IT Department 💻  

The Board of Directors is committed to the effective use of technology to both enhance the quality of student learning and the efficiency of School operations.

Students’ use of School’ Technology Resources is a privilege, not a right. Students and their parents must sign and submit a Student Technology Acceptable Use and Safety form. (See also, Policy 7540.03)

The School IT Manager shall develop and implement a written School Technology Plan (STP). One (1) of the primary purposes of the STP is to evaluate new and emerging technologies and how they will play a role in student achievement and success and/or efficient and effective School operations. The Board will financially support, as the budget permits, the STP, including recommendations to provide new and developing technology for students and staff.

The STP shall set forth procedures for the proper acquisition of technology. The STP shall also provide guidance to staff and students about making safe, appropriate and ethical use of School Technology Resources, as well as inform both staff and students about disciplinary actions that will be taken if its Technology Resources are abused in any way or used in an inappropriate, illegal, or unethical manner. 

The IT Manager shall review the STP and report any changes, amendments, or revisions to the Board.

This policy, along with the Student and Staff Technology Acceptable Use and Safety policies, and the Student Code of Conduct, further govern students’ and staff members’ use of their personal communication devices. Users have no right or expectation of privacy when using School technology resources (including, but not limited to, privacy in the content of their personal files, e-mails and records of their online activity when using the School’s computer network and/or Internet connection).

Further safeguards shall be established so that the Board's investment in both hardware and software achieves the benefits of technology and inhibits negative side effects. Accordingly, students shall be educated about appropriate online behavior including, but not limited to, using social media to interact with others online; interacting with other individuals in chat rooms or on blogs; and, recognizing what constitutes cyberbullying, understanding cyberbullying is a violation of Board policy, and learning appropriate responses if they experience cyberbullying.

For purposes of this policy, social media is defined as Internet-based applications that facilitate communication (e.g., interactive/two-way conversation/dialogue) and networking between individuals or groups. Social media is "essentially a category of online media where people are talking, participating, sharing, networking, and bookmarking online. Most social media services encourage discussion, feedback, voting, comments, and sharing of information from all interested parties." [Quote from Ron Jones of Search Engine Watch] Social media provides a way for people to stay "connected or linked to other sites, resources, and people." Examples include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, webmail, text messaging, chat, blogs, and instant messaging (IM). Social media does not include sending or receiving e-mail through the use of District-issued e-mail accounts.

Staff may use social media for business-related purposes. Authorized staff may use School Technology Resources to access and use social media to increase awareness of School programs and activities, as well as to promote achievements of staff and students, provided the IT Manager approves, in advance, such access and use.  Staff members are responsible for archiving their social media and complying with the School's record retention schedule.

Instructional staff and their students may use School Technology Resources to access and use social media for educational purposes, provided the Principal approves, in advance, such access and use.

Revised 12/12/19

Creation of Content for Web Pages/Sites, Apps and Services

 The Board of Education authorizes staff members and students to create content, apps and services (see Bylaw 0100 Definitions) that will be hosted by the Board on its servers or District-affiliated servers and/or published on the Internet.

 The content, apps and services must comply with applicable State and Federal laws (e.g., copyright laws, Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA) and Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)), and reflect the professional image/brand of the District, its employees, and students. Content, apps and services must be consistent with the Board's Mission Statement and staff-created web content, services and apps are subject to prior review and approval of the Superintendent before being published on the Internet and/or used with students.

 The creation of content, apps and services by students must be done under the supervision of a professional staff member.

 B. Purpose of Content of District Web Pages/Sites, Apps and Services

 The purpose of content, apps and services hosted by the Board on its servers or District-affiliated servers is to educate, inform, and communicate. The following criteria shall be used to guide the development of such content, apps and services:

 1. Educate

 Content should be suitable for and usable by students and teachers to support the curriculum and the Board's Objectives as listed in the Board's Strategic Plan.

 2. Inform

Content may inform the community about the school, teachers, students, or departments, including information about curriculum, events, class projects, student activities, and departmental policies.

 3. Communicate

Content may communicate information about the plans, policies and operations of the District to members of the public and other persons who may be affected by District matters.

 The information contained on the Board's website(s) should reflect and support the Board's Mission Statement, Educational Philosophy, and the School Improvement Process.

 When the content includes a photograph or personally identifiable information relating to a student, the Board will abide by the provisions of Policy 8330 - Student Records.

 Under no circumstances is District-created content, apps and services, to be used for commercial purposes, advertising, political lobbying or to provide financial gains for any individual. Included in this prohibition is the fact no web content contained on the District’s website may:

 1. include statements or other items that support or oppose a candidate for public office, the investigation, prosecution or recall of a public official, or passage of a tax levy or bond issue;

 2. link to a website of another organization if the other website includes such a message; or

 3. communicate information that supports or opposes any labor organization or any action by, on behalf of, or against any labor organization.

Under no circumstances is staff member-created content, apps and services, including personal web pages/sites, to be used to post student progress reports, grades, class assignments, or any other similar class-related material. Employees are required to use the Board-specified website, app or service for the purpose of conveying information to students and/or parents.

 Staff members are prohibited from requiring students to go to the staff member's personal web pages/sites (including, but not limited to, their Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest pages) to check grades, obtain class assignments and/or class-related materials, and/or to turn in assignments.

 If a staff member creates content, apps and services, related to his/her class, it must be hosted on the Board's server or a District-affiliated server.

 Unless the content, apps and services contains student personally-identifiable information, Board websites, apps and web services that are created by students and/or staff members that are posted on the Internet should not be password protected or otherwise contain restricted access features, whereby only employees, student(s), or other limited groups of people can access the site. Community members, parents, employees, staff, students, and other website users will generally be given full access to the Board’s website(s), apps and web services.

 Web content, apps and web services should reflect an understanding that both internal and external audiences will be viewing the information.

 School web pages/sites, apps and web services must be located on School-owned or off premise servers (Cloud Servers).

 The IT Manager shall prepare administrative guidelines defining the rules and standards applicable to the use of the School's website and the creation of web content, apps and web services by staff and students.

The School retains all proprietary rights related to the design of web content, apps and web services that are hosted on School-owned servers, absent written agreement to the contrary.

Students who want their class work to be displayed on the School's website must have written parent permission and expressly license its display without cost to the School.

Prior written parent permission is necessary for a student to be identified by name on the School's website.

3. Third Party Content

Links included on the Board’s website(s) or web services and apps that pertain to its programs, benefits and/or services must also meet the above criteria and comply with State and Federal law (e.g. copyright laws, CIPA, Section 504, ADA, SOPPA and COPPA). While the District strives to provide access through its website to online content provided or developed by third parties (including vendors, video-sharing websites, and other sources of online content) that is in an accessible format, that is not always feasible. The District's administrators and staff, however, are aware of this requirement with respect to the selection of online content provided to students. The District's Web Accessibility Coordinator or his/her designees will vet online content available on its website that is related to the District’s programs, benefits and/or services for compliance with this criteria for all new content placed on the District's website after adoption of this policy.

Nothing in the preceding paragraph, however, shall prevent the District from including links on the Board’s website(s) to:

a. recognized news/media outlets (e.g., local newspapers' websites, local television stations' websites), or

b. websites, services and/or apps that are developed and hosted by outside vendors or organizations that are not part of the District’s program, benefits, or services.

The Board recognizes that such third party websites may not contain age-appropriate advertisements that are consistent with the requirements of Policy 9700.01, AG 9700B, and State and Federal law.

5. Reporting Concerns or Possible Violations

If any student, prospective student, employee, guest, or visitor believes that the District has violated the technical standards in its online content, s/he may contact the Web Accessibility Coordinator with any accessibility concerns. S/he may also file a formal complaint utilizing the procedures set out in Board Policy 2260 and Policy 2260.01 relating to Section 504 and Title II.

D. Instructional Use of Apps and Web Services

The Board authorizes the use of apps and web services to supplement and enhance learning opportunities for students either in the classroom or for extended learning outside the classroom.

A teacher who elects to supplement and enhance student learning through the use of apps and/or web services is responsible for verifying/certifying to the Building Principal that the app and/or web service has a FERPA-compliant privacy policy, and it complies with all requirements of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA) and the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and Section 504 and the ADA.

The Board further requires the use of a Board-issued e-mail address in the login process.

E. Training

The School will provide periodic training for its employees who are responsible for creating or distributing information with online content so that these employees are aware of this Policy and understand their roles and responsibilities with respect to web design, documents and multimedia content.

F. One-Way Communication Using District Web Content, Apps and Services

The School is authorized to use web pages/sites, apps and services to promote school activities and inform stakeholders and the general public about School news and operations. Such communications constitute public records that will be archived.

When the Board or Superintendent designates communications distributed via District web pages/sites, apps and web services to be one-way communication, public comments are not solicited or desired, and the web site, app or web service is to be considered a nonpublic forum.

If the District uses an apps and web service that does not allow the District to block or deactivate public comments (e.g., Facebook, which does not allow comments to be turned-off, or Twitter, which does not permit users to disable private messages or mentions/replies), the District’s use of that apps and web service will be subject to Policy 7544 – Use of Social Media, unless the District is able to automatically withhold all public comments.

If unsolicited public comments can be automatically withheld, the District will retain the comments in accordance with its adopted record retention schedule (see AG 8310A – Public Records, and AG 8310E – Record Retention and Disposal), but it will not review or consider those comments.

The Board of Directors recognizes its staff members' right to privacy in their personal lives. This policy serves to inform staff members of the Board's position with respect to staff-member privacy in the educational and workplace setting and to protect the Board's interests.

All School Technology Resources are the Board's property and are intended to be used solely for business purposes. The Board retains the right to access and review all Information Resources, including but not limited to electronic and voice mail, computer files, data bases, and any other electronic transmissions contained in or used in conjunction with the Board's computer system/network, telephone system, electronic mail system, and voice mail system. Staff members shall be notified that they have no expectation that any personal information/data maintained, stored, or transmitted on or through such systems is confidential or private.

Review of such information may be done by the Board with or without the staff member's knowledge. The use of passwords does not guarantee confidentiality, and the Board retains the right to access information in spite of a password. All passwords or security codes must be registered with the Board. A staff member's refusal to permit such access may be grounds for discipline up to and including discharge.

School Technology Resources are to be used only for business and educational purposes.

Staff members are encouraged to keep their personal records and personal business at home.

Personal messages via School-owned technology should be limited in accordance with the School's guidelines. Staff members are encouraged to keep their personal records and personal business at home. Because School Technology Resources are to be used primarily for business and educational purposes, staff members are prohibited from sending offensive, discriminatory, or harassing computer, electronic, or voice mail messages.

School Technology Resources must be used properly. Review of computer files, electronic mail, and voice mail will only be done in the ordinary course of business and will be motivated by a legitimate business reason. If a staff member's personal information is discovered, the contents of such discovery will not be reviewed by the Board, except to the extent necessary to determine if the files/e-mail/voice mail constitute a public record or if the Board's interests have been compromised. Any information discovered will be limited to those who have a specific need to know that information.

The administrators and supervisory staff members authorized by the School Principal have the authority to search and access information electronically.

All School Technology Resources and School Information Resources are the property of the School. Staff members shall not copy, delete, or remove any information/data contained on School Technology Resources without the express permission of the School Administration or communicate any such information to unauthorized individuals. In addition, staff members may not copy software onto any School Technology Resources and may not bring software from outside sources for use on School Technology Resources without the prior approval of the IT Manager. Such pre-approval shall include a review of any copyright infringements or virus problems associated with such outside software.

Revised 12/12/19