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