Internet
Policy
Students
Acceptable Use Policy
It is the policy of the Richmond County Board of Education
that teachers and students should be furnished educational opportunities and
resources to have access to programs and services available for "online"
computer services offered by various vendors. In this connection, the
Department of Instructional Technology is authorized to provide for procedures
with various online suppliers to ensure that these online services do not cost
the student or the school district any funds; to ensure that there is access
limited to instructional and curriculum related matters; and to provide
procedures for other similar matters to ensure that the rights of the online
provider and the school district are protected. Particular attention should be
given to ensuring that the students are not granted access to anything other
than educational and instructional materials and resources.
Richmond County Procedures for Access
to the Internet
Access to the Internet provides teachers and students with
educational opportunities and resources that are unsurpassed by any other
means. It brings worldwide multimedia resources (articles, books, maps,
photographs, etc.) to the classroom, provides extensive research tools and
methods for global communications. Internet access will increase the
information and resources to classrooms, aid students in becoming more
responsible and independent learners.
The Internet is an electronic highway connecting thousands
of computers all over the world with millions of individual subscribers. The
student has access to: electronic mail communication around the world,
information and news from NASA (for example) as well as the opportunity to
discussions with scientists at NASA and other research institutions, public
domain and shareware software of all kinds, "chat" groups on a wide
range of topics, and access to many University Library Catalogs, the Library of
Congress and ERIC.
With this access to computers and information also comes the
availability of material that may not be considered to be of educational value
in a school setting. The valuable information and interaction available on this
worldwide network-far outweighs the materials that a user could obtain that is
not consistent with the educational goals for Richmond County.
This requires efficient, ethical and legal utilization of all network
resources. Proper conduct by the students and adherence to the guidelines
stated below are essential.
It is the policy of the Richmond County Schools to: (a)
prevent user access over its computer network to, or transmission of,
inappropriate material via Internet, electronic mail, or other forms of direct
electronic communications; (b) prevent unauthorized access and other unlawful
online activity; (c) prevent unauthorized online disclosure, use, or
dissemination of personal identification information of minors; and (d) comply
with the Children’s Internet Protection Act [Pub. L. No. 106-554 and 47 USC
254(h)].
Acceptable use policy
To the extent
practical, technology protection measures (or “Internet filters”) shall be used
to block or filter Internet, or other forms of electronic communications,
access to inappropriate information
Specifically, as
required by the Children’s Internet Protection Act, blocking shall be applied
to visual depictions of material deemed obscene or child pornography, or to any
material deemed harmful to minors.
Subject to staff
supervision, technology protection measures may be disabled or, in the case of
minors, minimized only for bona fide research or other lawful purposes.
1. Internet is accessed only for support of the
instructional program and the curriculum as outlined in the Richmond County
Curriculum Guides.
2. Transmission of any material in violation of any US or
state regulation is prohibited, including copyrighted material, threatening or
obscene material or material protected by trade secret.
3. Use for commercial activities is prohibited.
4. Use for product advertisement or political lobbying is
prohibited.
5. Netiquette - Generally accepted rules of network
etiquette shall include, but not limited to the following; Be polite, use
appropriate language, no swearing or vulgarities; E-Mail is not necessarily
private, therefore be careful about what you say about others; no disruptive
use of the network, such as "chain letters" or other non-educational
traffic; remember statements offered by the user are a personal opinion and do
not necessarily reflect the views of Richmond County Schools.
6. Internet usage is a, privilege, not a right, and
inappropriate use will result in a cancellation of those privileges and may
result in disciplinary action.
7. Security - Students are not to reveal their personal
information (home address, telephone number, social security number, etc.) to
other individuals on the Internet. On E-Mail, use only school addresses.
8. Vandalism - Vandalism is defined as any attempt to harm
or destroy hardware, software or data of another user, Internet or any agencies
or other networks that are connected to the Internet. This includes, but not
limited to, the uploading or creation of computer viruses. Vandalism will
result in the immediate cancellation of privileges and disciplinary action.
9. No software of any kind may be brought from the student's
home for use on any school computer.
10. Each school media/ technology committee shall establish
an individual school Internet policy in accordance with this Richmond county policy.
Inappropriate Network
Usage
To the extent practical, steps shall be taken to promote the
safety and security of users of the Richmond County Schools’ online computer
network when using electronic mail, chat rooms, instant messaging, and other
forms of direct electronic communications.
Specifically, as required by the Children’s Internet
Protection Act, prevention of inappropriate network usage includes: (a)
unauthorized access, including so-called ‘hacking,’ and other unlawful
activities; and (b) unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal
identification information regarding minors.
Supervision and
Monitoring
It shall be the responsibility of all educators of the
Richmond County Schools, including administrators, instructional supervisors,
principals, teachers, media specialists, technology specialists, guidance counselors,
instructional paraprofessionals and any other personnel having access to the
online computer network for instructional purposes, to supervise and monitor
usage of the online computer network and access to the Internet in accordance
with this policy and the Children’s Internet Protection Act.
Procedures for the disabling or otherwise modifying any
technology protection measures shall be the responsibility of the Director of
Educational Media and Technology or designated representatives.
CIPA DEFINITION OF
TERMS:
TECHNOLOGY PROTECTION
MEASURE. The term “technology protection measure” means a specific
technology that blocks or filters Internet access to visual depictions that
are:
- OBSCENE,
as that term is defined in section 1460 of title 18, United States Code;
- CHILD
PORNOGRAPHY, as that term is defined in section 2256 of title 18, United
States Code; or
- Harmful
to minors.
HARMFUL TO MINORS. The
term “harmful to minors” means any picture, image, graphic image file, or other
visual depiction that:
- Taken
as a whole and with respect to minors, appeals to a prurient interest in
nudity, sex, or excretion;
- Depicts,
describes, or represents, in a patently offensive way with respect to what
is suitable for minors, an actual or simulated sexual act or sexual contact,
actual or simulated normal or perverted sexual acts, or a lewd exhibition
of the genitals; and
- Taken
as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific
value as to minors
SEXUAL ACT; SEXUAL
CONTACT. The terms “sexual act” and “sexual contact” have the meanings
given such terms in section 2246 of title 18, United States Code.
RBOE Approved on July 13, 2006