Maine 207 Technology Acceptable Use Policy

District 207 Board of Education Technology Policies (#6510, #6511, & 6512)

MAINE TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 207 #6510 USE OF DISTRICT TECHNOLOGY

6510.1 INTRODUCTION

6510.2 PHILOSOPHY

1. RISK:

2. USERS RESPONSIBLE:

6510.3 ACCEPTABLE USE:

1. ACCESS:

2. PRIVILEGE:

3. SUBJECT TO SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION:

4. RETENTION POLICY:

6510.4 INAPPROPRIATE USE:

1. COMMERCIAL USE:

2. HARASSMENT:

3. PROFANITY OR OBSCENITY:

4.  OFFENSIVE OR INFLAMMATORY SPEECH:

5.  VANDALISM/MISCHIEF:

6.  USER ID VIOLATIONS:

7.  ELECTRONIC MAIL VIOLATIONS:

8. FILE/DATA VIOLATIONS:

9. NON-ACADEMIC USE:

10.  SYSTEM INTERFERENCE/ALTERATION:

11. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION:

12. SOFTWARE LICENSING:

13. WEBSITES AND SOCIAL NETWORKS:

14. EDUCATIONAL PROCESS:

6510.5 VIOLATION OF LAW:

6510.6 CONSEQUENCES OF POLICY VIOLATION:

6510.7 SECURITY:

6510.8 DISCLAIMER:

MAINE TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 207 #6511 WEBSITE POLICY

6511.1 INTRODUCTION:

Internal Sites:

External Sites:

6511.2 PHILOSOPHY:

1. Risk:

2. Subject Matter:

3. Quality:

4. Ownership:

6511.3 STUDENT SAFEGUARDS:

6511.4 COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER DISTRICT 207 SCHOOL BOARD POLICIES:

6511.5 COPYRIGHT:

6511.6 WEB PAGE GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES

Technical Standards

6511.7 Use of Sites

6511.8 General Guidelines for Publishing to Sites

6511.9 External Web Content and Social Networking Sites

MAINE TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 207 #6512 MOBILE ELECTRONIC/COMPUTING DEVICES

MAINE TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 207 #6510 USE OF DISTRICT TECHNOLOGY

 

6510.1 INTRODUCTION

The primary purpose of the District 207 electronic communications network (D207net) and technologies which attach to it is to support and enhance learning and teaching that prepares students for success in an information society. These technologies include all computer hardware, software, and network infrastructure owned or operated by District 207 including its internal network, portals, and/or online resources.  Use of the system is defined as obtaining access to any D207 technology, software, or services regardless of the technical device, and regardless of whether or not the device is owned or operated by the district. Students, staff, and guests in District 207 who are provided with access to networks (including the Internet), D207net, and other technologies by the District shall be governed by the following policy. 

The Internet is a network of networks connecting millions of computer users all over the world.  This network enables worldwide connection to e-mail, discussion groups, databases, software, file storage and other information resources, such as libraries and museums.  District 207 may provide network access to promote educational excellence in District 207 schools by facilitating resource sharing, innovation, and communication.  District 207 firmly believes that the valuable information and interaction available on networks far outweigh the possibility that users may procure material that is not consistent with the educational goals of District 207. The use of D207net is a privilege, not a right, which may be revoked at any time for inappropriate behavior.

Users have no expectation of privacy in their use of D207net. D207 has the right to access, review, copy, delete, or disclose, as allowed by law, any digitally recorded information stored in, or passed through D207net, regardless of the initial intentions of the user.  D207 has the right and responsibility to monitor the use of D207net by its users including tracking of internet, network, hardware, and software use.  Employees should be aware that any digitally recorded information, even that of personal nature, can be subject to disclosure under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.   Users assume responsibility for understanding the policy and guidelines as a condition of using the network. Staff members are accountable to teach and use the network responsibly. Use of the network that is inconsistent with this policy may result in loss of access as well as other disciplinary or legal action. Any use of D207net during or after the school day by any student, staff member, or guest that disrupts educational process or goals of the institution is prohibited.

 

6510.2 PHILOSOPHY

1. RISK:

It is impossible to control all materials on the network.  Sites accessible via D207net, particularly networks not under District control, might contain material that is illegal, defamatory, obscene, inaccurate or controversial.  With global access to computers and people, there is a risk that students may access material that might not be considered to be of educational value in the context of the school setting.  No technology is guaranteed to be 100% error free or dependable. The District makes no warranties of any kind for the service it is providing. The District is not liable or responsible for: 1) any information that may be lost, damaged or unavailable due to technical or other difficulties; 2) the accuracy or suitability of any information that is retrieved through technology; 3) breaches of confidentiality; or 4) defamatory material.

2. USERS RESPONSIBLE: 

Students and staff should use District technology in a responsible, efficient, ethical, and legal manner in accordance with the District 207 mission. Network users, like traditional library users, are responsible for their actions in accessing available resources.  The user is responsible for making sure any information received does not contain pornographic or indecent material, inappropriate information, inappropriate language, or files that are potentially dangerous to the integrity of the hardware/software on school premises. The user is not permitted to install any software that may be used to circumvent network or computer security or to violate any of these policies or break any law.

 

6510.3 ACCEPTABLE USE:

All users of the D207net must comply with the District’s Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), as amended periodically.

D207net access may be used to improve learning and teaching consistent with the educational mission of District 207.  District 207 expects legal, ethical, and efficient use of the network.  These policies apply equally to all District technology including, but not limited to: network services, hardware, software, and other related services currently deployed or to be deployed in the future.

1. ACCESS: 

District 207 may issue accounts to provide access to resources. The use of the D207net is a part of the curriculum and not a public forum for general use. Incidental personal use of District 207 technologies should be minimized.

2. PRIVILEGE: 

Use of a personal D207net account, once issued, is a privilege, not a right. 

3. SUBJECT TO SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION: 

All D207net account usage is subject to examination or investigation as needed without prior notification or consent of the user.  All users of the D207net should recognize that mail use, storage capacity or evening/night/weekend access might be limited for technical reasons. Network administrators may review files and communications to maintain system integrity and to ensure that users including students and staff members are using the system responsibly and according to this policy.  Users should not expect that e-mail, data or files stored or transmitted across D207net will be private. Employees should be aware that any digitally recorded information, even that of a personal nature, and/or documented use of D207net may be inspected and could be subject to public disclosure under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.  All users of D207net are guaranteed no level of privacy for any digital information stored or passed through D207net.  The content of any digitally recorded information might be cause for disciplinary or legal proceedings of students, staff, or guests.

4. RETENTION POLICY:  

The District may retain all digital information, including all e-mail correspondence, indefinitely.  This does not guarantee the storage or integrity of all digitally recorded information.

 

6510.4 INAPPROPRIATE USE:

Inappropriate use includes, but is not limited to, those uses that violate the law, are inconsistent with District 207’s educational mission, disrupt the educational process, interfere with an employee’s performance or work responsibility, that are not in accord with this policy, or that hamper the integrity or security of D207net or any external networks to which D207net are connected. No type of computing device can be used by anyone, including students, staff, or guests, in any manner that disrupts the educational environment or violates the rights of others, including using the device to take photographs in locker rooms or bathrooms, cheat, unlawful purposes, bully, harass, or otherwise violate staff or student conduct rules. Prohibited conduct also specifically includes, without limitation, creating, sending, sharing, viewing, receiving, or possessing an indecent visual depiction of oneself or another person through the use of an electronic computing device, mobile or otherwise. Any use of a mobile computing device on school grounds during or after the school day by any student, staff member, or guest that disrupts educational process, goals of the institution, or violates the acceptable use policy is prohibited.

The use of personal electronic devices that attach to the District’s secure network is only permitted in the following instances:

  • The Technology Department must pre-approve any device before an attempt is made to attach it to the network. Approval will be based on the following requirements:
  • Is the device needed for an educational purpose that cannot be provided with District equipment?
  • Can the device be properly inspected by technology for worms/viruses, hacker software and software or files that in any way violate federal or state law or other provisions of these policies.

The device must be provided to the Technology Department at least one week prior to the planned use so that it can be evaluated. Users cannot attach certain classes of devices by their nature to the network. These include switches, hubs, routers and wireless access points. This regulation applies to any device that connects to the network, including but not limited to cellular telephone, video recording device, personal digital assistant (PDA), electronic paging device, portable gaming system, digital audio or video system, cellular phone, or any other tethered or mobile electronic computing device.

The use of any electronic device to record and/or transmit audio and/or images will not be allowed unless it is part of the curriculum supervised by a teacher or otherwise approved by the Administration. Other devices that do not require a network connection may be governed in other District policies. These include but are not limited to: cell phones, IM (Instant Messaging) devices, text messaging devices, and calculators with advanced communications functions. In addition, any devices for taking pictures and videos or recording audio whether it be stand alone, on a phone, mobile computing device, or wireless, require advanced approval before they can be used.

Users of D207net may record after school events as long as they are following this and other District policies with regard to permissions from their students, and if necessary the student’s family, they do not need to have approval to record images, video or sound.

1. COMMERCIAL USE: 

Use for non-school sponsored private or commercial, income-generating, financial gain or "for-profit" activities or product advertisement or solicitation purposes or fraud is prohibited.

2. HARASSMENT: 

Harassment, threatening, intimidating, bullying, or demeaning an individual, or group of individuals because of sex, color, race, religion, disability, national origin, or sexual orientation is prohibited. 

3. PROFANITY OR OBSCENITY: 

Users are not allowed to access, retrieve, or view obscene, profane, or indecent materials.  “Indecent Materials” are those materials which, in context depict, or describe sexual activities or organs in terms patently offensive, as measured by contemporary community standards.  “Obscene materials” are those materials which, taken as a whole, appeal to the prurient interest in sex, which portray sexual conduct in a patently offensive way in which, taken as a whole, do not have any serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. Use of profanity or obscenity is prohibited, and all users shall use language appropriate for school situations. 

4.  OFFENSIVE OR INFLAMMATORY SPEECH: 

Users must respect the rights of others, both in the local community and the network at large.  Sharing personal information or personal attacks are an unacceptable use of D207net.  If a user is the victim of an inappropriate communication, the incident shall be brought to the attention of a teacher or system administrator.

5.  VANDALISM/MISCHIEF: 

Vandalism and mischief are prohibited.  Vandalism is defined to include any attempt to harm or destroy data of another user, on the network or on any networks that are connected to D207net or physical damage to District technology.  This includes, but is not limited to, the deliberate creation and/or propagation of computer viruses.  Mischief includes interference with the work of other users and is prohibited.  Any action that disrupts or interferes with the ability of the D207net to carry out its intended function may be considered mischief. 

6.  USER ID VIOLATIONS: 

Once an account is issued to a user, that user is responsible for all actions taken while using that account.  Sharing an account with another person, or disclosing another individual’s password, is prohibited.  Concealing or misrepresenting one’s identity while using D207net is prohibited. Every user is responsible for all inappropriate uses of the user’s account by any other person.  All users must exercise extreme caution with their passwords. Passwords must be secure (at least seven characters, one character that is not a letter or number, no simple words or names, nothing easily guessed). Passwords that use two words separated by a non-alphanumeric character are good i.e. Cub$anto. Logging on, or attempting to log on, in the name or account of another person or entity is prohibited. If a user suspects that any account on the D207net has been compromised it is their responsibility to immediately contact the network manager.

7.  ELECTRONIC MAIL VIOLATIONS: 

Forgery of electronic mail messages is prohibited.  Reading, deleting, copying, or modifying the electronic mail of other users is prohibited.  Sending E-mail that is unsolicited junk, rumor, harassment, obscene, or chain letters is prohibited.  E-mail that is used to promote a cause for profit or charity must be approved by a building or district administrator.  The use of mass mailing should be minimized, and approval for mass messages may be required by a building or district administrator.

8. FILE/DATA VIOLATIONS: 

Users are not allowed to access, retrieve, view, or disseminate any material in violation of any federal or state laws or regulation or District 207 policy or rules.  This includes, but is not limited to: improper use of copyrighted material; improper use of files or information on D207net to commit fraud, or with the intent to commit fraud; improper use of passwords or access codes; or disclosing the full name, home address, or phone number of any district employee, student, or user.  All users of D207net are responsible for protecting personal records held in an electronic format. All users of D207net are not allowed to download, copy, print or otherwise store or possess any data which violates federal or state copyright laws or these guidelines.

9. NON-ACADEMIC USE: 

District technology is a valuable, scarce resource.  It is not to be used for non-academic purposes such as game playing unless approved by the Superintendent or the Superintendent's designee. Unauthorized intentional downloads to a single computer, network drive or external media of movies or video files; MP3s; shareware; freeware; pirated software; or other .exe or application files (unless a part of the curriculum) are not allowed. It is not to be used to access pornography or obscene materials under any conditions, nor can it be used to forward chain letters.

10.  SYSTEM INTERFERENCE/ALTERATION: 

Attempts to exceed, evade or change resource quotas that may be established are prohibited.  Quotas are limits on local hard drive storage space or network time or storage space which are designed to allow all users an equitable opportunity to access resources.  Causing network congestion through mass consumption of system resources is prohibited. Any attempt to circumvent security on desktop machines or mobile computing devices is prohibited.  Transfer of software to or from D207net is not allowed without authorization by the Chief Technology Officer or designee.

11. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION:

Any use as a forum for communicating by e-mail or other medium with other school users or outside parties to solicit, proselytize, advocate, advertise, or communicate the views of an individual or non-school sponsored organization; to solicit membership in or support of any non-school sponsored organization; or to raise funds for any non-school sponsored purpose, whether profit or non-profit are all prohibited uses of D207 net. No employee shall knowingly provide school e-mail addresses to outside parties whose intent is to communicate with school employees, students, and/or their families for non-school purposes. Any communication that represents personal views as those of the school system or any school unit or that could be misinterpreted as such is not allowed. Employees who are uncertain as to whether particular activities are acceptable should seek further guidance from their immediate supervisor.

12. SOFTWARE LICENSING:

The district must own and maintain a license, or have on record evidence of acceptable use, for any software installed on a school owned computer.  Users of district owned computing devices may not install any software, licensed or otherwise, without permission from the Chief Technology Officer or designee.

13. WEBSITES AND SOCIAL NETWORKS:

Users of D207net also agree to follow the Website guidelines outlined in Maine Township High School District 207 Board Policy 6511 regarding websites and social networks.

14. EDUCATIONAL PROCESS:

Any action that takes place on D207net, or external networks, that may disrupt the educational process, including use that is reasonably foreseeable to result in disruption, or interfere with the rights of others at any time, either during the school days or after school hours, is prohibited.

 

6510.5 VIOLATION OF LAW: 

Transmission of any material in violation of any international, U.S., or state law is prohibited.  This includes, but is not limited to:  copyrighted material; music; software; threatening, harassing or obscene material; or material protected by trade secret.  Any attempt to break the law while using District 207 facilities may result in prosecution or litigation against the offender.  If such an event should occur, District 207 will fully cooperate to the extent permitted by law with the authorities to provide any information necessary in connection with prosecution. 

 

6510.6 CONSEQUENCES OF POLICY VIOLATION:

A user's network access privileges may be interrupted or terminated for any violation or attempted violation of this policy. 

A user's network privileges may be interrupted or suspended by a technology department staff member, administrator, or the Chief Technology Officer while a suspected violation is being investigated and while determination of any appropriate discipline is in progress.  During such an investigation and determination, alternative opportunities for the user to complete assignments will be made available where appropriate and reasonably possible.  Before suspension or termination of network privileges, the user will be advised of the suspected violation and given an opportunity to respond as part of the discipline procedures (which are part of Board Policy and are contained in the Discipline Procedures booklet).

Violators will also be subject to disciplinary measures, such as suspension from school or expulsion for students or appropriate penalties for staff in accordance with the Discipline Procedures, Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Board of Education and the Maine Teachers’ Association, or staff handbooks. Guests that violate the acceptable use policy may be barred from using D207net or from being present on school grounds.

6510.7 SECURITY:  

When using any part of D207net a user agrees to maintain security and to the District enforcing security in the following ways:

HIGH PRIORITY:  Security on any computer system is a high priority, especially when the system involves many users, provides access to personal data, or can be used to view, edit, or delete student records. 

REPORTING SECURITY PROBLEMS:  If a user identifies a security problem on the network it is expected that he or she will notify the District Director of Technology or a designee.  The user must not share the security problem with other users. 

USER RESPONSIBILITIES: The user is accountable for reasonably responsible behavior to ensure security. The user must follow network guidelines in the selection of an appropriate password. The user must protect the confidentiality of their password.

D207net NET FILTERING AND MONITORING: District 207 has the right to filter any content from D207net that is deemed inappropriate by the administration.  District 207 may monitor any D207net users, and the information gathered may become public under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.

SECURITY RISKS DENIED ACCESS:  Any user identified as a security risk or having a history of violations with other computer systems may be denied access to D207 net through District 207 facilities.  It is the intent of District 207 to prohibit access to such persons. 

 

6510.8 DISCLAIMER:

District 207 makes no warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, for the network facilities it is providing.  District 207 will not be responsible for any damages suffered by users.  This includes loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, mis-deliveries, or service interruptions caused by its own negligence or user errors or omissions.  District 207 is not responsible for phone/credit card bills or any other charges incurred by users.  Use of any information obtained via the network is at the user's risk.  District 207 specifically denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through its network facilities.  The district is not responsible for any user’s intentional or unintentional access of material through D207net which may be obscene, indecent, or of an appropriate nature.

Adopted:  05/02/2011


MAINE TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 207 #6511 WEBSITE POLICY

6511.1 INTRODUCTION:

District 207 web sites provide information to the world about school curriculum, instruction, school-authorized activities, and other general information relating to our schools and our District’s mission. The District’s Instructional Team provides guidance for the creation of web pages. This policy refers to both “Internal” and “External” websites which are defines as:

Internal Sites:

Any networked or online resource that allows publishing of content in any format that is accessible to students, staff, or the public where accounts and access are created and maintained by the district technology team.

External Sites: 

Any online resource (including social networks) that allows publishing of content in any format that is accessible to students, staff, or the public where accounts and access are not created and maintained by the district technology team.

The term “sites” in this policy refers to both Internal and External web pages and any site created by an employee, volunteer, or student that identifies the content author or contributor as an employee, volunteer, or student associated with Maine 207, any Maine 207 school, or any activity associated with Maine 207 or links back to any internal site.

Creators of sites need to familiarize themselves with and adhere to the following policies and procedures and must follow the guidelines outlined in the acceptable use policy (AUP) described in Maine Township High School District 207 Board Policy #6510. Failure to follow these policies and procedures may result in the loss of authoring privileges or other more stringent disciplinary measures including student suspension or expulsion, employee termination, or legal action.

6511.2 PHILOSOPHY: 

1. Risk: 

As with other technology, the District cannot guarantee that the development and use of web pages will be error-free or completely dependable.  While the District will strive to ensure that web pages created by district staff are accurate and appropriate, the District is not liable or responsible for:  (1) any information that may be lost, damaged, or unavailable due to technical or other difficulties; (2) the accuracy of information on District web pages; (3) breaches of confidentiality; or (4) the unauthorized use of or access to District web pages.

2. Subject Matter:

All subject matter on web pages should relate to curriculum, instruction, school-authorized activities, general information that is appropriate and of interest to others, or it should relate to the school District, or the schools within the District.  The District 207 website may not include personal home pages or home pages for other individuals or organizations not directly affiliated with the District. Staff or students may publish work only as part of a department or school-sponsored organization.

3. Quality: 

All web page work must be free of spelling and grammatical errors.  Documents may not be used for inappropriate purposes.  The Board of Education Policy #6510 defines inappropriate uses.  Regarding the question of quality or propriety of web page material, appearance, or content, the judgment of the building or District administrators will prevail.

4. Ownership:  

All web pages on the District’s servers are the property of the District 207. All work created on District time, using District equipment, and/or for work related purposes may be considered “work for hire” and ownership of physical or virtual products will be surrendered by the creator to the work to a building or district administrator upon request. Any online material created to be used with students, for instructional, or co-curricular purposes must be associated with a D207 email account and access or ownership to these resources must be given to a building or district administrator upon request.

 

6511.3 STUDENT SAFEGUARDS:

1.      In general, documents may not include a student’s full name or phone number or address unless parents and the District’s Instructional Team grant permission.

2.      Published e-mail addresses are restricted to a department or school-sponsored organization.

3.      Students or parents may select to not have their image in district publications or websites as pictures (video or still) and audio clips by submitting the following form.

MAINE TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 207

Attn: Director of Communications

1177 South Dee Road

Park Ridge, IL  60068

REQUEST TO WITHOLD PUBLISHING

We are requesting that Maine 207 not release our child’s image to  a media outlet to publish the student’s image in any form (including websites) or publish it to any internal webpage.

Child’s Name ______________________________________________________

Student ID#                                        



Parent        Signature                                                                Date


6511.4 COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER DISTRICT 207 SCHOOL BOARD POLICIES:

All documents on the Maine Township District 207 web server(s) must conform to all other School Board Policies and Regulations as well as established school guidelines.  Copies of School Board Policies are available in all school offices.  Persons developing or maintaining are responsible for complying with these and other policies as well as the procedures outlined in this document.  All content and links to external sites should support the learning process and relate to curriculum and instruction, extracurricular activities or information about the school system.  Information posted on the district's sites must be accurate and fair, may not harm the reputation of an individual, and must follow the guidelines outlines in the District Policy #6510.

1.       No one may use audio, pictures, or videos of future, current, or former students or staff members if they have requested to withhold publishing. The  building administration will keep documentation of any requests on file.

2.       Documents created for District 207 web and contained on, or linked to, internal sites pages will meet the criteria for use as instructional resources.  The District may remove or delete any information on a district or school webpage at any time without providing reason to the page’s creator.  The District maintains the right to publish, not to publish, remove and require removal of any content.

3.       Any links to District web pages that are not specifically curriculum-related will meet the criteria established in Board Policy #6510.  Any other non-curricular materials should be limited to information about school-sponsored activities.  Web page links may not include entities whose primary purpose is commercial or political advertising without administrative and possibly Board of Education approval.

4.       All communications via the District web pages will comply with the Board Policy #6510, the District’s Student Discipline Policy, and all local, state, and federal laws.

5.       Any student information communicated via the District web pages will comply with Maine Township District 207’s policies on Student Records and all laws considering student records.

6.       Home pages must be in accordance with the guidelines established by the District Instructional Team.

7.       Pages and online content not located on the District web server but residing on a school district computer must still meet all of the guidelines set forth in this policy.

6511.5 COPYRIGHT:

1. Electronic transmission of materials is a form of copying. No one may produce or transmit unlawful copies of copyrighted materials via the District’s equipment or services.  Home page creators will only post materials to the web that to the best of their knowledge is not copyrighted, trademarked or used without the permission of the author.  For material used with the permission of the trademark or copyright holder, documentation verifying the granting of permission should be included. No one should use photographs, drawings, video clips or sound clips on a web page without permission of the person who created them or the person who owns the rights to them

2.  All pages of the Maine Township High School District 207 web sites are copyrighted and the sole property of Maine Township High School District 207.

3.  All links that take users to sites outside District 207 pages should be identified as not being part of the Maine Township site (e.g. Alumni pages).

6511.6 WEB PAGE GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES

Teachers, Staff, and Students are expected to use appropriate professional judgment in the materials they upload to their web space. If doubt arises, the Assistant Principal for Instruction should be consulted prior to placing the materials on the web. If there is still a question about material, it will be brought before the District’s Instructional Team chaired by the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction.  This committee is responsible for approving any material where questions remain about for placement on District related online resources.

Technical Standards

Each web page added to the District web site(s) must contain certain elements that will provide general consistency for District web pages.

1. There must be an indication of the name and contact information of the person(s) responsible for the page or update(s).  It shall be their responsibility to keep the web page current.

2. At the bottom of the web page, there must be a link that returns the user to the appropriate point(s) in the District web pages.  A template will be available for all users.  The links will include the following: District 207 shield for District 207 office and/or the mascots for each school.

4. No computers other than the assigned building web servers, or those services approved by the district administration, shall be configured as web/FTP servers.

5. Users must exhibit care when creating web pages with extensive tiled backgrounds or large graphics and should seek to create pages that load quickly. 

6. Web pages may not contain links to other web pages not yet completed.  If additional pages are anticipated, but not yet developed, the text that will provide such a link should be included.  However, the actual link to said page(s) may not be made until the final page is actually in place on the District server(s).

7. All web pages must contain names that clearly identify the pages.

8. Any graphics, sounds, or video used on web pages must conform to the format currently approved by the District.

9. Web pages may not contain any student e-mail address links or information that would allow a visitor from outside the school district to contact a student directly.

10. Final decisions regarding active web pages will rest with the District Instructional Team.

11. The District Instructional Team will regularly review links to external sites.

6511.7 Use of Sites

The following must be considered by employees, volunteers, and students when using or authoring on any site, internal or external:

  1. All sites must adhere to all laws and district policies including their policy and Board Policy #6510.
  2. Sites created by staff, volunteers, or students that violate the law, are inconsistent with District 207’s educational mission, disrupt the educational process, interfere with an employee’s performance or work responsibility, that are not in accord with this policy, or that hamper the integrity of the District are not prohibited, will be removed upon request of the administration, and may result in disciplinary action.
  3. Nothing will be posted on a site that is discriminatory, confidential, threatening, libelous, disparaging, obscene, indecent, or makes slanderous comments about the district, its employees, students, or parents. Employees are personally liable for their own commentary.
  4. Any internal or external site that is found to interfere with the educational process, work performance, results in unproductive use of time, violates any district policy, or is unlawful may be blocked using the district’s content filters even if the content on that site is not produced, posted, or controlled by anyone associated with Maine Township School District 207.
  5. Failure to follow these policies and procedures may result in the loss of authoring privileges or other more stringent disciplinary measures including student suspension or expulsion, employee termination, or legal action.

        

6511.8 General Guidelines for Publishing to Sites

The following guidelines should be practiced and modeled by staff and be expected of students when publishing to sites

1. Review District Technology Policies, including #6510, and #6511.

2. Develop and test your content, including graphics. To the best of your ability ensure usability for visitors and check that the content reflects yourself, the school, and/or the district appropriately.

3. Review the page for errors and mistakes.  Determine if it is appropriate to place on the web by checking it against this policy and the District’s policies.

6511.9 External Web Content and Social Networking Sites

There are many resources provided online for publishing content in a variety of formats offering a variety of methods for communication and contact.  Some of these external sites are may be appropriate for instructional purposes. However, the following points must be followed when working with content on external sites and social networking sites:

  1. All laws and district policies must be followed especially those concerning privacy, records, Board Policy #6510, and this policy.
  2. An employee, volunteer, or student that posts, creates, or modifies content on external sites that is used to represent District 207, 207 schools, instructional, co-curricular, or athletic activities, school related business, or represents District 207 must:
  1. register with a D207 email address
  2. allow access to these sites through a D207 email address password reset
  3. provide access to these sites to an administrator immediately upon request
  4. be aware that Maine 207 has the right to require access and may monitor these sites and that the content on these sites is still subject to FOIA and legal discovery
  1. Teachers that require the use of external sites in their classrooms must include this on syllabi at the start of the course, or inform parents before external sites will be used to author content by students. Parents will have the right to opt their students out of authoring on external sites and appropriate alternative assignment(s) will be offered to the student without penalty.
  2. Direct communication between staff and students or parents may not take place through any external site unless the communication is automatically and completely copied to the D207 email system.
  3. Sites created by staff or students that violate the law, are inconsistent with District 207’s educational mission, disrupt the educational process, interfere with an employee’s performance or work responsibility, that are not in accord with this policy, or that hamper the integrity of the District are not prohibited, will be removed upon request of the administration, and may result in disciplinary action.
  4. Employees that wish to maintain sites for personal use should refrain from posting work or school related information on these sites. If the site identifies the staff member as an employee of Maine 207, any Maine 207 school, or any activity associated with Maine 207 or links back to any internal site must include a disclaimer clearly evident that states: “INFORMATION ON THIS SITE IS THE AUTHOR’S personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of THEIR employer(s) or clients”.
  5. Employees, volunteers, or students that use external sites take full responsibility and liability for anything posted on external sites and will fully accept any repercussions from unacceptable use.

Approved:  05/02/2011


MAINE TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 207 #6512 MOBILE ELECTRONIC/COMPUTING DEVICES

Inappropriate use of any mobile computing device.  Using a cellular telephone, video recording device, personal digital assistant (PDA), electronic paging device, portable gaming system, digital audio or video system, mobile phone, or any other mobile electronic computing device by anyone, including students, staff, or guests, in any manner that disrupts the educational environment or violates the rights of others, including using the device to take photographs in locker rooms or bathrooms, cheat, unlawful purposes, bully, harass, or otherwise violate staff or student conduct rules, is prohibited.

Prohibited conduct also specifically includes, without limitation, creating, sending, sharing, viewing, receiving, or possessing an indecent visual depiction of oneself or another person through the use of an electronic computing device, mobile or otherwise.

Any use of a mobile computing device on school grounds during or after the school day by any student, staff member, or guest that disrupts educational process, goals of the institution, or violates the acceptable use policy is prohibited. All mobile computing devices brought on to school grounds are done so at the user’s own risk and District 207 is not responsible for any loss or damage of a personal device.

Unless otherwise banned under this policy, or by the Building Principal, all electronic devices must be kept silenced and out-of-sight and stored in a locker, backpack, purse, pocket, or other place where it is not visible during the regular school day unless:

(a) use of the device is provided in a student’s individualized education program (IEP)

(b) it is being used in an area determined acceptable by the Building Principal

(c) it is needed in an emergency that threatens the safety of students, staff, guests, or other individuals

(d) the supervising staff member allows for use of mobile computing devices in the classroom or in other areas being used to conduct instruction, including school trips, are at the discretion of the teacher, coach, sponsor, chaperone or any school staff member acting in an official or unofficial supervisory capacity.

Teaching staff are expected to communicate to students and their parents appropriate use of mobile computing devices in the teacher’s instructional areas and clearly list one of the following classroom practices on the classroom rules or syllabi, which will also be modeled by the classroom teacher:

        All mobile computing devices will be silenced, remain out-of-sight, and stored in a backpack, purse, pocket, or other place where it is not visible, and

(1) will remain stored and unused at all times.

OR

(2) may be used at the discretion of the classroom teacher for instructional activities and will be stored immediately upon the direction of the teacher.

Students and guests must comply with staff directives, including but not limited to, ending phone conversations for face-to-face interaction, using appropriate voice volume, and appropriate device volume. When in use, mobile phones, or any mobile computing device that can be used for verbal communication, must be on vibrate or silent mode so that no audible ring, notification, or audible tone of any kind is heard. Use of mobile computing devices by students, staff, or guests is not to be disruptive to any activity or event associated with the school district.

Violations of this policy may result in confiscation of the equipment by any school employee who will then turn the equipment over to the designated building administrator(s) as soon as possible. Arrangements must be made by the student's parent(s) or legal guardian to retrieve the equipment from the appropriate building administrator. The student may be suspended for up to five school days and the matter may be referred to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee may extend the suspension to a maximum of ten school days and may refer the student to the Superintendent of Schools who may refer the student to the Board of Education for expulsion from school.


LEGAL REFERENCE:

11 105 ILCS 5/10-21.10

105 ILCS 5/10-20.28

47 U.S.C. §§301, 302a, and 333

47 U.S.C. §§501-510.

720 ILCS 5/26-4

705 ILCS 405/3-40, added by P.A. 96-1087, eff. 1-1-11).

Adopted:   7/11/2011