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Perryton Independent School District

Acceptable Use Policy for All Network Services and Technology Systems.

General Information

           The Superintendent or designee will oversee the District’s Network Services and Technology systems.

            The District’s electronic systems primary function is for administrative and educational purposes consistent with the District’s mission and goals.  These functions supersede all other uses.  Commercial use of the District’s system is prohibited.

            Perryton ISD will provide training to employees in proper use of the system and will electronically post a copy of acceptable use guidelines on the school Web Pages.  The policy will also be available for download for those wanting a hard copy.  All training in the use of the technology sources of Perryton ISD will emphasize ethical use of this resource.

            Perryton ISD uses technology protection measures relying primarily on monitoring the activities passing through the system.  However, Perryton ISD does block inappropriate Web Sites.  Inappropriate sites are those sites that are not in accordance with this District Policy, the guidelines stated in this document, or the laws of the State of Texas and the United States of America. Examples of inappropriate sites include pornographic sites, sites espousing or advocating racism, violence or intolerance based on race, religion, creed or national origin.  Sites espousing the use, sale, or manufacture of illegal drugs and sites linking to on-line gambling or bookmaking are inappropriate.  This list is offered only as an example and is not all inclusive.  Reasonable and prudent judgment is the best determination of inappropriate sites.

System Access

            Access to the District’s Technology Systems will be governed as follows:

1.      With the approval of their immediate supervisor, District Employees will be granted access to Network Services.  They will be issued usernames and passwords.  They agree not to share their passwords with anyone.   Passwords shall not be DOBs (date of births) family members names, social security numbers, or any other name that could be reasonably assumed.

2.      The District will require periodic changing of passwords, usually every 40 days, but more often when needed.

3.      Teachers may apply for a class account.  In doing so, the teacher will be responsible for the use of the account.  Teachers with class accounts will be required to maintain password confidentiality.

4.      Students completing required course work on the system would have first priority for use of District Technology Services during after-school hours.

5.      Any system user identified as a security risk or having violated District and/or campus Acceptable Use guidelines may be denied access to the District’s system.

Campus-Level Coordinator Responsibilities

                   As the campus-level coordinator for the Technology Systems, the principal or designee will:

1.      Be responsible for disseminating and enforcing applicable District policies and acceptable use guidelines for Perryton ISD’s system at the campus level.

2.      Ensure that all users of Technology complete and sign an agreement to abide by appropriate policies and administrative regulations regarding such use.  All such agreements will be maintained on file in the principal’s office.

3.      Require employees supervising students who use the District’s Technology resources to provide training emphasizing the appropriate use of the services.

4.      Be authorized to monitor or examine all systems activities, including e-mail, as deemed appropriate to maintain the integrity and accountability of the resources.

5.      Be authorized to establish a retention schedule for messages on any electronic bulletin board(s) and to remove messages posted locally that are considered inappropriate.

Individual User Responsibilities

       The following standards apply to all users of Perryton ISD’s Technology Resources.

         Online Conduct

1.      The individual in whose name a system account is issued will be responsible at all times for its proper use.

2.      Users shall not access material that is obscene, pornographic, “harmful to minors”, or otherwise inappropriate for educational purposes.

3.      The system may not be used for illegal purposes, in support of illegal activities, nor for any other activity prohibited by District Policy.

4.      Users shall not use school resources to engage in “hacking” or attempts to subvert or otherwise compromise system security.

5.      Students shall only use electronic mail and other network systems for school purposes.  Students shall not use chat rooms.

6.      Students shall not disclose personal information, such as name, school, address, and/or telephone numbers outside of the school network.

7.      System users must not use another person’s system password.

8.      Systems users must delete e-mail in accordance with established District policy.

9.      System users may redistribute copyrighted programs or data only with the written permission of the copyright holder or designee.  Such permission must be specified in the document or must be obtained directly from the copyright holder or designee in accordance with applicable copyright laws.

10.  System users may not upload public domain programs to the system.  System users may download public domain programs only with permission of district or campus technology staff and sufficient virus detection measures active.  The system user downloading the software is responsible for determining if software is part of the public domain.

11.  System users will read and follow suggestions of district and campus technology staff regarding virus warnings, security precautions, and other instructions.  Failure to do so could result in loss of network and other technology privileges.

          Monitoring

            Perryton ISD will monitor all networked systems using both supervisory staff and                                                                                            

            electronic devices to ensure that  “online-activities” meet the requirements of     

            laws of the United States, the State of Texas, and local Board Policy.  The

            necessity of a safe learning environment demands no less.

            Copyright Definition

          Copyright is the legal means by which an author or designer protects his/her work from unauthorized use by others.  Copyright laws govern the use of

 computer software licensing agreements.  Care must be taken to avoid copyright violations and disruptions of the network related to incompatible or

 corrupted software.  All federal copyright laws apply to materials located or transferred on the Internet or other online resources.

             Copyrightable works include the following:

1.      Literary works including fiction, non-fiction, textbooks, biographies and other scholarly works.

2.      Musical works including accompanying lyrics.

3.      Dramatic works including accompanying music.

4.      Pantomimes and choreographic works.

5.      Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works.

6.      Motion pictures and other audiovisual works.

7.      Sound recordings.

8.      Software.

9.      (Note:  To be copyrightable, a work must be original in the sense that the author has created it by his or her own skill, labor, and judgment; but no large measure of novelty is necessary.)

Fair Use

Fair use, according to the Digital Millennium copyright Act of 1998, allows a person a restricted privilege of using the copyrighted work of someone else.  There are limitations and boundaries to this use.  The following are some criteria used to determine each individual case.

1.      The purpose and character of the use, including whether the use is of a commercial nature or for nonprofit educational purposes.

2.      The date the copyright was obtained.

3.      The nature of the copyrighted work.

a.       The amount and importance of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole

b.      The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

c.       Whenever possible, permission for the use of copyrighted material should be obtained from the owner.

Copyright and the Internet

Many things that appear on the World Wide Web are not copyrightable.  Absence of a copyright notice, however, does not imply non-copyrighted material.  The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA) has begun to define electronic copyright issues.  It has defined ways copyrighted materials may be used on a limited basis by educators in a face-to-face teaching environment without jeopardizing copyright laws.  Even with the DMCA, there is still a large gray area in copyright interpretation.  Educators may find these suggestions helpful in clarifying the issue.

1.      Obtain permission for use of the work from the copyright owner.  (CAUTION:  Obtaining permission to use a work found on a web page does not always provide legal permission.  Be sure the Webmaster from which you obtained permission is the original owner of the material.

2.      Use items that are in the public domain.  (Example:  Works created hundred of years ago. One example would be the works of William Shakespeare.  You should still provide the name and source of your work)

World Wide Web Publishing

            Campuses and individual teachers may desire to create their own WebPages.  It should be an integral part of a student and teacher’s electronic learning experience.  The following guidelines will help give direction to people wishing to create a Web Site.

1.      No student information or pictures should be posted on the Web Site without parental permission.  It is suggested that this permission be obtained when the appropriate usage agreements are signed at the start of the school year although they may be obtained on an as-needed basis.

2.      Pictures of students posted on the Web Site that personally identify the student also require parental permission.

3.      Prior to publication to the School Web Site, the campus administrator or designee should review and approve all materials.

4.      The Webmaster or designee will actually publish the materials on the Web Site.

Interactive Television Participant Waiver

Perryton ISD utilizes an interactive Distance Learning Classroom (located at Perryton High School) for the purposes of offering classes that are not available from within the District.  We will also offer classes to other schools in the area that involve teacher and students from our District.  These classes are transmitted to other schools and videotaped for future use in educational settings.  Employees and the parents of students participating in these events will be asked to sign a waiver reading as follows:  “I hereby agree that transmission and taping of my voice, presence, and participation in these events will not be a violation of my personal rights and hereby release any claims for use of such.”

Vandalism Prohibited

Any malicious attempt to harm or destroy Perryton ISD equipment or materials, software, data, data of another user, or any of the agencies or other networks that are connected to the Internet is prohibited.  Deliberate attempts to degrade or disrupt system performance may be viewed as violations of District Policy and administrative regulations and, possibly, as criminal activity under applicable state and federal laws.  This includes, but is not limited to, the uploading or creating of computer viruses.

Vandalism as defined above will result in the cancellation of system use privileges and will require restitution for costs associated with system restoration, hardware, and/or software costs. 

Forgery Prohibited

Forgery or attempted forgery of electronic mail messages is prohibited.  Attempts to read, delete, copy, or modify the electronic mail of other systems users or deliberate interference with ability of other system users to send/receive electronic mail is prohibited.

Prohibited Materials

System users and parents of students with access to Perryton ISD’s network systems should be aware that use of the system may provide access to other information technology systems in the global network that contain inaccurate, objectionable, and highly inappropriate materials.  While the staff and equipment of Perryton ISD is dedicated and committed to the safety and welfare of our students and staff, these sites can still be reached occasionally.

Students knowingly bringing prohibited materials into the District’s electronic environment will be subject to a suspension and/or a revocation of technology privileges and subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.

Employees knowingly bringing prohibited materials into the electronic environment of the District will be subject to disciplinary action according to District policies.

Network Etiquette

System users are expected to observe the following network etiquette:

1.      Be polite at all times.

2.      Use appropriate language.  Swearing, vulgarity, ethnic or racial slurs, and any other inflammatory language are prohibited.

3.      Pretending to be someone else when sending or receiving messages is considered inappropriate.

4.      Transmitting obscene messages and/or pictures is prohibited.

5.      Using the network to disrupt its use by others is prohibited.

Termination or Revocation of System User Account

The District may suspend or revoke a system user’s access to the network upon violation of District policy and/or administrative regulations regarding acceptable use.

Termination of any employee’s account or of a student’s access will be effective on the date the principal or technology coordinator receives notice of student withdrawal or of revocation of system privileges, or on a future date if so specified in the notice.

Illegal or unacceptable use of Network Systems and Technology Services

            Any use of Perryton ISD’s networks and technology systems that is in violation

            District policies and administrative guidelines may result in disciplinary actions

in addition to revocation and/or suspension of network and technology     

privileges.  All users who abuse the rules are subject to various policies such as Student Codes of Conduct, School Board Policies and other administrative guidelines.

Disclaimer

Perryton ISD’s network and technology systems are provided on an “as is, as available” basis.  The District does not make any warranties, whether expressed or implied, including, without limitation, those of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose with respect to any services provided by the system and any information or software contained therein.  The District does not warrant that the functions or services performed by, or that the information or software contained on the system will meet the system user’s requirements, or that the system will be uninterrupted or error-free, or that defects will be corrected. 

Opinions, advice, services, and all other information expressed by system users, information providers, service providers, or other third party individuals in the system are those of the providers and not the District.

The District will cooperate fully with local, state, or federal officials in any investigation concerning or relating to misuse of the District’s electronic communications system. 

Student Agreement for Participation in Perryton ISD Network Services and Technology Systems

The student agreement must be renewed each academic year.

STUDENT SECTION

Name _________________________________________  Grade __________________

Campus ________________________________________________________________

I have read the District’s Acceptable Use Policy for All Network Services and Technology Systems and agree to abide by their provisions.  I understand that violation of these provisions may result in suspension or revocation of system access.

Student’s signature ______________________________________  Date ____________

PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN SECTION

I have read the District’s Network Services and Technology Systems policies and administrative guidelines including the Acceptable Use Policy.  In consideration of the privilege of using the District’s technology services, and in consideration for having access to the District’s networks and the public network (the Internet), I hereby release the District, its operators, and any institutions with which they are affiliated from any and all claims and damages of any nature arising from my child’s use of, or inability to use, the systems, including, without limitation, the type of damage identified in the District’s policy and administrative regulations.

_____  I give my permission for my child to participate in the District’s Network Services and Technology Systems     

            and certify that the information provided on this form is correct

_____  I agree and understand the policy relating to WWW publishing and allow my child to participate.

_____  I give permission for my child to participate in Distance Learning Activities and to have these activities

            recorded.

 ____   I do not give permission for my child to participate in any District Network Services or Technology Systems

            activities.

Signature of parent or legal guardian __________________________________________

Home Address ___________________________________________________________

Home Phone Number ______________________________  Date __________________

This Space reserved for Network Technology Personnel use

Assigned Username  ______________________________________________________

Employee Agreement for Network Services and Technology Systems Participation

I have read the District’s Acceptable Use Policy for Network Services and Technology Systems and District policies and agree to abide by their provisions.  In consideration for the privilege of using District Network and Technology Systems and in consideration for having access to the public networks (the Internet), I hereby release the District, its operators, and any institutions with which they are affiliated from any and all claims and damages of any nature arising from my use of, or inability to use, the systems, including, without limitation, the type of damages identified in the District’s policy and administrative regulations

Signature _______________________________________________________________

Date ___________________________________________________________________

For Technology Department use only

Assigned User Name __________________________________________

Password is user set after initial logon

Guest User Agreement for Network Services and Technology Systems Participation

I have read the District’s Acceptable Use Policy for Network Services and Technology Systems and District policies and agree to abide by their provisions.  In consideration for the privilege of using District Network and Technology Systems and in consideration for having access to the public networks (the Internet), I hereby release the District, its operators, and any institutions with which they are affiliated from any and all claims and damages of any nature arising from my use of, or inability to use, the systems, including, without limitation, the type of damages identified in the District’s policy and administrative regulations.
I further agree to abide by all the rules, regulations and guidelines stipulated or implied in this policy.

Signature _______________________________________________________________

Date ___________________________________________________________________