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250. Acceptable Use of the Computers, Network, Internet, Electronic Communications and Information Systems By Students

The School District of Springfield Township (“School District”) provides students with access to the School District’s electronic communication systems and network, which includes Internet access, whether wired or wireless, or by any other means.
Computers, network, Internet, electronic communications and information systems (collectively “CIS systems”) provide vast, diverse and unique resources. The Board will provide access to the School District’s CIS systems for students in order to facilitate learning and teaching to foster the educational purpose and mission of the School District.

Students may only use the CIS systems for educational purposes.

The School District intends to strictly protect its CIS systems against numerous outside and internal risks and vulnerabilities. Students are important and critical players in protecting these School District assets and in lessening the risks that can destroy these important and critical assets. Consequently, students are required to fully comply with this policy, and to immediately report any violations or suspicious activities to Technology Director. Conduct otherwise will result in actions further described in this and in other relevant School District policies.

1. Access to the Internet - A computer shall be considered to have access to the Internet if the computer is equipped with a modem or is connected to a network that has access to the Internet, whether by wire, wireless, cable, or any other means.
2. Computer - For the purpose of this policy, a computer is defined as any device capable of storing, receiving, and transmitting data or information. It includes but is not limited to any personal hardware, software, or other technology used on School District premises or at School District events, or connected to the School District network, containing School District programs or School District or student data (including images, files, and other information) attached or connected to, installed in, or otherwise used in connection with a computer. Computer includes, but is not limited to: desktop, notebook, power book, tablet PC or laptop computers, printers, cables, modems, and other peripherals; specialized electronic equipment used for students' special educational purposes; global position system (GPS) equipment; personal digital assistants (PDAs); cell phones, with or without Internet access and/or recording and/or camera and other capabilities, mobile phones, or wireless devices; beepers; paging devices, and attachments, and any other device capable of storing, receiving, transmitting data or information.
3. Electronic Communications Systems - Any messaging, collaboration, publishing, broadcast, or distribution system that depends on electronic communications resources to create, send, forward, reply to, transmit, store, hold, copy, download, display, view, read, or print electronic records for purposes of communication across electronic communications network systems between or among individuals or groups, that is either explicitly denoted as a system for electronic communications or is implicitly used for such purposes. Further, an electronic communications system means any wire, radio, electromagnetic, photo optical or photo electronic facilities for the transmission of wire or electronic communications, and any computer facilities or related electronic equipment for the electronic storage of such communications. Examples include, but are not limited to, the Internet, intranet, electronic mail services, Global Positioning Systems, Personal Digital Assistants, facsimile machines, cell phones and other devices with similar capabilities.
4. Educational Purpose - Includes use of the CIS systems for classroom activities and in connection with school assignments.
5. Harmful to Minors – Any picture, image, graphic image file or other visual depictions that:
   
   1. taken as a whole, with respect to minors, appeals to the prurient interest in nudity, sex, or excretion;
   2. 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 content, actual or simulated normal or perverted sexual acts, or lewd exhibition of the genitals, and
   3. taken as a whole lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value as to minors.
6. Inappropriate material - Any material (visual, graphic, text and any other form) that is profane, obscene (pornography or child pornography), sexually explicit, threatening, terrorist, harassing or otherwise unlawful or that advocates illegal acts, violence or discrimination (as it pertains to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital status, age, sexual orientation, political beliefs, receipt of financial aid, or disability) towards people or property.
7. Minor – For purposes of compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (“CIPA”), an individual who has not yet attained the age of seventeen. For other purposes, minor shall mean the age of minority as defined in the relevant law
8. Network – A system that links two or more computer systems, including all components necessary to effect the operation, including, but not limited to: computers, copper and fiber cabling, wireless communications and links, equipment closets and enclosures, network electronics, telephone lines, printers and other peripherals, storage media, software, and other computers and/or networks to which the network may be connected, such as the Internet or those of other institutions.
9. Obscene – Analysis of the material meets the following elements:
   
   1. whether the average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find that the material, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest;
   2. whether the work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically designed by the applicable state or federal law to be obscene; and
   3. whether the work taken as a whole lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.
10. Technology Protection Measure(s) – A specific technology that blocks or filters Internet access to visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography or harmful to minors.
11. Visual Depictions – Undeveloped film and videotape and data stored on computer disk or by electronic means, which is capable of conversion into a visual image but does not include mere words.
    

1. Access to the School District’s CIS systems through school resources is a privilege, not a right. These systems, as well as user accounts and information, are the property of the School District. The School District reserves the right to deny access to prevent unauthorized, inappropriate or illegal activity, and may revoke those privileges and/or administer appropriate disciplinary action.
2. The School District will cooperate fully with ISP, local, state and federal officials in any investigation concerning or related to the misuse of the CIS systems.
3. It is often necessary to access user accounts in order to perform routine maintenance and security tasks. System administrators have the right to access the stored, transmitted or received communications or information of user accounts for any reason in order to uphold this policy and to maintain the system.
4. Users have no privacy expectation in the contents of their personal files or any of their use of the School District’s CIS systems.
5. The School District reserves the right to monitor, track, log and access CIS systems use and to monitor and allocate fileserver space.
6. The School District reserves the right to restrict access to any Internet sites or functions it may deem inappropriate through software blocking or general policy. Specifically, the School District operates and enforces technology protection measure(s) that block or filter online activities of minors on its computers used and accessible to adults and students so as to filter or block inappropriate material on the Internet. Measures designed to restrict adults’ and minors’ access to material harmful to minors may be disabled to enable an adult to access bona fide research or for another lawful purpose.
7. The School District has the right, but not the duty, to monitor, track, log, access and report all aspects of its computer information technology and related systems of all users and of any student’s personal computers, network, Internet, electronic communication systems, media and/or personal technology devices brought on to School District premises or at School District events, connected to the School District network, and/or containing School District programs or School District or student data (including images, files, and other information) to protect the School District’s resources and to insure compliance with this policy and other School District policies and the law.
8. The School District reserves the right to restrict or limit usage of lower priority CIS systems and computer uses when network and computing requirements exceed available capacity according to the following priorities:
   
   1. Highest – uses that directly supports the education of the students.
   2. Medium – uses that indirectly benefit the education of the student.
   3. Lowest – uses that include reasonable and limited educationally-related interpersonal communications and incidental personnel communications.
   4. Forbidden – all activities in violation of this policy.
9. The School District additionally reserves the right to:
   
   1. Determine which CIS systems services will be provided through School District resources.
   2. View and monitor network traffic, file server space, processor, and system utilization, and all applications provided through the network and communications systems, including e-mail.
   3. Remove excess e-mail or files taking up server disk space in excess of 30MB or determined by the Technology Director. Five day warning will be provided to remove excess e-mail or files before being purged.
   4. Revoke user privileges, remove user accounts, or refer to legal authorities when violation of this and any other applicable School District policies occur or state or federal law is violated.
      

1. Due to the nature of the Internet as a global network connecting computers around the world, inappropriate materials can be accessed through the network and electronic communications systems. Because of the nature of the technology that allows the Internet to operate, the School District cannot completely block access to these resources. Accessing these and similar types of resources may be considered an unacceptable use of school resources and will result in actions explained further in this and other relevant policies.
2. Students must sign a User Agreement and agree to the requirements of this policy in order to be permitted to use the School District’s CIS systems.
3. School District Limitation of Liability
   The School District makes no warranties of any kind, either express or implied, that the functions or the services provided by or through the School District’s CIS systems will be error-free or without defect. The School District does not warrant the effectiveness of Internet filtering. The electronic information available to users does not imply endorsement of the content by the School District, nor is the School District responsible for the accuracy or quality of the information obtained through or stored on the CIS systems. The School District shall not be responsible for any damage users may suffer, including but not limited to, information that may be lost, damaged, delayed, misdelivered, or unavailable when using the computers, network and electronic communications systems. The School District shall not be responsible for material that is retrieved through the Internet, or the consequences that may result from them. The School District shall not be responsible for any unauthorized financial obligations, charges or fees resulting from access to the School District’s CIS systems. In no event shall the School District be liable to the user for any damages whether direct, indirect, special or consequential, arising out the use of the CIS systems.
   

1. The Technology Director and/or designee will serve as the coordinator to oversee the School District’s CIS systems and will work with other regional or state organizations as necessary, to educate students, approve activities, provide leadership for proper training for all users in the use of the CIS systems and the requirements of this policy, establish a system to insure adequate supervision of the CIS systems, maintain executed user agreements, and interpret and enforce this policy.
2. The Technology Director and/or designee will establish a process for setting-up individual and class accounts, set quotas for disk usage on the system, establish a retention schedule, and establish the School District virus protection process.
3. Unless otherwise denied for cause, student access to the CIS systems resources shall be through supervision by the professional staff. Administrators, teachers and staff have the responsibility to work together to help students develop the skills and judgment required to make effective and appropriate use of the resources. All users have the responsibility to respect the rights of all other users within the School District and School District CIS systems, and to abide by the rules established by the School District, its ISP, local, state and federal laws.
   

1. Access to the CIS Systems
   1. CIS systems user accounts will be used only by authorized owners of the accounts for authorized purposes.
   2. An account will be made available according to a procedure developed by appropriate School District authorities. The procedure will require that all users review this policy and sign a User Agreement prior to being issued an account.
   3. This and other School District policies, as well as applicable laws and regulations govern student use of the School District’s CIS systems.
   4. Types of Services included, but not limited to:
      
      1. World Wide Web. School District students will have access to the Web through the School District’s CIS systems as needed.
      2. E-Mail. Students will not be assigned individual e-mail accounts.
2. Parental Notification and Responsibility
   The School District will notify parents about the School District CIS systems and the policies governing their use. This policy contains restrictions on accessing inappropriate material. There is a wide range of material available on the Internet, some of which may not be fitting with the particular values of the families of the students. It is not practically possible for the School District to monitor and enforce a wide range of social values in student use of the Internet. Further, the School District recognizes that parents bear primary responsibility for conveying their particular set of family values to their children. The School District will encourage parents to specify to their child(ren) what material is and is not acceptable for their child(ren) to access. However, students are required to comply with the terms of this policy and other applicable policies, as well all applicable laws and regulations when accessing the School District’s CIS systems. Parents are responsible for monitoring their children’s use of the School District’s CIS systems when they are accessing the systems from home.
3. Prohibitions
   The use of the School District’s CIS systems for illegal, inappropriate, unacceptable, or unethical purposes by users is prohibited. Such activities engaged in by users are strictly prohibited and illustrated below. The School District reserves the right to determine if any activity not appearing in the list below constitutes an acceptable or unacceptable use of the CIS systems.
   
   These prohibitions are in effect any time School District resources are accessed whether on School District property or remotely (using mobile commuting equipment, telecommunication facilities, directly from home, or indirectly through another ISP), and if relevant, when a student uses his or her own equipment.
   
   Students are prohibited from possessing and using their personal computers, as defined in this policy, on School District premises and property (including but not limited to, buses and other vehicles), at School District events, or through connection to the School District CIS systems, unless expressed permission has been granted by a teacher or administrator, who will then assume the responsibility to supervise the student in its use. Students who are performing volunteer fire company, ambulance or rescue squad functions, or need such a computer due to their medical condition, or the medical condition of a member of their family, with notice and the approval of the school administrator may qualify for an exemption of this prohibition.
   
   If a student inadvertently accesses inappropriate material as defined by this policy, then the student immediately and in writing report the date and time and the particular website or other material accessed, along with an explanation of how the material was inadvertently accessed, to the employee's direct supervisor or the Director of Technology. If the report is made to the employee's supervisor, then the supervisor must forward the report to the Director of Technology.
   1. General Prohibitions
      Users are prohibited from using School District CIS systems to:
      1. Communicate about non-school related issues.
      2. Access or transmit or attempt to access or transmit material that is harmful to minors, indecent, obscene, pornographic, child pornographic, terroristic, or advocates the destruction of property or is otherwise classified as "inappropriate material" under this policy.
      3. Access or transmit or attempt to access or transmit gambling, pools for money (e.g. basketball or football pools), or any other betting or games of chance.
      4. Send or attempt to send threats, hateful mail, harassing communications, discriminatory remarks, and offensive or inflammatory communications.
      5. Participate in unauthorized Internet Relay Chats, instant messaging communications and Internet voice communications (on-line; real-time conversations) or any other communications that are not for educational purposes as defined by this policy.
      6. Engage in, facilitate or attempt to engage in or facilitate any illegal activity.
      7. Communicate through e-mail for non-educational purposes or activities.
      8. Engage in commercial, for-profit, or any business purposes (except where such activities are otherwise permitted or authorized under applicable School District policies). A commercial purpose is defined as offering or providing goods or services or purchasing goods or services for personal use.
      9. Conduct unauthorized fund raising or advertising.
      10. Resell School District computer resources.
      11. Use the School District’s name in any unauthorized manner that would reflect negatively on the School District, its employees, or students.
      12. Engage in political lobbying.
      13. Install, distribute or reproduce or attempt to install, distribute, copy or reproduce copyrighted software onto School District computers, or from a School District computer to unauthorized computer systems.
      14. Use or attempt to use copyrighted software on unauthorized computer systems, intentionally infringing upon the intellectual property rights of others or violating a copyright.
      15. Install or attempt to install computer hardware, peripheral devices, network hardware or system hardware. The authority to install hardware or devices on School District computers is restricted to the Technology Director or designee.
      16. Encrypt or attempt to encrypt messages using encryption software that is not authorized by the School District from any access point on School District equipment or School District property. Students must use School District approved encryption to protect the confidentiality of sensitive or critical information in the School District’s approved manner.
      17. Access, interfere, possess, or distribute confidential or private information including messages sent privately, without permission of the person who sent the message.
      18. Violate the privacy or security of electronic information.
      19. Send any School District information to another party, except as necessary for authorized educational purposes.
      20. Posting personal or professional web pages without administrative approval.
   2. Access and Security Prohibitions
      Users must immediately notify the Technology Director and/or designee if they have identified a possible security problem. Students must read, understand and comply with this policy that includes network, Internet usage, electronic communications, telecommunications, non-disclosure and physical information security policies. The following activities related to access to the School District's CIS systems, and information are prohibited:
      1. Misrepresentation (including forgery) of the identity of a sender or source of communication.
      2. Acquiring or attempting to acquire passwords of others or giving your password to another. Students will be held responsible for the result of any misuse of the students’ user name or password while the users’ systems access were left unattended and accessible to others, whether intentional or through negligence.
      3. Stealing or attempting to steal another’s identity in any way.
      4. Using spyware, parasiteware, cookies, or other programs, hardware or resources to in any way invade one’s privacy.
      5. Using or attempting to use computer accounts of others, these actions are illegal, even with consent, or if only for the purpose of “browsing”.
      6. Altering or attempting to alter a communication originally received from another person or computer with the intent to deceive.
      7. Disabling or circumventing or attempting to disable or circumvent any School District security program or device.
      8. Transmitting or attempting to transmit electronic communications anonymously or under an alias unless authorized by the School District.
   3. Operational Prohibitions
      The following operational activities and behaviors are prohibited:
      1. Interference with or disruption of or attempted interference with or disruption of the CIS systems, network accounts, services or equipment of others, including, but not limited to, the propagation of computer "worms" and "viruses", Trojan Horse and trapdoor program code.
      2. Sending electronic chain mail, distasteful jokes, and the inappropriate sending of “broadcast” messages to large numbers of individuals or hosts.
      3. Hacking or cracking or attempting to hack or crack the network or others’ computers, whether by parasiteware or spyware designed to steal information, or viruses and worms or other hardware or software designed to damage the CIS systems, or any component of the network, or strip or harvest information, or use, take over or view a person’s computer.
      4. Altering or attempting to alter files, system security software or the systems without authorization.
      5. Unauthorized scanning of the CIS systems for security vulnerabilities.
      6. Attempting to alter any School District computing or networking components (including, but not limited to fileservers, bridges, routers, or hubs) without authorization or beyond one’s level of authorization.
      7. Unauthorized wiring, including attempts to create unauthorized network connections, or any unauthorized extension or re-transmission of any computer, electronic communications systems, or network services, whether wired, wireless, cable, or by other means.
      8. Loading, downloading, or use of unauthorized games, programs, files, or other electronic media, including, but is not limited to, downloading music files.
      9. Intentionally damaging or destroying the integrity of the School District’s electronic information.
      10. Intentionally destroying the School District’s computer hardware or software.
      11. Intentionally disrupting the use of the CIS systems.
      12. Damaging the School District’s CIS systems, networking equipment through the users’ negligence or deliberate act.
      13. Failing to comply with requests from appropriate teachers or School District administrators to discontinue activities that threaten the operation or integrity of the CIS systems.
4. Content Guidelines
   Information electronically published on the School District's CIS systems shall be subject to the following guidelines:
   1. Published documents including but not limited to audio and video clips or conferences, may not include a child’s likeness, phone number, street address, or box number, name or the names of other family members without written parent consent.
   2. Documents, web pages, electronic communications, or videoconferences may not include personally identifiable information regarding a student, including but not limited to information that indicates the physical location of a student at a given time without written parent consent. Buildings will maintain parent consent in writing.
   3. Documents, web pages, electronic communications, or videoconferences may not contain inappropriate material objectionable materials or point directly or indirectly to objectionable materials.
   4. Documents, web pages and electronic communications, must conform to all School District policies and guidelines, including the copyright policy.
   5. Documents to be published on the Internet must be edited and approved according to School District procedures before publication.
5. Due Process
   1. The School District will cooperate with the School District’s ISP, local, state, and federal officials to the extent legally required in investigations concerning or relating to any illegal activities conducted through the School District’s CIS systems.
   2. Students will be provided with due process in accordance with state and federal law and School District policy for discipline resulting from the violation of this policy.
   3. The School District may terminate the account privileges by providing notice to the user.
6. Search and Seizure
   1. The School District reserves the right to monitor, track, log and access any electronic communications, including but not limited to, Internet access and e-mails at any time for any reason.
   2. Users have no legitimate expectation of privacy in their use of the School District’s CIS systems, and other School District technology, even when used for personal reasons.
   3. The School District reserves the right, but not the obligation, to access any personal technology device brought onto the School District’s premises or at School District events that has been connected or is believed to have been connected to the School District network, to determine whether the device contains School District programs or School District or student data (including images, files, and other information), to protect the School District’s resources, and to ensure compliance with this policy, other School District policies and applicable laws.
7. Copyright Infringement and Plagiarism
   1. Federal law pertaining to copyrights governs the use of material accessed through the School District resources. Users must comply with Policy 814 regarding the use of copyrighted materials.
   2. Violations of copyright law can be a felony and the law allows a court to hold individuals personally responsible for infringing the law. The School District does not permit illegal acts. Therefore, any user violating the copyright law does so at his own risk and assumes all liability.
   3. Violations of copyright law include, but are not limited to, the making of unauthorized copies of any copyrighted material (such as commercial software, text, graphic images, audio and video recording), distributing copyrighted materials over computer networks, and deeplinking and framing into the content of others’ web sites. Further, the illegal installation of copyrighted software or files for use on the School District’s computers is expressly prohibited. This includes all forms of licensed software.
   4. School District guidelines on plagiarism will govern use of material accessed through the School District’s CIS systems. Users will not plagiarize works that they find. Students will follow appropriate research and citation practices.
8. School District Web Site
   The School District will establish and maintain a Web Site and will develop and modify its Web pages that will present information about the School District under the direction of the Technology Director. Publishers must comply with the School District’s Web Site Development Policy.
9. Safety & Privacy
   1. Any user who receives threatening or unwelcome communications must immediately take them to the Technology Director and/or designee.
   2. Users may not disclose, use or disseminate confidential and personal information about students or employees unless specifically authorized in writing to do so.
   3. Users will not post personal contact information about themselves or other people on the CIS systems.
   4. Student users are prohibited from physically meeting with someone they have only met online unless they have parent consent.
10. Consequences for Inappropriate, Unauthorized and Illegal Use
    1. Students must be aware that violations of this policy or other policies, or for unlawful use of the CIS systems may result in loss of CIS access and a variety of other disciplinary actions, including but not limited to, warnings, usage restrictions, loss of privileges, oral or written reprimands, suspensions, expulsions, and/or legal proceedings on a case-by-case basis. This policy incorporates all other relevant School District policies, such as, but not limited to, the student discipline policies, copyright policy, property policy, curriculum policies, terroristic threat policy, and harassment policies.
    2. The user is responsible for damages to the network, equipment, electronic communications systems, and software resulting from deliberate and willful acts. The user will also be responsible for incidental or unintended damage resulting from willful or deliberate violations of this policy.
    3. Violations as described in this policy may be reported to the School District, appropriate legal authorities, whether the ISP, local, state, or federal law enforcement. The School District will cooperate to the extent legally required with authorities in all such investigations.
    4. Vandalism will result in cancellation of access to the School District’s CIS systems and resources and is subject to discipline.