Greenbrier+County+SchoolsTechnology+Policy


 * Technology Policy for Greenbrier County Public Schools **

INTERNET and NETWORK ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY Policy 3.46-a

1. Introduction This document formalizes the policy for users of Greenbrier County Public Schools’ network and access to the Internet via West Virginia Network for Educational Telecomputing (WVNET). All users, including students, teachers, administrators, staff, substitute personnel, and educational organizations are covered by this policy and are expected to be familiar with its provisions. The Internet is a virtual world connecting millions of computers all over the world and millions of individual subscribers. Access to the Internet will provide students and educators with With connections to computers and people all over the world comes the availability of materials that may not be considered to be of appropriate educational value. On a global network, it is impossible to completely restrict access to controversial materials. It is the responsibility of the student, parent, teacher and administrator to ensure that access to telecommunication networks and computers provided by the school system is not abused and that all users treat one another with respect.
 * Electronic communication
 * Information and news services
 * Public domain and shareware software of all types
 * Discussion groups on a variety of subjects
 * Connections to many libraries, companies, agencies, and businesses

2. Privileges and Background The use of the Internet as part of an educational program is a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use will result in a cancellation of those privileges. Each student who will access the Internet will be part of a discussion group with educators pertaining to the proper use of the network. Based upon acceptable use of guidelines outlined in this document, the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) and WVNET system administrators and Greenbrier County Schools will deem what is inappropriate use, and their decision is final. Also, system administrators and/or local teachers/administrators may deny user access at any time as necessary. Users must be in compliance with the rules and regulations of West Virginia Board of Education Policy 2460, SAFETY AND ACCEPTABLE USE OF THE INTERNET BY STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS (http:/access.k12.wv.us/internet/p2460tc.htm). Transmission of any material in violation of any U.S. or state law regulation is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, copyrighted material, threatening or obscene material, or material protected by trade secrets. Use for commercial activities by for-profit institutes is generally not acceptable. Use for product advertisement or political lobbying is also prohibited. Illegal activities are strictly prohibited.

3. Parental Consent Students must have written parental consent to use this system. A parent may rescind his/her consent in writing at any time, subsequently terminating the student’s use of this service.

4. Security Users who identify a security problem on the system must notify a system administrator. Users must not demonstrate the problem to other users. Users must not use another user’s account or give their password to others. Attempts to log into any system as a system administrator will result in cancellation of user privileges and may result in other disciplinary action (See Policy 4.6, Greenbrier County Discipline Policy). Any user identified as a security risk or having a history of problems with other computer systems may be denied access. **WVDE and Greenbrier County Schools provide filtering, but no system can totally filter unacceptable materials. Users assume responsibility for responsible use of the Internet and self-monitoring of materials accessed.**

5. User Responsibilities It is the responsibility of any person using Greenbrier County Public Schools network or Internet to read, understand, and follow these guidelines. In addition, users are expected to exercise reasonable judgment in making decisions about the appropriate use of network and Internet resources. Any person with questions regarding the application or meaning of these guidelines should seek clarification from his or her administrator and/or the Director of Technology for Greenbrier County Schools. Use of Greenbrier County resources shall constitute acceptance of the terms of these guidelines.

A. Educator Responsibilities It is the responsibility of educators who are using Greenbrier County network devices with students to teach students about safe and responsible use of the Internet and network. Educators are responsible for monitoring students' use of these resources, and to intervene if students are using them inappropriately. Educators should make sure that students understand and abide by the Acceptable Use policy as stated in this document. If an educator has reason to believe that a student is misusing the system, he or she has the right to request that Greenbrier County Schools access the student's account in order to review the use of Greenbrier County network devices by the student. It is also the responsibility of the teacher to report any misuse of the system to his/her administrator and/or the Director of Technology directly.

B. Student Responsibilities It is the responsibility of students who are using Greenbrier County network devices to learn about safe and responsible use of the Internet and network. They are responsible to use these resources appropriately. They must abide by the Acceptable Use Policy as stated in this document. If a student is misusing the system, educators in the district have the right to discontinue his/her use of the system and/or to impose further disciplinary action (See Policy 4.6, Greenbrier County Discipline Policy), up to and including suspension or expulsion. ** C. **** Acceptable Uses and Behavior ** The purpose of the Internet and school network is to support research and education in and among academic institutions in the U.S. by providing access to unique resources and the opportunity for collaborative work. 1. The use of the Internet must be in support of education and consistent with the educational objectives of the West Virginia Board of Education. Use of other networks or computing resources must comply with the rules appropriate for that network. 2. Users must also be in compliance with the rules and regulations of West Virginia Policy 2460: Safety and Acceptable Use of the Internet by Students and Educators ([]). 3. Treat others on the Internet the way you would treat people in person. It’s easier to call people names or bully them in a virtual world, but it is just as wrong. Do not write or send abusive messages to or about others. Be polite! 4. Proper codes of conduct in electronic communication must be used. Giving out personal information is inappropriate. When using email, extreme caution must always be taken in revealing any information of a personal nature. Emails other than Access accounts should not be used at school. Students who wish to have Access email accounts for educational purposes should contact a teacher or the administrator at their school. These students will be required to receive training on appropriate email use and to abide by the technology policy. 5. Network accounts are to be used only by the authorized owner of the account for the authorized purpose. 6. Subscriptions to mailing lists and bulletin boards other than those sponsored by educational entities must be reported to the system administrator. Prior approval for such subscriptions is required for students and staff. Mailing lists subscriptions will be monitored and maintained, and files will be deleted from the personal mail directories to avoid excessive use of fileserver hard-disk space. 7. Exhibit exemplary behavior on the network as a representative of your school and community. Use appropriate language. Do not swear or use vulgarities or any other inappropriate language. 8. Comply with fair-use laws and other copyright regulations while accessing and utilizing the Internet and other network materials and resources.

D. Unacceptable Uses and Behavior The resources available to Greenbrier County Public Schools users are to be used for educational purposes, as noted above. In the interest of helping users understand inappropriate use, the following list clarifies what users should not do: o Students will not reveal personal information about themselves or others. o Students will not use, send, or display hate mail, forwards (FWD:), harassing or discriminatory remarks, or other antisocial communications (cyberbullying). o Students will not intentionally seek information on/obtain copies of, or modify files, other data, or passwords belonging to other users; do not misrepresent other users on the network or impersonate someone else online. o Students will not access or share sexually explicit (including nude or semi-nude images of yourself or others), obscene, or otherwise inappropriate materials-including sexting and inappropriate sms/mms. o Do not intercept communications intended for other persons or log in through another person's account or attempt to access another user's password or files (identity theft/hacking). o Do not send hurtful or untrue (defamatory or libelous) materials concerning a person or group of people (sexting, inappropriate sms/mms) o Students will not participate in cyberbullying: the act of making personal attacks or threats against anyone. o Students will not use instant messaging programs (e.g., AOL, MSN, GMail, Yahoo, etc) B. __ Use technology for instructional/educational purposes __ o Students should use technology for school-related purposes only during the instructional day. o Students can access collaborative networking sites (e.g., Ning, Grou.ps, Class Chatter, etc) under the direct supervision of a teacher or administrator. o Students can download audio and video files only under the instruction of a teacher or administrator. Students can access voice and video live communications, relay chat, (Skype, GMail, WVDE Access etc) only under the direct supervision of a teacher or administrator C. __ Be careful of what you download from the Internet __ o Do not use the Internet in any way that could disrupt the use of the Internet by other users (e.g., downloading large files during prime time, sending mass email messages, annoying other users, peer-to-peer file sharing.) o Do not use the network to download entertainment software or other files not related to the mission and objectives of Greenbrier County Schools. o Do not download, upload, distribute, or install unauthorized software (including shareware and freeware), files, or any other materials that are not specifically related to an educational project or in violation of federal copyright laws. D. __ Be responsible about technical equipment and network usage __ o Do not allow for-profit institutions to use the network or internet for commercial activities (fundraising on school sites, links to websites with ads) o Do not use the Internet or network to further any political or religious purpose o Do not gain unauthorized access to computers or telecommunication networks o Do not interfere with the operation of technology resources, including placing a computer virus on any computer system, including the network system o Do not use the internet for personal business o Do not attempt to gain unauthorized access to the network system o Do not vandalize any technology equipment which is defined as any attempt harm or destroy data of another user or any connections or equipment that are part of the internet. As with any other form of communication, these systems may not be used to transmit or store messages or other data that are inappropriate under existing WVDE or district policies such as those prohibiting sexual harassment. Users may not create, send, or store messages or other data that are considered offensive, contain sexually explicit materials, or otherwise offensively address the age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious or political beliefs, national origin, or disability of a person or group of people. Users also may not create, send, or store messages, pertaining to dangerous devices such as weaponry or explosive devices. Users should take all reasonable precautions again receiving or downloading messages, images, or other data of this sort. **In accordance with the one-to-one initiative, students must comply with all sections of the acceptable uses and behavior framework.**
 * 1) __ Respect yourself and other Internet users while being SAFE online __

6. No Expectation of Privacy Greenbrier County Public Schools retains the right to inspect any user's Virtual Hard Drive (VHD) and the files it contains. Greenbrier County also has the right to give permission to the teachers, the school administrators, and the parents of any student to review the use of Greenbrier County tools by a student whom they think may be misusing the system. Users are advised that messages in discussion forums, including deleted messages, are regularly archived and can be retrieved. In addition, an Internet firewall automatically checks all data moving between the local area network and the Internet and logs the sending and receiving destinations. Monitoring software may be used to periodically monitor computers by all users. Use of Greenbrier County Schools technology resources constitutes consent for the Greenbrier County staff to monitor and/or inspect any files that users create, any messages they post or receive, and any web sites they access.

7. Passwords Each user shall be required to use and maintain a password that was created according to Greenbrier County Schools guidelines if a password is provided. This password is to be used to access the Greenbrier County Schools computer network and any resources that reside within the network and require password access. The users must take precautions to maintain the secrecy of their password so that other users will not be able to utilize that password for malicious purposes. If a user suspects that someone has discovered the user's password, the user should change the password immediately. Users will be held accountable for all activity that takes place under their password.

8. Violations/Sanctions Failure to observe these guidelines may subject users to termination of their Greenbrier County Schools accounts and/or Internet and network access privileges. Failure to observe guidelines may also result in disciplinary action (See Policy 4.6, Greenbrier County Discipline Policy) that may include suspension or expulsion from school. Greenbrier County Schools will also advise law enforcement agencies of illegal activities conducted through Greenbrier County Schools resources and will cooperate fully with local, state, and/or federal officials in any investigation related to illegal activities conducted through Greenbrier County Schools resources. ** 9. Disclaimers/Conclusions ** 1. Pursuant to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (18 USC 2510 et seq.), notice is hereby given that there are no facilities provided by this system for sending or receiving private or confidential electronic communications. System administrators have access to all mail and will monitor messages. Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities will be reported to the appropriate authorities. 2. WVDE, WVNET and Greenbrier County Schools will not be responsible for any damages you may suffer, including loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, or service interruptions caused by your own negligence or your errors or omissions. Use of any information obtained is at your own risk. 3. WVDE, WVNET and Greenbrier County Schools make no warranties (expressed or implied) with regard to any costs or charges incurred as a result of seeing or accepting any information and any costs, liability, or damages caused by the way the user chooses to use his or her access to the network. 4. WVDE, WVNET, and Greenbrier County Schools deny any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through the system. 5. WVDE, WVNET and Greenbrier County Schools reserve the right to change its policies and rules at any time. 6. All provisions of this agreement are subordinate to local, state and federal statutes. 7. This policy is in compliance with state and federal telecommunications rules and regulations. Network Policies/Miscellaneous Technology Use

All technology guidelines are designed to maximize time on task, protecting the emphasis on academics and the prescribed curriculum. These guidelines also protect the integrity of the teaching and learning process. With this in mind, Greenbrier County Schools offers clarification on specific issues as follows:

CELL PHONES

The school system will not be responsible for lost or stolen cell phones that students bring to school. __ School Day: __ While students may bring cell phones to school to allow for after-school communication with parents, student cell phones will be turned off during the instructional day, and educators will not use cell phones during the instructional periods. __ School Bus: __ Cell phones will remain off while students are riding a school bus and may only be used with the driver’s permission. This permission must be obtained from the driver while the bus is stopped and all students are safely on the bus. *Recommended Dispositions for Students: 1- First offense will result in a warning. 2- Second offense will result in confiscation of the cell phone for the duration of the day. 3- Third offense will result in confiscation of the cell phone until retrieved and signed for by the parent/guardian. 4- Fourth offense will result in detention. 5- Subsequent offenses - County discipline policy will continue to be followed. *Principals are responsible for implementation of these guidelines. Any school specific rules beyond this policy fall within the authority of the building principal.

CYBERBULLYING Cyberbullying will not be tolerated. Educators will educate students about responsible behavior, and students will assume responsibility for Internet and network use that demonstrates respect for themselves and others.

DOWNLOADS In order to ensure equitable access to Internet resources, no audio or videos files will be downloaded except by request and/or with specific district permission.

GAMING Use of the Internet and network system will be for educational purposes. Games not related to instructional objectives will not be accessed during the school day. Teachers and administrators will be responsible for monitoring Internet and network use and ensuring that access is for the purpose of furthering instructional goals.

LAPTOPS and PERSONAL COMPUTERS __STUDENTS__ Students may NOT bring laptops to school from home. While on school grounds, students may use only laptops and desktop computers provided by the school system under the direction of teachers, and they must abide by all elements of Greenbrier County’s Acceptable Use Policy. Students may not use ANY networking devices while on school grounds, other than those provided by the school system.

TEACHERS/ADMINISTRATORS Teachers and administrators with laptops may access the school network system if it is approved by the county technology department and they sign a laptop agreement and agree to abide by the terms set forth in said agreement. Teachers/Administrators accessing the county’s network with their laptops agree to allow the county to set up their computers, to use the county’s antivirus system, to update and run antivirus daily (prior to system use), and to abide by all elements of Greenbrier County’s Acceptable Use Policy. __SUBSTITUTE STAFF__ Substitute staff may NOT bring laptops from homes. __VENDORS AND OTHER SCHOOL VISITORS__ Vendors and other school visitors who wish to use laptops on while in the school environment must seek permission from the administration or a the county technology department PRIOR to visiting the school or county office. These users also agree to abide by Greenbrier County’s Technology Policy.

MULTIMEDIA PLAYERS (e.g., IPODs, MP3s, PSPs, other videogame systems) The school system is not responsible for lost or stolen technology items that students may bring to school. Students may not bring multimedia players for use during the school day for personal or educational use. Schools will provide multimedia players for educational purposes when needed. Students and teachers wishing to post videography will do so within county guidelines, posting videography to hosting sites only, in order to minimize the impact of videostreaming on the school network. ** FLASH DRIVES ** Students may use flash drives but are responsible for scanning them with every use and may not use flash drives in netbooks and personal computers interchangeably. ** NETBOOKS ** Students will receive netbooks after their parents read and sign this Acceptable Use Policy, indicating they understand and will abide by all AUP guidelines Netbook guidelines are as follows: 1) Netbooks remain the property of Greenbrier County Schools and are subject to audit by county staff at any time.   2) Students will turn in netbooks each May and pick them up again in September. They will keep the same netbook for their four years of high school. 3) Students will be responsible for keeping their netbooks secure and in good condition.   4) Students will demonstrate responsible and safe use of the Internet both at school and at home. 5) Students will respect teachers and use netbooks only as directed in the instructional environment.   6) Students will respect peers and promote positive interactions among all classmates. 7) Students are responsible for all use of their netbooks.   8) Students will not loan their netbooks to peers or family members. 9) Parents/Guardians/Students are financially responsible for the return of netbooks when a child is withdrawn from school or if the netbook is lost or stolen.   10) Students in Alternative Education Day School will not take netbooks home but will use desktop computers at school until they return to the regular education program.

VIDEO EQUIPMENT The school system is not responsible for lost or stolen technology items that students may bring to school. Students may not bring in video equipment or any type of camera during the school day unless it is under the direct supervision of a teacher/administrator for educational use. Students may not reproduce/post pictures or videos of students or educators in an educational setting except under the direct supervision of a teacher/administrator.

CONSEQUENCES of FAILURE TO COMPLY

Failure to comply with the policies as set forth here may result in loss of privileges to use Internet and network computers indefinitely and may also result in further disciplinary action (See Policy 4.6, Greenbrier County Discipline Policy), up to and including suspension and expulsion. The Greenbrier County Board of Education shall ensure implementation of this policy in a method that promotes proper use of the Internet. As needed, each school shall utilize technical assistance that is available from the West Virginia Department of Education and RESA IV to promote implementation of this policy. Additionally, each school shall establish procedures that promote the proper use of the Internet system. These procedures must be consistent with approved county and West Virginia Board of Education policies and guidelines

Greenbrier County Schools

Student Network/Internet User Agreement and Parent Permission Form

To use networked resources, all students must **read the Greenbrier County Technology Policy** provided in this calendar and available online at ___, and **sign and return this form** to the appropriate school. Those under age 18 must obtain parental permission.__

Student User Agreement (initial appropriate items):

As a user of the Greenbrier County Schools computer network, I hereby

_ __DO agree to comply with the statements and expectations outlined in the Greenbrier County Technology Policy and to honor__

all relevant laws and restrictions.

_ __DO agree that violation of the policy and/or this agreement may subject me to discipline and termination of use__

___DO grant permission to have my materials published to the World Wide Web__

_ __DO **NOT** grant permission to have my materials published to the World Wide Web.__

Student Signature _ __Date___

School __Grade__ _

Parent/Guardian Permission (initial appropriate items):

All students are provided with access to district computer resources. In addition to accessing our district computer network, as the parent or legal guardian, I grant permission for the above named student to:

_Access the Internet and email systems

_have his/her materials and/or pictures and name published to the World Wide Web

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">_I do **NOT** grant permission for my child to have materials and/or pictures and name published to the World Wide Web.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">These permissions are granted for an indefinite period of time, unless otherwise requested. I understand that individuals and families may be held liable for violations. I understand that some materials on the Internet may be objectionable, but I accept responsibility for guidance of Internet use -- setting and conveying standards for my son or daughter to follow when selecting, sharing or exploring information and media. I have read and discussed the Greenbrier County Technology Policy with my child.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">Parent/Guardian Signature_ Date ___ include component="comments" page="Greenbrier County SchoolsTechnology Policy" limit="10"