FILE: IFBGA
Cf: JCDAF
TECHNOLOGY USAGE – STUDENTS
Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) for Technology, Internet, and Network Use
Avoyelles Parish School Board uses technology resources to enhance student learning by providing students with the latest tools to make learning relevant to the goals of the work place, facilitating student research, differentiating instruction, accommodating student needs, augmenting student communication skills, and motivating students to become life-long learners.
In an effort to provide students the resources accessible through a computerized information resource such as the Internet it is necessary for all persons to become aware of acceptable uses of technology. The academic benefit of having access to resources from all over the world must be weighed against objectionable materials found on the Internet.
It is incumbent that faculty, students, district leaders, and the community work together as knowledgeable and collaborative partners to support the academic benefits of these resources while helping students avoid the sometimes inaccurate and/or objectionable resources available through technology. In support of this collaboration, parents, students, and the community who have questions, requests, or suggestions may call 318.240.0234.
TECHNOLOGY AND THE APSB NETWORK
The Avoyelles Parish Technology Resources include a wireless and wired network, a sophisticated security system, handheld and portable technology devices, computers, cameras, science probes, video and audio equipment, projectors, and numerous instructional resources delivered with computer technology.
THE INTERNET
The Internet is an international network of computer users encompassing elementary and secondary schools, universities, government agencies, businesses and corporations, and millions of individuals. This telecommunications network will allow students and teachers to have access to:
online instructional resources
online books
research institutions, i.e., Universities, NASA, etc.
electronic mail (email) communication with people all over the world
databases
online library catalogs and resources, Library of Congress, etc.
other world wide web sites
USE OF THE INTERNET
Acceptable use of the Internet shall be consistent with the philosophy, goals, and objectives of the Avoyelles Parish School Board. Any person using computers or other electronic information resources shall be required to use such equipment and resources in a responsible, legal manner and must have a consent form on file. The School Board retains the right to monitor all computer usage and files for compliance with all regulations and/or procedures.
Accordingly, regulations for participation by anyone on the Internet shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
Appropriate language and manners, which demonstrate honesty, ethics, and respect for others shall be required.
Individual students shall be permitted to have e-mail accounts created by the School Board. Student email accounts shall not be considered private and shall be monitored by School Board personnel.
Two-way, real-time electronic communication technologies such as Internet-based instant messaging and Internet chat shall not be allowed within the School District during the school day. Furthermore, the participation by students in asynchronous electronic forums or bulletin boards shall be prohibited. The exception to this is pre-approved access to such technologies and/or sites for a specific educational need.
No personal addresses or personal phone numbers shall be permitted on the Internet. Impersonations shall not be permitted.
The Internet shall not be used for commercial, political, illegal, financial, or religious purposes. Violations shall be reported to a teacher or administrator immediately.
Threatening, profane, harassing, or abusive language shall be forbidden.
Use of the network or other technology resources for any illegal activities is prohibited. Illegal activities may include, but not be limited to: (a) copyright or contract violations, (b) tampering with computer hardware or software, (c) unauthorized entry into computers and files, (d) knowledgeable vandalism or destruction of equipment, and (e) deletion of computer files. Such activity may be considered a crime under state and federal law.
No user is permitted to knowingly or inadvertently load or create a computer virus or load any software that destroys files and programs, confuses users, or disrupts the performance of the School Board’s technology system. Only certified personnel or designee shall install software.
Resources offered by the Internet and paid for by the School Board may not be willfully wasted.
Invading the privacy of another user, using another’s account, posting personal messages without the author’s consent, and sending or posting anonymous messages shall be forbidden.
Accessing pornographic or obscene materials or using or sending profanity in messages shall be forbidden.
Perusing or otherwise accessing information on manufacturing bombs or other incendiary devices shall be forbidden.
Email, web access, and other electronic communications should not be considered private. While it is a violation of policy for a user or student to attempt to gain access to information for which they do not have authorization, authorized staff shall have the authority to monitor or examine email, file folders, and communications to maintain system integrity, and to ensure users are using the system responsibly.
All web pages or electronic publications created by any organization, staff, student, or other person that are housed on the School Board funded computer systems shall be subject to treatment as School Board-sponsored publications. Therefore, the School Board reserves the right to exercise editorial control over the content of these web pages or publications. Only content that supports the administrative, instructional, or other legitimate mission of the school or department shall be allowed on School District or school web sites. Content of all School District and school web sites shall conform to pertinent regulations. Additionally, no web page that represents any school, department, or organization of the Avoyelles Parish School Board may be published on a web server that is outside of the School Board’s control without written permission of the Director of Information Services and Technology.
Use of the Internet is a privilege, and any inappropriate use may result in disciplinary action and loss of privileges to use the Internet. Disciplinary action may include, but is not limited to, loss of computer use, monetary reimbursement, suspension, detention, assignment in Behavior Modification Class, or expulsion. This shall apply to all students.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Students’ use of school computers or the Avoyelles Parish School Board’s School Computer System (SCS) is provided for academic purposes only. All students using a school computer or a computer network or computers accessing the Internet shall be accountable for its use. This shall include, but not be limited to:
unauthorized use resulting in expenses to the school;
equipment damage;
use of unauthorized software;
privacy and copyrights;
tampering;
accessing obscene and objectionable materials;
sending or soliciting inflammatory, abusive, harassing, vulgar, or obscene messages or language;
disregarding established safeguards which align the School Board’s technology systems to the Children’s Internet Protection Act;
using another’s password or sharing passwords with others; and
any action that is deemed inappropriate by supervisory personnel.
Email and student or class files on the network are analogous to school lockers, that is, these accounts shall be treated as School Board property subject to control and inspection, rather than private property which cannot be searched without just cause. The network administrator (or designee) shall assign access codes or passwords if and/or when it is needed. Use of the Internet and/or the SCS is considered a privilege and any inappropriate use may result in a disciplinary action and loss of privileges to use the Internet and/or the SCS. Depending on the nature and degree of the violation and the number of previous violations, unacceptable use of the SCS may result in one or more of the following consequences:
temporary or permanent loss of privileges,
payments for damages and repairs,
discipline as outlined in the district policy manual,
suspension, expulsion, and/or
civil/criminal liability under other applicable laws.
UNAUTHORIZED AND ILLEGAL USE
Tampering with selection menus, procedures, or icons for the purpose of misleading or confusing other users shall be prohibited. Any use by any person of the SCS that incurs expenses to the school other than the monthly user fees and rates shall be strictly prohibited. The computer system shall not be used for commercial, political, or religious purposes.
Use of the network for any illegal activities shall also be prohibited. Illegal activities include: (a) tampering with computer hardware or software, (b) unauthorized entry into computers and files, (c) knowledgeable vandalism or destruction of equipment, and (d) deletion of computer files. Such activities are considered a crime under state and federal law.
The use of personal hardware (such as laptop computers, MP3 players, iPods, etc.) and software is allowed when approved by principal/supervisor for educational purposes. This does NOT include consumables such as CDs or flash/pen/thumb drives.
PRIVACY AND COPYRIGHTS
ALL students shall adhere to the Copyright Laws of the United States (P.L. 94 -533) and the Congressional Guidelines that delineate it regarding software, authorship, and copying information. The unauthorized copying or transfer of copyrighted materials may result in the loss of network privileges. Reposting personal communications without the original author’s prior consent shall be prohibited. All persons who willfully violate copyright laws do so without the sanction of the School Board and at their own risk and shall assume all liability and responsibility.
However, all messages posted in a public forum such as news groups or list serves may be copied in subsequent communications, so long as proper attribution is given.
The School Board directs that:
Unlawful copies of copyrighted materials shall not be produced on School Board-owned equipment or within School Board-owned facilities.
Unlawful copies of copyrighted materials shall not be used on School Board-owned equipment, within School Board-owned facilities, or at School Board sponsored functions.
Information about copyright law and guidelines shall be made available.
INSTALLING PRANK SOFTWARE
Students should avoid the knowing or inadvertent spread of computer viruses. Computer viruses are programs that have been developed as pranks, and can destroy valuable programs, and data. To reduce the risk of spreading a computer virus, students shall not import files or programs from unknown or disreputable sources. If a student obtains software or files from remote sources, proper procedures should be followed to check for viruses before use. Deliberate attempts to degrade or disrupt the SCS or the performance of the network or spreading of computer viruses shall be considered criminal activity under state and federal law. Only certified personnel or designee shall load any software.
OBJECTIONABLE MATERIALS
Avoyelles Parish School Board, in compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act, shall use its best efforts to prevent access to material reasonably believed to be obscene or child pornography, conducive to the creation of a hostile or dangerous school environment, pervasively vulgar, excessively violent, sexually harassing, or disruptive in the school environment. The School Board shall enforce a policy of Internet safety that incorporates the use of computer-related technology or the use of Internet service provider technology designed to block or filter access for minors and adults to certain visual depictions and materials as mentioned above.
It should be understood that no matter how much supervision and monitoring the Avoyelles Parish School Board provides, there is always the possibility of a user coming into contact with inappropriate material.
Profanity or obscenity shall not be tolerated on the network. All persons shall use language appropriate for school situations. Offensive or inflammatory speech shall not be tolerated. The rights of others must be respected both in the local network and the Internet at large. Personal attacks are an unacceptable use of the network. If a user is the victim of a flame, a harsh, critical, or abusive statement, the user shall refrain from responding and bring the incident to the attention of the teacher or network systems manager. Furthermore, retrieving and/or viewing pornographic or obscene materials shall not be allowed.
The SCS is provided for academic purposes. Conduct that is in conflict with the responsibilities as may be outlined in this document shall be subject to disciplinary action. Any stakeholder wishing to report improper, illegal, or illicit conduct using APSB technology can call 318.240.0234.
Special restrictions by the school or School Board may be implemented in order to meet special needs provided that School Board policy is not violated.
WARRANTY OF SERVICE
The Avoyelles Parish School Board makes no warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, for the service it is providing. The Avoyelles Parish School Board shall not be responsible for any damages suffered. This includes loss of data resulting from delays, non- deliveries, miss-deliveries, or service interruptions caused by the School Board’s negligence or the user’s errors or omissions. Use of any information obtained via the Internet is at the user’s risk. The Avoyelles Parish School Board specifically denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of material or information obtained through its service.
| Revised: December, 2008 | Revised: November 7, 2018 |
| Revised: December 4, 2012 | Revised: April 6, 2021 |
Ref: 20 USC 7131 (Internet Safety)
47 USC 254 (Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA))
47 CFR 54.520 (Children's Internet Protection Act Certifications for Schools and Libraries)
La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81, 17:100.7, 17:280, 17:410
Board minutes, 9-2-97, 2-3-09, 7-7-09, 12-4-12, 11-7-18, 4-6-21
Avoyelles Parish School Board