ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY FOR TECHNOLOGY AND THE
INTERNET 4550
― SCHOOL
DISTRICT EMPLOYEES ―
The
following Policy must be agreed to by the employee before access will be
provided to School District computer and Internet facilities. Use of
such facilities after receipt of this Policy is deemed to constitute agreement.
Introduction
The City School
District of New Rochelle (“School District”) furnishes computers and network
facilities and equipment, and provides access to the Internet, in order to
support learning and enhance instruction. By providing access to the
Internet, a vast information highway connecting thousands of computers all over
the world, the School District intends to promote educational
excellence and to prepare students for an increasingly technological world.
This use should facilitate resource sharing, research, innovation and
communication.
However,
the School District also recognizes that with this access come uses
and the availability of material which are unrelated to scholarship, and which
in many instances are inappropriate for places of work and/or learning.
For this reason,
computer, network and Internet facilities (including, without limitation,
e-mail, discussion groups and Web-based tools) are to be used only for purposes
directly related to work, teaching or scholarship. Except for strictly limited
incidental (and in all instances, appropriate) use, employees should use their
own computers and their own Internet access arrangements for all other
purposes.
Much of the
responsibility for appropriate use of School District computers,
network facilities and Internet access must rest on employees themselves.
Therefore, the School District requires that employees act
responsibly by reading and following the policies outlined below.
Employees must
understand that access to School District computers, network and
Internet facilities is a revocable privilege, and not a right. Use of the
system can and will be monitored by the School District, and there is no
expectation of privacy in employee use.
Applicability
and General Principles
These policies apply to all employees
who use School District computers, networked hardware, or who otherwise gain
access to School District network facilities and/or the Internet via computer
equipment and/or access lines located in the School District or elsewhere.
This includes any remote access which employees may gain from off-site, but
which involves the use of School District sites, servers, intranet
facilities, e-mail accounts or software.
Except
for limited incidental and appropriate use, as aforesaid, all access to and use
of School District computers, network facilities and Internet access must be
for the purposes of work, teaching or scholarship consistent with the
educational goals of the School District. Employees must make efficient,
ethical and legal utilization of network resources. Employees must be
aware that material created, stored on, or transmitted from or via the system
is not guaranteed to be private. In addition to the fact that the
Internet use is inherently insecure, School District network
administrators may review any and all individual computers and/or areas of the
network at any time to ensure that the system is being used properly. For
this reason, employees should expect that e-mails, materials placed on personal
Web pages, and other work that is created on the network may be viewed by a
third party.
Both internal and
external network and Internet access will be provided to authorized users by
the assignment of unique log-in identification codes (“usernames” and
passwords) and, where appropriate, with limited hard disk space on School
District hardware, for their own individual use. Authorized users will be
personally responsible for maintaining the integrity of the School
District’s access policy, and may not permit other persons to use their
usernames, passwords, accounts or disk space, or disclose their usernames,
passwords or account information to any third party.
Usernames and passwords
will be furnished subject to the provisions of this Policy, and such updates or
modifications as may hereafter be promulgated.
Computer and network
users must respect the integrity and security of the School
District’s systems and network, and the access privileges, privacy and
reasonable preferences of other users. The School District reserves the
right to limit access time and disk space in order to optimize an equitable
allocation of resources among users.
The School
District makes no warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, for
the service it is providing. It is not responsible for any damages, including
loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, mis-deliveries, or service
interruptions, whether caused by the School District’s negligence, or by a
user’s errors or omissions. Information obtained from the Internet is used at
the user’s own risk, and the School District specifically disclaims
any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained by employees
via access provided by or through the School District.
The
following policies are intentionally broad in scope and, therefore, may include
references to resources, technology and uses not yet available.
Rules
of Conduct and Compliance
Employees who violate
this Acceptable Use Policy may have their access privileges suspended or
revoked by the network administrator. In addition, further disciplinary action
may be taken as permitted by applicable law and the terms of any applicable
collective bargaining agreement.
Except as otherwise
indicated below, all policies and prohibitions regarding users of the network
also apply to users of individual School District computers.
1. The
network may not be used to download, upload copy, or modify materials which are
the subject of any third-party copyright, specifically including third-party
still, video and audio media files, and text files without the express prior
approval of a network administrator. For the purposes of this prohibition,
“third-party copyright” refers to materials created by third parties not
employed by or enrolled as students in the School
District. This prohibition shall not apply to “fair use” for
teaching or scholarly purposes, as permitted by the United States copyright
laws, where such use is strictly limited to small excerpts from a work no
greater than required for a permitted purpose; but in the case of any doubt,
“fair use” questions should be referred to a network administrator and/or the
School District’s library professionals prior to any such downloading,
uploading, copying or storage.
2. Computer
and network users may not add (or attempt to add) any software, shareware,
freeware or other applications to the School
District’s network or computers, or add to or modify any existing software or
applications, without the express permission of the network
administrator. Any software which is installed must be properly
acquired by the School District and licensed to the School
District from the copyright owner thereof, and any modifications must
comply with the terms of the applicable license(s). Software installation
requests will not be implemented until required proof of ownership and license
status has been reviewed and approved.
3. The School
District’s computers and network (including the use of such computers or the
network to access the Internet) may not be used for any commercial purposes,
and users may not buy or sell products or services through the system.
4. The School
District’s computers and network (including the use of such computers or the
network to access the Internet) may not be used for advertising, political
campaigning, or political lobbying.
5. The
School District’s computers and network (including the use of such computers or
the network to access the Internet) may not be used for any activity, or to
transmit any material, that violates United States, New
York State or local laws. This includes, but is not limited to,
fraudulent acts, violations of copyright laws, and any threat or act of
intimidation or harassment against another person.
6. The School
District is a place of tolerance and good manners. Use of the
network or any School District computer facilities for hate mail, defamatory
statements, statements intended to injure or humiliate others by disclosure of
personal information (whether true or false), personal attacks on others, and
statements expressing animus towards any person or group by reason of race,
color, religion, use vulgar, derogatory, or obscene language is prohibited. Network
users may not post anonymous messages or forge e-mail or other messages.
7. Computer
and network users are strongly advised to use caution about revealing any
information on the Internet, or storing such information on the School
District’s computers or the network, which would enable others to exploit them
or their identities: this includes last names, home addresses, Social Security
numbers, passwords, credit card numbers or financial institution account
information, and photographs. Under no circumstances should a user reveal such
information about another person without that person’s express or prior
consent.
8. Computer
and network users may not log on to someone else’s account, attempt to access
another user’s files, or permit anyone else to log on to their own
accounts. Users may not try to gain unauthorized access (“hacking”)
to the files or computer systems of any other person or organization. However,
employees must be aware that any information stored on or communicated through
the School District network may be susceptible to “hacking” by a third party
and such information may be reviewed by the School District at any
time, with or without prior notice.
9. Computer
and network users may not access Web sites, newsgroups, or chat areas that
contain material that is obscene or that promotes illegal acts. Likewise, use
of the network to access, process or store pornographic material (whether
visual or written), or material which contains dangerous recipes, formulas or
instructions, is prohibited.
10. The attention of
all computer and network users is specifically directed to the School
District’s separate Internet Safety Policy, which applies to all users
of School District computer and network facilities, and which is
incorporated herein by reference. Any attempt to bypass, defeat or circumvent
the Internet Safety Policy Technology Prevention Measures, which are designed
to prevent access to visual depictions that are obscene, involve child
pornography, or are harmful to minors is punishable as a violation of this
Acceptable Use Policy. In addition, evidence of use of any computer or the
network to access, store or disseminate child pornography will be referred to
law enforcement authorities for investigation and prosecution as may be appropriate.
11. Computer and
network users may not access newsgroups, blogs, chat rooms, social networking
websites (including but not limited to MySpace and Facebook), list servers, or
other services where they may communicate with people outside of the School
District (specifically including e-mail) except for District business. This
prohibition shall not apply to blog or social networking access which is used
as an integral part of classroom instruction. While incidental personal use of
e-mail facilities may be permitted, such incidental use will not be deemed a
waiver of the School District’s right to prohibit all such use, either on
an individually-applicable or on a generally-applicable basis.
12. Computer and
network users may not engage in “spamming” (sending irrelevant or inappropriate
electronic communications individually or en masse) or participate in broadcast
electronic communications (such as chain letters or other mass communications)
other than for official School District purposes.
13. Computer and
network users who maliciously access, alter, delete, damage or destroy any
computer system, computer network, computer program, or data may be subject to
criminal prosecution as well as to disciplinary action by the School District.
This prohibition includes, but is not limited to, changing or deleting another
user's account; changing the password of another user; using an unauthorized
account; damaging any files; altering the system; using the system to make
money illegally; destroying, modifying, vandalizing, defacing or abusing
hardware, software, furniture or any School District property. Users
may not develop programs that harass other users or infiltrate a computer or
computer system and/or damage the software components of a computer or computer
system (e.g., create viruses, worms).
14. Computer and
network users may not intentionally disrupt information network traffic or
crash the network and connected systems; they must not degrade or disrupt
equipment or system performance. They must not download or save
excessively large files without the express approval of the network
administrator. Computer and network users may not add any software
or applications to the School District’s network or computers, or add to or
modify any existing software or applications, without the express permission of
the network administrator.
15. Computer and
network users may not use such facilities to plagiarize, which is a serious
academic offense. Plagiarism is “taking ideas or writings from another person
and offering them as your own.” Credit must always be given to the person who
created the article or the idea. A person who, by cutting and
pasting, or otherwise reproducing, text or data, leads readers to believe that
what they are reading is the person's original work when it is not, is guilty
of plagiarism.
16. Computer and
network users may not copy any copyrighted or licensed software from the
Internet or from the network without the express permission of the copyright
holder. Software must be purchased or licensed before it can legally be used.
17. Computer and
network users may not take data, equipment, software or supplies (paper, toner
cartridges, disks, etc.) for their own personal use. Such taking will be
treated as theft. Use of School District printers and paper must
be reasonable.
18. The City
School District of New Rochelle assumes no responsibility for
student, faculty or staff websites created and hosted outside of the District
network. Decisions to provide access to such external websites from
the District network will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Violations and
Consequences
Consequences of
violations include but are not limited to:
·
Suspension or
revocation of information network access;
·
Suspension or
revocation of network privileges;
·
Suspension or
revocation of computer access;
·
Disciplinary action,
up to and including termination of services;
·
Criminal prosecution.
In addition,
the School District may seek monetary compensation for damages in
appropriate cases. Repeated or severe violations will result in more
serious penalties than one-time or minor infractions.
This Acceptable Use
Policy is subject to change. The School District reserves the right
to restrict or terminate information network access at any time for any reason.
The School District further reserves the right to monitor network
activity as it sees fit in order to maintain the integrity of the network and
to monitor acceptable use. School and District-wide administrators will make
final determination as to what constitutes unacceptable use.
Disciplinary penalties
involving adverse employment action will be determined in accordance with
applicable state law and the terms of applicable collective bargaining
agreements. However, suspension or revocation of access privileges
will be determined by the network administrator, acting in consultation with
school and District-wide administrators.
Cross-Ref.: Policy
No. 5550, Acceptable Use Policy for Technology and the Internet – Students
Policy
No. 6550, Internet Safety Policy
Policy
Adopted:
Res. No. 02-132 – Nov. 7,
2001
CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Revised:
Res. No. 02-146 – Dec. 4,
2001 OF NEW ROCHELLE
Revised:
Res. No. 02-162 – Jan. 8,
2002
New Rochelle, New York
Revised:
Res. No. 05-104 – Oct. 5,
2004
Revised: Res. No. 09-189 – Feb. 3, 2009
THIS POLICY IS REVIEWED YEARLY AND UPDATED AS NEEDED.
_________________________________________________________________________________
ACCEPTABLE
USE POLICY FOR TECHNOLOGY AND THE INTERNET 5550
–
STUDENTS –
Introduction
The
City School District of New Rochelle (“School District”) furnishes computers
and network facilities and equipment, and provides access to the Internet in
order to support learning and enhance instruction. By providing access to the Internet, a vast
information highway connecting thousands of computers all over the world, the
School District intends to promote educational excellence and to prepare
students for an increasingly technological world. This use should facilitate
resource sharing, research, innovation and communication. However, the School
District also recognizes that with this access come uses and the availability
of material which are unrelated to scholarship, and which in many instances are
inappropriate for places of learning, and inappropriate for young people in
particular.
For this reason, computer,
network and Internet facilities (including, without limitation, e-mail and
discussion groups) are to be used only for purposes directly related to
learning. Students should use their own computers and their own Internet access
arrangements for all other purposes. Resources such as e-mail and discussion
groups are only to be used under directed supervision by faculty, and will be
limited to teacher-authorized projects. In addition, the School District, in
cooperation with the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), has
taken precautions to restrict access to questionable materials, but students
and parents need to know that it is impossible to control all materials.
Much of the responsibility
for appropriate use of School District computers, network facilities and
Internet access must rest on students themselves. Therefore, the School
District requires that students act responsibly by reading and following its
policies regarding Technology and the Internet. Copies of these policies are
available to parents upon request.
Ultimately, we realize that
the parents/guardians of minors are responsible for setting and conveying the
standards that their students should follow. Likewise, parents and students
must understand that access to School District computer, network and Internet
facilities is a revocable privilege, and not a right. Use of the system can and
will be monitored by the School District, and there is no expectation of
privacy in student use.
Applicability and General Principles
These
policies apply to all students who use School District computers, or who
otherwise gain access to the School
District network facilities and/or Internet via computer equipment and/or
access lines located in the School District or elsewhere. This includes any
remote access which students may gain from off-site, but which involves the use
of School District sites, servers, intranet facilities, e-mail accounts or
software.
All
access to and use of the School District computers, network facilities and
Internet access must be for the purposes of education and research consistent
with the educational goals of the School District. Students must make
efficient, ethical and legal utilization of network resources. Students must be
aware that material created, stored on, or transmitted from or via the system
is not guaranteed to be private. In addition to the fact that the Internet is
inherently insecure, School District network administrators may review any and
all individual computers and/or areas of the network at any time to ensure that
the system is being used properly. For this reason, students should expect that
e-mails, materials placed on personal Web pages, and other work that is created
on the network may be viewed by a third party.
Both internal and external Network and Internet access will be provided to authorized users by the assignment of unique log-in identification codes (“usernames” and passwords) and, where appropriate, with limited hard disk space on School District hardware, for their own individual use. Authorized users will be personally responsible for maintaining the integrity of the School District’s access policy, and may not permit other persons to use their usernames, passwords, accounts or disk space, or disclose their usernames, passwords or account information to any third party.
Usernames and passwords will be
furnished subject to the provisions of this Policy, and such updates or
modifications as may hereafter be promulgated.
Computer and network users must respect the integrity and security of the School District’s systems and network, and the access privileges, privacy and reasonable preferences of other users. The School District reserves the right to limit access time and disk space in order to optimize an equitable allocation of resources among users.
The School District makes no warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, for the service it is providing. It is not responsible for any damages, including loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, mis-deliveries, or service interruptions, whether caused by the School District’s negligence, or by a user’s errors or omissions. Information obtained from the Internet is used at the user’s (student’s) own risk, and the School District specifically disclaims any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained by students via access provided by or through the School District.
The following policies are intentionally broad in scope and, therefore, may include references to resources, technology and uses not yet available.
Rules of Conduct and Compliance
Students
who violate this Acceptable Use Policy may have their access privileges
suspended or revoked by the network administrator. In addition, because the
School District’s information networks and systems are used as part of the
educational program, the School District’s Code of Conduct also applies to
network activities. This Acceptable Use Policy is an extension of the Code of
Conduct, and the disciplinary penalties set out in the Code of Conduct will
apply if the student acts in violation of this Acceptable Use Policy.
Except
as otherwise indicated below, all policies and prohibitions regarding users of
the network also apply to users of individual School District computers.
1.
The
network may not be used to download, copy, or store any software, shareware, or
freeware. This prohibition specifically includes still, video and audio media
files, and text files, created by third parties not employed by or enrolled as
students in the School District. In order to avoid copyright issues, this
prohibition applies to any such downloading, copying or storage, regardless of
copyright status, unless approved by a network administrator. Moreover, only
the network administrator is authorized to consent to the terms of any software
license with respect to downloaded programs.
2.
Computer
and network users may not add (or attempt to add) any software, shareware,
freeware, or other applications to a School District computer or to the network
without the prior approval of the appropriate faculty member/ administrator (in
the case of an individual computer) or the network administrator (in the case
of the network).
3.
The
School District’s computers and network (including the use of such computers or
the network to access the Internet) may not be used for any commercial
purposes, and users may not buy or sell products or services through the
system.
4.
The
School District’s computers and network (including the use of such computers or
the network to access the Internet) may not be used for advertising, political
campaigning, or political lobbying.
5.
The
School District’s computers and network (including the use of such computers or
the network to access the Internet) may not be used for any activity, or to
transmit any material, that violates United States, New York State or local
laws. This includes, but is not limited to, fraudulent acts, violations of
copyright laws, and any threat or act of intimidation or harassment against
another person.
6.
The
School District is a place of tolerance and good manners. Use of the network or any School District
computer facilities for hate mail, defamatory statements, statements intended
to injure or humiliate others by disclosure of personal information (whether
true or false), personal attacks on others, and statements expressing animus
towards any person or group by reason of race, color, religion, national
origin, gender, sexual orientation or disability is prohibited. Network users may not use vulgar, derogatory,
or obscene language. Network users may not post anonymous messages or forge
e-mail or other messages.
7.
Computer
and network users are strongly advised to use caution about revealing any
information on the Internet, or storing such information on the School
District’s computers or the network, which would enable others to exploit them
or their identities: this includes last names, home addresses, Social Security
numbers, passwords, credit card numbers or financial institution account
information, and photographs. Under no circumstances should a user reveal such
information about another person without that person’s express or prior
consent.
8.
Computer
and network users may not log on to someone else’s account, attempt to access
another user’s files, or permit anyone else to log on to their own accounts.
Users may not try to gain unauthorized access (“hacking”) to the files or
computer systems of any other person or organization. However, students must be
aware that any information stored on or communicated through the School
District network may be susceptible to “hacking” by a third party, and such
information may be reviewed by the School District at any time, with or without
prior notice.
9.
Computer
and network users may not access Web sites, newsgroups, or chat areas that
contain material that is obscene or that promotes illegal acts. If a user accidentally
accesses this type of information, he or she should immediately notify a
teacher, librarian, and/or network
administrator. Likewise, use of the network to access, process or store pornographic material
(whether visual or written), or material which contains dangerous recipes,
formulas or instructions, is prohibited.
10. The attention of all computer and network users is
specifically directed to the School District’s separate Internet Safety Policy,
which applies to all users of School District computer and network facilities,
and which is incorporated herein by reference. Any attempt to bypass, defeat or
circumvent the Internet Safety Policy Technology Prevention Measures, which are
designed to prevent access to visual depictions that are obscene, involve child
pornography, or are harmful to minors is punishable as a violation of this
Acceptable Use Policy. In addition, evidence of use of any computer or the
network to access, store or disseminate child pornography will be referred to
law enforcement authorities for investigation and prosecution as may be
appropriate.
11. Computer and network users may not access
newsgroups, blogs, chat rooms, social networking websites (including, but not
limited to MySpace and Facebook), list servers or other services where they may
communicate with people outside of the School District (specifically including
e-mail) unless they are supervised by a teacher and have been given explicit
approval to do so.
12. Computer and network users may not engage in
“spamming” (sending irrelevant or inappropriate electronic communications
individually or en masse) or participate in broadcast electronic communications
(such as chain letters or other mass communications) unless they are supervised
by a teacher and have been given explicit approval to do so.
13. Computer and network users, who maliciously access,
alter, delete, damage or destroy any computer system, computer network,
computer program, or data may be subject to criminal prosecution as well as to
disciplinary action by the School District. This prohibition includes, but is not
limited to, changing or deleting another user's account; changing the password
of another user; using an unauthorized account; damaging any files; altering
the system; using the system to make money illegally; destroying, modifying,
vandalizing, defacing or abusing hardware, software, furniture or any School
District property. Users may not develop programs that harass other users or
infiltrate a computer or computer system and/or damage the software components
of a computer or computer system (e.g., create viruses, worms).
14. Computer and network users may not intentionally
disrupt information network traffic or crash the network and connected systems;
they must not degrade or disrupt equipment or system performance. They must not
download or save excessively large files without the express approval of the
network administrator. Computer and
network users may not add any software or applications to the School District’s
network or computers, or add to or modify any existing software or
applications, without the express permission of the network administrator.
15. As is the case with all student work, computer and
network users may not plagiarize, which is a serious academic offense.
Plagiarism is "taking ideas or writings from another person and offering
them as your own." Credit must
always be given to the person who created the article or the idea. A student
who, by cutting and pasting, or otherwise reproducing, text or data, leads
readers to believe that what they are reading is the student's original work when
it is not, is guilty of plagiarism.
16. Computer and network users must comply with the
“fair use” provisions of the United States copyright laws. "Fair use"
in this context means that the copyrighted materials of others may be used only
for scholarly purposes, and that the use must be limited to brief excerpts. The
School District’s library professionals can assist students with fair use
issues.
17. Computer and network users may not copy any
copyrighted or licensed software from the Internet or from the network without
the express permission of the copyright holder:
software must be purchased or licensed before it can legally be used.
18. Computer and network users may not take data,
equipment, software or supplies (paper, toner cartridges, disks, etc.) for their
own personal use. Such taking will be treated as theft. Use of School District
printers and paper must be reasonable.
19. Computer and network users must behave properly in
any computer lab setting. Normal rules of classroom decorum and compliance with
instructions from faculty and administrators will apply.
20. The City School District of New Rochelle assumes no
responsibility for student, faculty
or staff websites created and hosted outside of the District network.
Violations
and Consequences
Consequences
of violations include but are not limited to:
- Suspension or revocation of
information network access;
- Suspension or revocation of
network privileges;
- Suspension or revocation of
computer access;
- Suspension from school;
- Expulsion from school;
- Criminal prosecution.
In addition, the School District may seek monetary compensation for damages in appropriate cases. Repeated or severe violations will result in more serious penalties than one-time or minor infractions.
This Acceptable Use Policy is subject to change. The School District reserves the right to restrict or terminate information network access at any time for any reason. The School District further reserves the right to monitor network activity as it sees fit in order to maintain the integrity of the network and to monitor acceptable use. School and District-wide administrators will make the final determination as to what constitutes unacceptable use.
Disciplinary penalties
involving possible suspension or expulsion from school will be determined in
accordance with the School District’s Code of Conduct. However, suspension or
revocation of access privileges will be determined by the network
administrator, acting in consultation with school and District-wide
administrators.
Cross-Ref.:
Policy No. 4550, Acceptable Use Policy for Technology and the Internet –
School
District Employees Policy No. 6550, Internet Safety Policy
Policy
Adopted: Res. No. 02-132 – Nov. 7, 2001 CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Revised: Res. No. 02-146 – Dec. 4, 2001 OF NEW ROCHELLE
Revised: Res.
No. 02-162 – Jan. 8, 2002 New
Rochelle, New York
Revised: Res.
No. 03-70 – Aug. 6, 2002
Revised: Res.
No. 05-105 – Oct. 5, 2004
Revised: Res. No. 09-190 – Feb. 3, 2009
THIS POLICY IS REVIEWED YEARLY AND UPDATED AS NEEDED.
__________________________________________________________________________
INTERNET SAFETY POLICY 6550
INTRODUCTION
It is the policy of
the City School District of New Rochelle (“The School District”) to: (a)
prevent user access over its computer network to, or transmission of,
inappropriate material via Internet, electronic mail, or other forms of direct
electronic communications; (b) prevent unauthorized access and other unlawful
online activity; (c) prevent unauthorized online disclosure, use, or
dissemination of personal identification information of minors; and (d) comply
with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (“CIPA”) [Pub. L. No. 106-554 and
47 USC § 254(h)]. It is the goal of this policy not only to prevent
and protect, but to educate employees, students, parents and the community
of New Rochelle in Internet safety. The CIPA guidelines for an
Internet Safety Policy have also been incorporated by the School
District into its Acceptable Use Agreement.
The Children’s Internet
Protection Act, enacted December 21, 2000, requires recipients of federal
technology funds to comply with certain Internet filtering and policy
requirements. Schools and libraries receiving funds for Internet access and/or
internal connection services must also meet the Internet safety policies of the
Neighborhood Children’s Internet Protection Act that addresses the broader
issues of electronic messaging, disclosure of personal information of minors,
and unlawful online activities.
This policy is intended
to be read together with the School District’s Acceptable Use Policies for
Technology and the Internet (Policy No. 4550 as applicable to School District
employees, and Policy No. 5550 as applicable to School
District students). All limitations and penalties set forth in
the Acceptable Use Policies are deemed to be incorporated into this policy.
Terms used in this policy which also appear in the Children’s Internet Protection Act have the meanings defined
in the Children’s Internet Protection Act.
COMPLIANCE WITH THE
REQUIREMENTS OF CIPA:
Technology Protection
Measures
A Technology
Protection Measure is a specific technology that blocks or filters Internet
access. It must protect against access by adults and minors to
visual depictions that are obscene, involve child pornography, or are harmful
to minors. In addition to the filtering system that is incorporated with the
Internet service provided by Southern Westchester BOCES, the School
District subscribes to a content filtering system, on all computers that
access the Internet, which is compliant with CIPA and NCIPA.
Access to
Inappropriate Material
To the extent
practical, Technology Protection Measures (or “Internet filters”) shall be used
to block or filter Internet, or other forms of electronic communications,
access to inappropriate information. Specifically, as required by
the Children’s Internet Protection Act, blocking shall be applied to visual and
textual depictions of material deemed obscene or child pornography, or to any
material deemed harmful to minors. Subject to staff supervision, technology
protection measures may be disabled or, in the case of minors, minimized only
for bona fide research or other lawful purposes.
Any attempt to bypass,
defeat or circumvent the Technology Prevention Measures is punishable as a
violation of this policy and of the Acceptable Use Policies.
Inappropriate Network
Usage
To the extent
practical, steps shall be taken to promote the safety and security of users of
the City School District of New Rochelle online computer network when using
electronic mail, chat rooms, blogging, instant messaging, online discussions
and other forms of direct electronic communications. Without
limiting the foregoing, access to such means of communication is strictly
limited by the Acceptable Use Policies.
Specifically, as
required by the Children’s Internet Protection Act, prevention of inappropriate
network usage includes: (a) unauthorized access, including so-called ‘hacking,’
and other unlawful activities; and (b) unauthorized disclosure, use, and
dissemination of personal identification information regarding minors.
Supervision and Monitoring
It shall be the
responsibility of all professional employees (pedagogical and administrative
staff) of the City School District of New Rochelle to supervise and monitor
usage of the School District’s computers, computer network and access to the
Internet in accordance with this policy, the Acceptable Use Policies, and the
Children’s Internet Protection Act. Procedures for the disabling or otherwise
modifying any technology protection measures shall be the responsibility of the
Director of Technology or designated representatives.
Education
The City School
District of New Rochelle will advocate and educate employees, students, parents
and the New Rochelle community on Internet safety and
“cyber-bullying.” Education will be provided through such means as
professional development training and materials to
employees, PTA presentations, and community outreach opportunities
such as local public access television and School District websites.
Cyber-bullying
The Acceptable Use
Policies include provisions intended to prohibit and establish penalties for
inappropriate and oppressive conduct, including cyber-bullying. The School
District is a place of tolerance and good manners. Students may
not use the network or any School District computer facilities for hate mail,
defamatory statements, statements intended to injure or humiliate others by
disclosure of personal information (whether true or false), personal attacks on
others, and statements expressing animus towards any person or group by reason
of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or
disability.
Network users may not
use vulgar, derogatory, or obscene language.
Network users may not
post anonymous messages or forge e-mail or other messages.
Furthermore, School
District computers and network facilities may not be used for any activity, or
to
transmit any material
that violates United States, New York State or local laws. This
includes, but is not
limited to any threat
or act of intimidation or harassment against another person.
Cross-Ref.: Policy No. 4550, Acceptable Use Policy for
Technology and the Internet – School District Employees
Policy No. 5550, Acceptable Use Policy for
Technology and the Internet – Students
Policy
Adopted:
Res. No. 09-191 – Feb. 3,
2009
CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
OF NEW
ROCHELLE
New Rochelle, New York
THIS
POLICY IS REVIEWED YEARLY AND UPDATED AS NEEDED.