Acceptable Use Policy and Internet Safety Agreement

Statement of Purpose

The Tate County School District is pleased to offer our students’ access to the World Wide Web and other electronic networks.  The advantages afforded by the rich, digital resources available today through the World Wide Web outweigh any disadvantage.  However, it is important to remember that access is a privilege, not a right, and carries with it responsibilities for all involved. 

Terms of Agreement

In order for a student to be allowed access to a school computer system, computer network, and the Internet, parents must sign and return the attached consent.

Acceptable Uses

The District is providing access to its school computer systems, computer networks, and the Internet for educational purposes only.  If you have any doubt about whether a contemplated activity is educational, you may consult with the person(s) designated by the school to help you decide. Accordingly, regulations for participation by anyone on the Internet shall include but not be limited to the following:

a)        All users must abide by rules of Network etiquette – Netiquette, including the following:

• Be polite.  Use appropriate language and graphics.  No swearing, vulgarities, suggestive, obscene, belligerent, or threatening language.
• Avoid language and/or graphic representations which may be offensive to other users.  Do not use network or Internet access to make, distribute, or redistribute jokes, stories, or other material which is based on slurs or stereotypes relating to race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, or religion.
• Do not assume that a sender of e-mail is giving his or her permission for you 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.

b)       All software installed on district computers must be licensed. Other than district or state provided software, any additional software to be installed must have prior approval of the principal, technology director, or superintendent.

c)        Teachers may allow individual students to use email, electronic chat rooms, instant messaging, sage boards, blogs, and other forms of direct electronic communications for educational purposes only and with proper supervision.  Proper supervision shall include the teachers having the documentation of the students’ username and password on file and the ability to monitor the account. The school district will provide the student with a school email account.  The use of personal email accounts is not allowed within the TCSD network. 

d)       No personal addresses, personal phone numbers, or last names of students will be permitted to be given out on the Internet.  No identifiable photographs will be allowed to be published on the Internet without appropriate written consent. Concerning a student, appropriate written consent means a signature by a parent or legal guardian of the student.

e)        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.

f)        In general, the Internet is not an entertainment box or babysitting tool and should not be used to play non-educational games, listen to music, watch T.V. shows, movies, or Youtube videos.  Just because it is lunch, study hall, or instruction has finished for the period is not a reason for individuals to play computer games or randomly surf the Internet.

Privacy. Network and Internet access is provided as a tool for your education.  The District reserves the right to monitor, inspect, copy, review and store at any time and without prior notice any and all usage of the computer, associated files, network, and Internet access and any and all information transmitted or received in connection with such usage.  All such information shall be and remain the property of the District and no user shall have any expectation of privacy regarding such materials.

g)       Student Photos/Student Work. Publishing student pictures and work on websites promotes learning, collaboration and provides an opportunity to share the achievements of students. Images and products of K-12 students 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. Please note that under no circumstances will K-12 student photos or work be identified with first and last name on a Tate County website, including the district, school, or teacher website.

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. 

Failure to Follow Acceptable Use Policy

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 District may also take other disciplinary actions.

Unacceptable Uses of the Network may include:

a)        Uses that cause harm to others or damage to their property.  For example, do not engage in defamation (harming another’s reputation by lies); do not employ another’s password or some other user identifier that misleads message recipients into believing that someone other than you is communicating or otherwise using his/her access to the network or the Internet; do not 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.

b)       Uses that jeopardize the security of student access and of the computer network or other networks on the Internet.  For example, do not disclose or share your password with others; do not impersonate another user.

c)        Uses that are commercial transactions. Students may not use the  school network to sell or buy anything over the Internet.  You should not give others private information about yourself or others.

d)       Access to online dating and social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook will be prohibited.

e)        Due to bandwidth constrictions and educational value, access to multimedia sites such as Youtube will not be allowed.  Access to multimedia-rich sites such as Discovery Ed United Streaming, Teachertube, PBS, and others which have a high educational value will be allowed.

f)        Access to Internet Radio and other always-on connections such as screensaver applications, Instant Messenging clients will not be allowed.

g)       Illegal activities, including copyright or contract violations shall not be permitted on the Internet.  Illegal software shall not be installed or used on district computers.  Downloading of copyrighted music, movies, or other media through the Internet or use of file-sharing programs is strictly prohibited.

h)       The Internet shall not be used for commercial, political, illegal, or financial purposes.  Violations shall be reported to a teacher or an administrator immediately.

i)         Threatening, profane, harassing, abusive language, spamming, or sending unsolicited email shall be forbidden.

j)         Use of the network for any illegal activities is prohibited.  Illegal activities include (a) tampering with computer hardware or software, (b) unauthorized entry into computers and files (hacking), (c) knowledgeable vandalism or destruction of equipment, and (d) 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.

k)       No user is 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.

l)         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.

m)      Accessing pornographic or obscene materials, or using or sending profanity in messages shall be forbidden.

n)       Any subscription to list serves, bulletin boards, or on-line services shall be approved by the superintendent or his designee prior to any such usage.
o) The use of anonymous proxies and/or access point to get around content filtering is strictly prohibited and is a direct violation of this agreement.

Internet Safety

• Parents and Users.  Despite every effort for supervision and filtering, all users and their parents/guardians are 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.
• 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 without a parent’s permission.
• Confidentiality of Student Information.  Personally identifiable information concerning students may 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 District will utilize filtering software or other technologies to prevent students from accessing visual depictions that are (1) obscene, (2) pornographic, (3) harmful to minors, or (4) promotion of hate. The use of anonymous proxies to get around the content filter is strictly prohibited and will be considered a violation of this policy. The school will also monitor the online activities of students, through direct observation and/or other technological means such as Internet usage reporting. 

Use of New Web Tools

Online communication is critical to our students’ learning of 21st Century Skills and tools such as blogging and podcasting offer an authentic, real-world vehicle for student expression.  Again, as educators, our primary responsibility to students is their safety.  Hence, expectations for classroom blog, student protected e-mail, podcast projects or other Web interactive use must follow all established Internet safety guidelines.

Blogging/Podcasting Terms and Conditions:

• The use of blogs, podcasts or other web 2.0 tools are considered an extension of your 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.
• Students using blogs, podcasts or other web tools are expected to act safely by keeping ALL personal information out of their posts.
• A student should NEVER post personal information on the web (including, but not limited to, last names, personal details including address or phone numbers, or photographs). Do not, under any circumstances, agree to meet someone you have 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 must 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 that 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 follow these guidelines. Comments made on blogs should be monitored and - if they are inappropriate – deleted.
• Never link to web sites from your blog or blog comment without reading the entire article to make sure it is appropriate for a school setting.
• Students using such tools agree to not share their user name or password with anyone besides their teachers and parents and treat blog spaces as classroom spaces. Speech that is inappropriate for class is also 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.

Teacher Responsibilities

• Will provide developmentally appropriate guidance to students as they make use of telecommunications and electronic information resources to conduct research and other studies related to the district curriculum.
• All students will be informed of their rights and responsibilities as users of the district network prior to gaining access to that network, either as an individual user or as a member of a class or group.
• Use of networked resources will be in support of educational goals.
• Treat student infractions of the Acceptable Use Policy according to the school discipline policy.
• Provide alternate activities for students who do not have permission to use the internet.

Principal Responsibilities

• Include Acceptable Use Policy in student handbook.
• Be sure handbooks are distributed to all students.
• Treat student infractions of the Acceptable Use Policy according to the school discipline policy.
• Permission forms must be kept on file for one year.
• Students who do not have permission to use the internet must be identified to the teaching staff.

District Responsibilities

• Ensure that filtering software is in use to block access to materials that are inappropriate, non-educational, offensive, obscene, consume large amounts of bandwidth, or contain pornography.
• Have acceptable use policy approved by the board and reviewed yearly.

Last Review Date: 09/13/2022
Review History:[06/08/2021]