or e-mail. E-mail is just like regular mail, except instead of paper, you use the computer. E-mail
correspondence is considered private.
b.
Listservs. A listserv is a means to broadcast an e-mail message to many users for the purpose of maintaining a
discussion list. Although listserv messages are transmitted via e-mail, correspondence is public, so extra care should
be used when participating.
c.
File Transfer Protocol, or FTP. File Transfer Protocol is a means of moving files between computers on the Internet.
d.
Telnet. Telnet allows you to connect to other computers on the Internet, provided you know the machine's Internet
address and appropriate password. All provisions of this document apply to members of the HCCA community
while using remote computers via Telnet.
e.
Gopher. Gopher is a means of navigating the Internet via a menu-driven or point-and-click interface to the computer.
Gopher is a very convenient way to retrieve files and information from sources all around the globe. For most
purposes, it may be considered an easier form of FTP.
Who is a member of the HCCA community?
All account holders on the HCCA Network will be granted access to all services the network offers with the pre-requisite
of training as specified and documented for each tool. The following people may hold accounts on the HCCA Network:
a.
Coordinators. Coordinators of Internet access for students will automatically be granted an account and limited
privileges for creating special accounts. Coordinators will be authorized as trainers as specified for access to various
Internet tools and are also subject to agreement to the terms stated in HCCA policy.
b.
Teachers. Teachers of HCCA institutions may hold accounts on the HCCA Network. Other teachers, within the
geographic area may apply for accounts. Teachers are defined as certificated personnel employed by local Boards of
Education. All participating teachers will be subject to training and agreement to the terms stated HCCA policy.
c.
Students. Students who are currently participating in Phase One of the HCCA training and mentoring program will
automatically be granted a network account upon training as specified and agreement to the terms stated in HCCA
policy;
d.
Mentors. Mentors who wish to collaborate on student projects may be granted HCCA Network accounts. The exact
nature of the account (i.e., which services are available) will depend on individual circumstances and be subject to
training and agreement to the terms stated in HCCA policy.
e.
Administrators. Administrators within the structure of the HCCA network will be granted HCCA Network accounts
subject to training and agreement to the terms stated in HCCA policy.
f.
Others. Anyone who is actively involved in the formal education of students within the specified geographic area
may request a special account on the HCCA network. These requests will be granted on a case-by-case basis,
depending on need and resource availability.
Note: Except in special cases listed above, people from the larger Internet community are not part of the local HCCA
community, and will probably be unaware of the existence of this policy. However, the HCCA user is expected to
always treat people 'met' on the network with respect, as if they were a part of the HCCA community.
4.
Privileges and Rights of HCCA Network Community Members
Members of the HCCA community have certain network privileges and rights. These include:
a.
Privacy. All members of the HCCA community have the right to privacy in their email, and listserv communications
when so designated by the user. However, if a user is believed to be in violation of the guidelines stated in this
policy, a system administrator or Coordinator may need to gain access to private correspondence or files. An attempt
will be made to notify the user of such inspections whenever possible. As HCCA access is primarily provided as an
educational research tool, administrators or coordinators may periodically make requests to study or view
correspondence and files, but confidentiality is ensured in such circumstances. Also, it is important that users
recognize the fundamental differences between public (e.g. news) and private (e.g. e-mail) forms of communication,
and shape their content accordingly.
5.
b.
Equal Access. All members of the HCCA community will be granted equal access to as many network services as
their technology and training allow. Exploration of the Internet is encouraged relative to the purposes of the HCCA
Network.
c.
Safety. To the greatest extent possible, members of the HCCA community will be protected from harassment or
unwanted or unsolicited contact. Any community member who receives threatening or unwelcome communications
should bring them to the attention of a system administrator, Internet coordinator or teacher. Users must, however,
be aware that there are many services available on the Internet that could potentially be offensive to certain groups of
users. The designers of the HCCA Net cannot eliminate access to all such services, nor could they even begin to
identify them. Thus individual users must take responsibility for their own actions in navigating the network.
d.
Intellectual Freedom. The HCCA Network must be a free and open forum for expression, including viewpoints that
are strange, unorthodox, or unpopular. The network administrators will place no official sanctions upon the
expression of personal opinion on the network. However, the poster of an opinion should be aware that other
community members may be openly critical of such opinions. Occasionally, a posted message may be met from
outside the HCCA community with especially harsh criticism (a practice known as "flaming"). It is best not to
respond to such attacks, unless the respondent believes s/he is capable of a measured, rational reply. Personal attacks
are not an acceptable use of the HCCA Network at any time. The HCCA Network does not officially endorse any
opinions stated on the network. Any statement of personal belief is implicitly understood to be representative of the
author's individual point of view, and r that of the HCCA Network, its administrators, or the participating schools.
Responsibilities of HCCA Network Community Members
With the rights and privileges of membership in the HCCA Network community come certain responsibilities. Users
need to familiarize themselves with these responsibilities. Failure to follow them may result in the loss of network
privileges. These responsibilities include:
a.
Using appropriate language. Profanity or obscenity will not be tolerated on the HCCA Network. All community
members should use language appropriate for school situations as indicated by school codes of conduct.
b.
Avoiding offensive or inflammatory speech. Community members must respect the rights of others both in the local
community and in the Internet at large. Personal attacks are an unacceptable use of the network. If you are the victim
of a "flame," take time to respond rationally, and/or bring the incident to the attention of a teacher or system
administrator.
c.
Adhering to the rules of copyright. HCCA community members must respect all copyright issues regarding
software, information, and attributions of authorship. The unauthorized copying or transfer of copyrighted materials
may result in the loss of network privileges.
d.
Re-posting personal communications without the original authors prior consent is prohibited. To do this is a
violation of the author's privacy. However, all messages posted in a public forum such as newsgroups or listservs
may be copied in subsequent communications, so long as proper attribution is given.
e.
Use of the network for any illegal activities is prohibited. Illegal activities include tampering with computer
hardware or software, unauthorized entry into computers, or knowledgeable vandalism or destruction of computer
files. Such activity is considered crime under state and federal law.
f.
Avoid the knowing or inadvertent spread of computer viruses. "Computer viruses" are programs that have been
developed as pranks, and can destroy valuable programs and data. To reduce the risk of spreading a computer
virus, do not import file, from unknown or disreputable sources. If you do obtain software or files from remote
sources, follow proper procedures to check for viruses before use. Deliberate attempts to degrade or disrupt system
performance of the HCCA Network or any other computer system or network on the Internet by spreading computer
viruses is considered criminal activity under state and federal law.
g.
You have full responsibility for the use of your account. All violations of this policy that can be traced to an
individual account name will be treated as the sole responsibility of the owner of that account. Under no conditions
should you give your password to another user.
h.
Impersonation is not permitted. Real names must be used, pseudonyms are not allowed.
i.
Anonymity is not allowed on the HCCA Network. As an educational network, HCCA network policy unequivocally
demands that individuals must take responsibility for their actions and words.
j.
Exemplary behavior is expected on 'virtual' field trips. When 'visiting' locations on the Internet while utilizing
communication tools, HCCA community members must conduct themselves as representatives of both their
respective schools and the HCCA community as a whole. Conduct that is in conflict wit[ the responsibilities outlined
in this document will be subject to loss of network privileges.
File: IIB-E
OAK HILLS LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
STUDENT APPLICATION FOR HCCA'S NETWORK ACCOUNT
STUDENT SECTION
Student
Name____________________________________________________________________________________Grade________
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
School_________________________________________________________________Phone
Number___________________________
School Address________________________________________________________________
Purpose(s) for which you wish to use the HCCA Network:
I have read the HCCA Network Use Policy and Student Guidelines, and agree to abide by their provisions. I
understand that violation of the use provisions stated in the policy may constitute, or revocation of network
privileges.
Student's Signature______________________________________________Date________________________
SPONSORING TEACHER
I agree to sponsor the above student and to supervise his/her responsible use of the network to the best of my ability,
as defined by the Network Use Policy and Student Guidelines, while the student is in my classes.
Teacher's Signature________________________________________________Date______________________
SPONSORING PARENT or GUARDIAN
I have read the Network Use Policy and Student Guidelines for the HCCA Network. I understand that although
administrators of the HCCA Network have taken reasonable precautions to ensure that controversial material is
eliminated on the HCCA Network, I will monitor my child's daily use of the HCCA and his/her potential access to
the world-wide Internet, and will accept full responsibility for supervision in that regard if and when my child's use
is not in a school setting. I hereby give my permission to issue an account for my child and certify that the
information contained on this form is correct.
Parent's Signature____________________________________________Date___________________________
Address____________________________________________________________________________________
(street)
(city, state)
(zip)
Home Phone Number_______________________________________
Approval by Coordinator:____________________________________________Date____________________
*Student application must be renewed each academic year.