FILE:  IFBGA

Cf:  EFA, JCDAE

 

STUDENT USE OF INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY

 

 

INTERNET SAFETY

 

The St. Tammany Parish School Board provides instructional technology and Internet access to all students for educational and School Board related purposes.  These purposes include gathering and disseminating information regarding the School Board and its schools, classroom instructional activities, school-authorized activities, and professional or career development.

 

Acceptable use of these resources shall be consistent with the philosophy, goals and objectives of the St. Tammany Parish School Board.  In addition, 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.

 

PARENTAL NOTIFICATION AND RESPONSIBILITY

 

The School Board shall notify parentsor guardians about the School Board’s network and the policies governing its use.  A parent or guardian shall be required to sign an agreement to allow their child(ren) to have access privileges.  A parent or guardian may request alternative activities that do not require Internet access be provided for their child(ren).

 

School personnel shall cooperate with a parent or guardian to the extent possible in providing pertinent information about the contents of their child(ren)’s e-mail, electronic files, and online activity record.  A parent or guardian may request the termination of their child(ren)’s access privilege.

 

The School Board’s Student Use of Instructional Technology policy contains restrictions on accessing inappropriate material and student use of the network. However, a wide range of material is available on the Internet, some of which may not conform to the particular values of a family.  To monitor and enforce a wide range of social values associated with student use of the Internet is not practically possible for the School Board.  The School Board recognizes that parents or guardians bear primary responsibility for transmitting particular family values to their child(ren).  The School Board encourages parents or guardians to specify to their child(ren) what material is and is not acceptable for their child(ren) to access through the School Board’s network.

 

TEACHER SELECTION OF MATERIALS

 

When using instructional technology and the Internet for class activities, teachers shall:

 

 

INTERNET ACCESS

 

Students are allowed to access the Internet at schools with written consent of their parent or guardian.  A parent or guardian may request that their child(ren) not be provided access to the Internet by notifying the School Board in writing.  Such students shall be able to participate in whole class instruction utilizing materials procured by the teacher in order to meet the learning course content standards set forth in State and local curriculum standards.

 

Access to the Internet by students shall be monitored by their teacher, other staff member, or a parent volunteer present in the classroom.  The Internet shall not be accessed by students when an adult monitor is not present in the classroom.

 

Monitor screens shall be in full view of the teacher when students are on the Internet. In classrooms, computer labs, or libraries where computer arrangements prevent all monitor screens from being viewed at once, the teacher shall circulate among the computers.

 

The School Board shall incorporate the use of computer-related technology or the use of Internet service provider technology designed to block access or exposure to any harmful materials or information, such as sites that contain obscene, pornographic, pervasively vulgar, excessively violent, or sexually harassing information or material.  Sites which contain information on the manufacturing of bombs or other incendiary devices shall also be prohibited.  However,the School Board shall not prohibit authorized employees or students from having unfiltered or unrestricted access to Internet or online services, including online services of newspapers with daily circulation of at least1,000, for legitimate scientific or educational purposes approved by the School Board.

 

Authorized personnel may disable or minimize technology protection measures for bona fide research or other lawful purposes.

 

Instructional technology and Internet access is limited to student and School Board employee use for educational purposes as determined solely by the School Board or its employees. Instructional technology and Internet access is not open for use by the general public, or for use by civic, political or religious organizations or for other non- education related purposes.

 

E-MAIL, LISTS, NEWSGROUPS, AND CHAT ROOMS

 

Students have the conditional privilege to use e-mail, lists, newsgroups, and chat rooms related to class assignments, according to the following requirements.

 

 

STUDENT EDUCATIONAL WEB PAGES

 

The guidelines below shall be followed when students author a web page. Students also shall follow additional web page requirements found in the School Board Web Site Development Guidelines.

 

 

Student educational web pages shall not be open or accessible for use by the general public, or for use by civic, political or religious organizations, or for other non-education related purposes as determined by the St. Tammany Parish School Board.

 

UNACCEPTABLE USE

 

The following uses of the technology system shall be considered unacceptable and any violation may result in the loss of access privileges.

 

Personal Safety

 

 

Illegal Activities

 

 

System Security

 

 

Inappropriate Language

 

Restrictions against inappropriate language apply to all electronic files, public messages, e-mail messages, and material posted on web pages.  Such use of inappropriate language is unacceptable, may be unlawful, and can result in legal action.

 

 

Respect for Privacy

 

 

Respecting Resource Limits

 

 

Plagiarism and Copyright Infringement

 

 

Access to Inappropriate Materials

 

 

Respect for Technology Equipment

 

 

ST. TAMMANY PARISH SCHOOL BOARD LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

 

The School Board makes no guarantees of any kind, either expressed or implied, that the Internet functions or services provided by or through the School Board network shall be error-free or without defect.  The School Board, its agents or employees shall not be responsible for any damage students may suffer occasioned by or arising out of students’ use or instructional technology, including, without limitation, any loss of data or interruptions of service.  The School Board shall not be responsible for the accuracy or quality of the information obtained through or stored on the network.  The School Board shall not be responsible for financial obligations that may arise through the unauthorized use of the network.  Students and their parent or guardian shall hold the School Board harmless for any losses sustained as the result of the use of the network by a student.

 

DUE PROCESS

 

The School Board shall cooperate fully with local, state, or federal officials in any investigation concerning or relating to any illegal activities conducted through the School Board network.

 

If a student is believed to have violated the School Board’s Use of Instructional Technology policy, the student shall be provided with a notice and opportunity to be heard in the manner set forth in the student Discipline Policy Handbook.

 

Disciplinary action shall be tailored to specifically address the violation and to encourage appropriate student use of the School Board network.  If the alleged violation is an infraction of the student code of conduct, the violation shall be handled according to applicable provisions of the code.

 

Any School Board administrator may terminate a student’s access privileges by providing notice to the student and their parent or guardian.  This notice shall be mailed to the parent or guardian.

 

SEARCH AND SEIZURE

 

The content of a student’s e-mail, electronic files,and records of their online activity while using the School Board network are subject to review at any time.  Routine maintenance and monitoring of the system may lead to discovery that a student has or is violating the School Board’s Use of Instructional Technology policy, the student code of conduct, or the law.  If a School Board technology specialist or the School Board web manager discovers a potential violation by a student, he/she shall notify the appropriate supervisor. School Board personnel shall cooperate in the subsequent investigation.

 

An individual investigation shall be conducted if reasonable suspicion exists that a student has violated the law or the student code of conduct.  The inquiry shall be reasonable and focus on the nature of the alleged violation. The School Board is authorized to conduct individual computer file searches.  The St. Tammany Parish School Board shall cooperate with local, state, and federal authorities in any investigation they might be conducting of an individual student.  Such violations of the law, student code of conductor this policy by students may result in criminal prosecution.

 

Adopted:  July 19, 2018

 

 

Ref:    20 USC 7131 (Internet Safety)

47 USC 254 (Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA))

La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81, 17:100.7, 17:280

Board minutes, 7-13-00, 7-19-18

 

St. Tammany Parish School Board