Royal ISD Acceptable Use Policy
Guidelines
Royal Independent
School District makes communications
and information technologies available to students and District employees
through network and internet access. These technologies, when properly used,
promote educational excellence in the District. Illegal or inappropriate use of these technologies
can have dramatic consequences, harming the District, its students and its
employees. These Acceptable Use Guidelines are intended to minimize the
likelihood of such harm by educating District students and employees and
setting standards which will serve to protect the District. The District
believes that the valuable information and interaction available on the network
and Internet far outweighs the possibility that users may procure material that
is not consistent with the District’s educational goals.
Mandatory Review. To educate District employees and students on proper
computer, network, and Internet use and conduct, users are
required to review these guidelines at the beginning of each school year.
Definition of District Technology System. The District's computer
systems and networks (system) are any configuration of hardware and software.
The system includes but is not limited to the following: Telephones, cellular
telephones, pagers and voicemail facilities; Electronic mail (e-mail) accounts,
Fax machines, Servers, Computer hardware and peripherals, Software including
operating system software and application software, Digitized information
including stored text, data files, e-mail, digital images and audio files, Internally
accessed databases or tools, Externally accessed databases (such as the
Internet) and new technologies as they become available.
Availability of
Access
Acceptable Use. Computer/Network/Internet access will be used to improve
learning and teaching consistent with the District’s educational goals. The
District requires legal, ethical and appropriate computer/network/Internet use.
Privilege. Access to the District’s computer/network/Internet is a
privilege, not a right.
Access to Computer/Network/Internet. Computer/Network/Internet access is
provided to all District teachers and staff. Students may be allowed to use the
local network with campus permission, but may only use the Internet with parent permission.
Student Internet access will be under the direction and guidance of a District
teacher or staff member. Access to the District's electronic communications
system, including the Internet, shall be made available to students and employees
primarily for instructional and administrative purposes and in accordance with
administrative regulations. Limited personal use is permitted if the use
imposes no tangible cost to the District, does not unduly burden the District’s
computer or network resources, and has no adverse affect on an employee’s job
performance or on a student’s academic performance. All nonemployee/nonstudent
users must obtain approval from the principal or departmental supervisor or
designee to gain individual access to the District’s system. All individual
users of the District's system must complete and sign an agreement to abide by
District policies and administrative regulations regarding such use. All such
agreements will be maintained on file in the principal's or departmental
supervisor’s office.
System users are required to
maintain password confidentiality by not sharing the password with others.
System users may not use another person’s system account. Any system user
identified as a security risk or having violated District Acceptable Use
Guidelines may be denied access to the District's system. Other consequences
may also be assigned.
Content/Third-Party
Supplied Information. System
users and parents of students with access to the District's system should be
aware that use of the system may provide access to other electronic
communications systems in the global electronic network that may contain
inaccurate and/or objectionable material. A student who gains access to such
material is expected to discontinue the access as quickly as possible and to
report the incident to the supervising teacher. A student who knowingly brings
prohibited materials into the school's electronic environment will be subject
to suspension of access and/or revocation of privileges on the District's
system and will be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the
Board-approved Discipline Management Plan and Student Code of Conduct.
An employee who knowingly brings prohibited materials into the school's
electronic environment will be subject to disciplinary action in accordance
with District policies.
Subject to Monitoring. All
District computer/network/Internet usage shall not be considered confidential
and is subject to monitoring by designated staff at any time to ensure
appropriate use. System users should not use the computer system to send,
receive or store any information, including e-mail messages, that they consider
personal or confidential and wish to keep private. All electronic files,
including e-mail messages, transmitted through or stored in the computer system
will be treated no differently than any other electronic file. The District
reserves the right to access, review, copy, modify,
delete or disclose such files for any purpose. Users should treat the computer
system like a shared or common file system with the expectation that electronic
files, sent, received or stored anywhere in the computer system will be
available for review by any authorized representative of the District for any
purpose.
User
Responsibilities Network/Internet
users are responsible for their actions in accessing available resources. Campus-
and Departmental-Level Responsibilities. The principal/departmental administrator or designee will:
Be responsible for disseminating and enforcing the District Acceptable Use
Guidelines for the District's system at the campus or departmental level. Ensure
that all individual users of the District's system complete and sign an
agreement to abide by District policies and administrative regulations
regarding such use. All such agreements will be maintained on file in the
principal's or departmental supervisor’s office. Ensure that employees
supervising students who use the District's systems provide information
emphasizing its appropriate and ethical use. Monitor and examine all users of
the District's systems to ensure appropriate and ethical use.
Employee Responsibilities. District employees are bound by all portions of the District’s
Computer/Network/Internet Acceptable Use Guidelines. An employee who knowingly
violates any portion of the Acceptable Use Guidelines will be subject to
disciplinary action in accordance with District policies.
Royal ISD Employee Code of Conduct. District employees are expected to maintain appropriate
conduct when accessing the communications and information technologies
available through computer/network/ Internet access. All employees must comply
with the District’s Computer/Network/Internet Acceptable Use Guidelines at all
times when accessing any part of the technology system.
Employees will guard and protect
access to secure systems by:
1. Protecting
passwords and similar authorization information. Passwords are the primary way in which users are
authenticated and allowed to use the District's computing resources. Employees
will not disclose personal password(s) to any individual, including a faculty
or staff member. Similarly, employees will not disclose other identifying
information (e.g., PIN numbers) used to access specific system information,
recognizing that if they do so, they will be held accountable for their actions
as well as those of other parties to whom they have given access.
2. Guarding unauthorized use of resources. Employees will not allow others
to make use of their accounts or network access privileges to gain access to
resources to which they would otherwise be denied.
3. Not circumventing or compromising security. Employees must not utilize any
hardware or software in an attempt to compromise the security of any other
system, whether internal or external to the District’s systems and network.
Examples of prohibited activities include (but are not limited to) Trojan
horses, password crackers, port security probes, network snoopers, IP spoofing,
and intentional transmission of viruses or worms.
Computer/Network/Internet usage is subject to monitoring by designated staff at
any time to ensure appropriate use. Electronic files sent, received or stored
anywhere in the computer system are available for review by any authorized
representative of the District for any purpose. Employees will affirm, in writing, that at all times their actions while using the
District’s system will not violate the law or the rules of network etiquette,
will conform to the guidelines set forth in the Acceptable Use Guidelines, and
will not violate or hamper the integrity or security of the District’s
technology system.
If a violation of the Acceptable Use Guidelines occurs, employees will be
subject to one or more of the following actions: Revocation of access, Disciplinary action, Loss of
employment with the District, Appropriate legal action.
Student Responsibilities. District students are bound by all portions of the District’s
Computer/Network/Internet Acceptable Use Guidelines.
A student who knowingly violates
any portion of the Acceptable Use Guidelines will be subject to suspension of
access and/or revocation of privileges on the District’s system and will be
subject to disciplinary action.
Use of
System Resources. System users
are asked to purge e-mail or outdated files on a regular basis.
Participation
in Social Media Learning Environments. Students and employees may participate in social media
learning environments (such as, but not limited to, blogs, discussion forums,
RSS feeds, wikis, and message boards) within a District-approved safe, secure,
curriculum-supported learning opportunity.
Inappropriate Use
Inappropriate use includes, but is
not limited to, those uses that violate the law, that are specifically named as
violations in this document, that violate the rules of network etiquette, or
that hamper the integrity or security of this or any components that are
connected to the computer/network/Internet. The following actions are
considered inappropriate uses and are prohibited:
Violations of
Law. Transmission of
any material in violation of any federal or state law is prohibited. This
includes, but is not limited to: copyrighted material, plagiarized material, threatening,
harassing, defamatory or obscene material, or material protected by trade
secret. Tampering with or theft of components from District systems may be
regarded as criminal activity under applicable state and federal laws. Any
attempt to break the law through the use of a District
computer/network/Internet account may result in litigation against the offender
by the proper authorities. If such an event should occur, the District will
fully comply with the authorities to provide any information necessary for the
litigation process.
Intellectual Property. Teachers, staff and students must always
respect copyrights and trademarks of third-parties and their ownership claims
in images, text, video and audio material, software, information and
inventions. The copy, use, or transfer of others’ materials without appropriate
authorization is not allowed.
Transmitting
Confidential Information. Teachers, staff and students may not
redistribute or forward confidential information (i.e. educational records,
directory information, personnel records, etc.) without proper authorization.
Confidential information should never be transmitted, redistributed or
forwarded to outside individuals who are not expressly authorized to receive
the information. Revealing such personal information as home addresses or phone
numbers of users or others is prohibited.
Modification
of Computer. Modifying or changing computer settings and/or internal or external
configurations without appropriate permission is prohibited.
Commercial
Use. Use of
the system for any type of income-generating activity is prohibited.
Advertising the sale of products, whether commercial or personal is prohibited.
Marketing
by Non-RISD Organizations. Use of the system for promoting activities or
events for individuals or organizations not directly affiliated with or
sanctioned by the District is prohibited.
Vandalism/Mischief. Any
malicious attempt to harm or destroy District equipment, materials or data; or
the malicious attempt to harm or destroy data of another user of the District's
system, or any of the agencies or other networks to which the District has
access is prohibited. Deliberate attempts to degrade or disrupt system
performance are violations of District policy and administrative regulations
and may constitute criminal activity under applicable state and federal laws.
Such prohibited activity includes, but is not limited to, the uploading or
creating of computer viruses.
Vandalism as defined above is
prohibited and will result in the cancellation of system use privileges. System
users committing vandalism will be required to provide restitution for costs associated
with system restoration and may be subject to other appropriate consequences.
Impersonation/Plagiarism. Fraudulently
altering or copying documents or files authored by another individual or
assuming the identity of another individual is prohibited.
Illegally
Accessing or Hacking Violations. Illegally accessing or hacking and subsequent manipulation of
information of private databases/systems is prohibited.
File/Data
Violations. Deleting,
examining, copying, or modifying files and/or data belonging to other users,
without their permission is prohibited.
Copyright Violations. Downloading or using copyrighted
information without following approved District procedures is prohibited.
System Interference/Alteration. Deliberate attempts to exceed, evade
or change resource quotas are prohibited. The deliberate causing of network
congestion through mass consumption of system resources is prohibited.
Electronic Mail
Electronic Mail (e-mail) is one of the most used communications tools in the
District. It should be used primarily for instructional and administrative
needs. All teachers and staff are issued e-mail accounts and should keep the
following points in mind:
Perceived Representation. Using school e-mail addresses might
cause some recipients or other readers of the e-mail to think that the user’s
comments represent the District or school, whether that was the user’s intent
or not. Privacy. E-mail
communication should not be considered a private, personal form of
communication. Private information, such as home addresses or phone numbers,
should not be divulged in e-mail without the permission of the individual
involved.
Inappropriate Language. Using obscene, profane, lewd, vulgar, rude, inflammatory, threatening,
or disrespectful language in e-mails distributed through District e-mail is
prohibited. Sending messages that could cause danger or disruption, personal
attacks, including prejudicial or discriminatory attacks are prohibited.
Political Lobbying. Consistent with State ethics laws, District resources and equipment,
including, but not limited to, e-mail, must not be used to conduct any
political activities, including political advertising or lobbying. This
includes using District e-mail to create, distribute, forward, or reply to
messages, from either internal or external sources, which expressly or
implicitly support or oppose a candidate for nomination or election to either a
public office or an office of a political party or support or oppose an
officeholder, a political party, or a measure (a ballot proposition). These
guidelines prohibit direct communications as well as the transmission or
forwarding of e-mails, hyperlinks, or other external references within e-mails
regarding any political advertising.
Forgery. Forgery or
attempted forgery of e-mail messages is prohibited. Attempts to read, delete, copy or modify the e-mail of other system users,
deliberate interference with the ability of other system users to send/receive
e-mail, or the use of another person’s user ID and/or password is prohibited.
Junk Mail/Chain Letters. Users should refrain from forwarding e-mails which do not relate to the
educational purposes of the District. Chain letters or other e-mails intended
for forwarding or distributing to others is prohibited. Creating, distributing
or forwarding any annoying or unnecessary message to a large number of people
(spamming) is also prohibited.
Resource
Limits. Users should
limit e-mail messages to instructional and administrative functions. Users
should check e-mail frequently, delete unwanted messages promptly, and stay
within the e-mail server space allocations. E-mail attachments are limited in
size. Large Emails should not be sent to the district or to a campus without
the consent of the proper administrator.
Personal E-mail Accounts. Internet access to personal e-mail accounts is not allowed.
eNews Regulations
The
District’s eNews system is designed to supplement communications between the
District and/or campus and parents. It is to be utilized for one-way
communication with parents/guardians regarding District- and campus-specific
news only.
Student
E-mail Accounts
The
following will apply to student e-mail usage:
1. Students are prohibited from accessing personal e-mail accounts using the
District’s system.
2. As appropriate and with written approval of the appropriate District
personnel in the Technology Department, project e-mail accounts will be granted
for specific educational activities.
3. Student e-mail accounts may be provided directly by the District or through
the content management system of an approved online course.
4. Students who are given access to an e-mail account are expected to abide by
the guidelines established at Electronic Mail.
District
Web Contributor Responsibilities
The purpose of District Web sites is to communicate campus, department, and
District activities and information to District Web patrons and employees. All
official school and District Web sites must be hosted on a District Web server.
All individuals creating/editing content for display on District Web servers
are considered District Web-content contributors. Web Contributors are
responsible for ensuring that all Web site content, campus Webs and teacher
Webs, conform to the guidelines described below. However, Royal ISD, through
the technology department, reserves the right to alter or delete any content
contained on a District Web site in order to ensure that it conforms with both Web sites guidelines and the District’s
objectives.
Content
Issues
For the
requirements below, ”content” is defined as text,
graphics, media, or other information that is visible and/or audible on a
District Web page.
• All content must be approved by district or campus administration before
being posted to District Web servers.
• If any content and/or file [that is saved on a District Web server or content
on an external (non-District ISD) Web site to which a hyperlink from a District
Web page refers] exhibits any of the following conditions or presents any of
the following problems, the individual responsible for that content will be
asked to eliminate the offending condition within a reasonable amount of time.
If the condition is not corrected after a reasonable amount of time, the
District’s Technology Department will take action to rectify the situation. An
employee who knowingly violates (or promotes the violation of) any portion of
these guidelines will be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with
District policies.
•Content shall not be displayed if it:
- Contains questionable and/or
inappropriate material and/or theme.
- Is of a personal nature.
- Includes commercial,
trademarked, and/or copyrighted material without the express written
consent of the “owner” of the content. If consent is obtained, the proper
trademark/copyright symbol and/or owner’s credits must be displayed.
- Is out-of-date or inaccurate.
- Contains hyperlinks that do
not return an active Web page and displays a “Page Not Found”.
- Contains hyperlinks that do
not return a document and displays a “Page Not Found”.
•Teachers
must use Web sites on District Web servers to post class information. A
hyperlink from a teacher Web site to a teacher’s external, personal Web site or
of any other external (non-District) Web site maintained by District staff or
volunteers is prohibited.
• Personal information about District employees and/or parent volunteers will
not be disclosed without the approval of the individual and the
principal/administrator and will be in accordance with District/campus
procedures. Non-District e-mail addresses, non-District mailing addresses, and
non-District phone numbers will not be disclosed on District/campus Web sites.
• Pictures and names of employees and/or parent volunteers are allowed with
their written approval.
Display
of Student Information on District Websites
The
following conditions apply to the display of student information on District
Web sites. A content contributor who knowingly violates (or promotes the
violation of) any portion of these guidelines will be subject to disciplinary
action in accordance with District policies.
• Student-created projects,
writings, and/or artwork are permitted on campus/District Web sites if the
appropriate parental consent has been obtained.
• Student pictures and names are
permitted if the registration privacy code has been specified for that student.
• For a student with an “N” or “O” registration
privacy code, parental consent must be obtained.
• All student photographs and/or
student work must be displayed with either no name, first name only, or first
name and last initial only. No other personal student information is allowed
including, but not limited to, e-mail address, phone number, home address,
and/or birth date.
Hyperlinks
The
following requirements must be met to utilize hyperlinks on any District Web page.
If these conditions are not met, the individual responsible for those
hyperlinks will be asked to eliminate the offending condition within a
reasonable amount of time, after which the District’s Technology Department
will take action to rectify the situation. If the condition is a violation of
(or promotes the violation of) any District policy or regulation or any local,
state, or federal regulation or law, immediate disciplinary action of the
individual responsible for the content and/or file may be recommended.
• Hyperlinks to external
(non-District) Web sites must include the following text on the District Web
page where the hyperlink exists: “Royal ISD is not responsible for content on
external sites or servers.”
• Hyperlinks to all external (non-District)
Web sites must open those Web sites in a new window.
• Hyperlinks to external
(non-District) Web sites are only allowed where the content in those Web sites
support and/or enhance learning, academic knowledge, and/or provide information
necessary to provide service to District Web patrons. However, if the content
in these Web sites is judged unsuitable at any time, the hyperlink to the site
will be removed.
• Hyperlinks to Web sites, whose
content is prohibited by the District’s Web filtering system, will not be
allowed.
• Hyperlinks to District employee
or volunteer personal Web sites are not allowed.
• Hyperlinks to personal student
Web sites are prohibited.
E-mail Links
District e-mail addresses (those
e-mail addresses ending with “@royal.isd.esc4.net”) will not be displayed on District public Web
sites without being linked to a District e-mail Web form. If an e-mail address is using the
traditional “mailto” html code, the individual responsible for that e-mail link
will be asked to revise his/her code in a reasonable amount of time, after
which, the situation will be rectified by the District’s Technology Department.
Special Features
There are special Web sites
features that will not be allowed on District Web sites.
• “Guestbooks”, “chat areas”,
“message boards” or similar non-District, unmonitored, and/or user-community
developed/maintained facilities are prohibited.
• No executable programs or applets
are allowed on District Web sites.
Security
Reporting
Security Problem. If knowledge of
inappropriate material or a security problem on the computer/network/Internet
is identified, the user should immediately notify the District’s Technology
Department. The security problem should not be shared with others.
Impersonation. Attempts to log on to the
computer/network/Internet impersonating a system administrator or District
employee, student, or individual other than oneself, will result in revocation
of the user's access to computer/network/Internet.
Other
Security Risks. Any user
identified as having had access privileges revoked or denied on another
computer system may be denied access to the District’s Network/Internet.
Consequences of Agreement
Violation
Any attempt to violate the
provisions of this agreement may result in revocation of the user's access to
the computer/network/Internet, regardless of the success or failure of the
attempt. In addition, school disciplinary action and/or appropriate legal
action may be taken.
Denial,
Revocation, or Suspension of Access Privileges. With just cause, the System
Administrator and/or building principal, may deny, revoke, or suspend
computer/network/Internet access as required, pending an investigation.
Warning
Sites accessible via the
computer/network/Internet may contain material that is illegal, defamatory,
inaccurate or controversial. Each District computer with Internet access has
filtering software that blocks access to visual depictions that are obscene,
pornographic, inappropriate for students, or harmful to minors, as defined by
the federal Children’s Internet Protection Act. The District makes every effort
to limit access to objectionable material; however, controlling all such
materials on the computer/network/Internet is impossible, even with filtering
in place. With global access to computers and people, a risk exists that
students may access material that may not be of educational value in the school
setting. The Royal ISD Internet connection is the only system to be used in
schools. No commercial Internet accounts may be used.
Disclaimer
The
District's system is provided on an "as is, as available" basis. The
District does not make any warranties, whether express 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.