STUDENT TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE AND SAFETY | Policy Manual

7540.03 - STUDENT TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE AND SAFETY

Educational Service Center Information & Technology Resources include, but are not limited to, computers, file servers, laptops, software, e-mail, video equipment, AV equipment, public address systems, presentation equipment, telephones, voice mail systems, digital cameras, scanners, the local area network, the wide area network, and all equipment related thereto (collectively, “Technology Resources” or individually, “Technology Resource”). These resources are school property purchased with public funds or grant monies and are intended solely for use in furtherance of the mission of the Educational Service Center, to enhance the delivery of education, and to conduct necessary school business. Technology Resources may only be used for appropriate curricular and co-curricular purposes.

This policy sets forth the proper and acceptable uses of Technology Resources, electronic mail and communications and the Internet for all authorized users other than students and Educational Service Center employees. The use of any Technology Resource shall constitute acknowledgment and acceptance by the user of this policy and all other applicable Board policies and regulations.

Any authorized user who violates this policy, or allows others to do so, shall be immediately disconnected from all Technology Resources, may have their Technology Resource use privileges permanently revoked, and may be removed from the Educational Service Center’s facilities. Each authorized user shall sign a form to acknowledge they have read, understands, and shall comply with this Technology Resources Acceptable Use Policy. These forms shall be kept on file by the Educational Service Center as binding legal documents.

The Governing Board reserves the right to modify this policy at any time. The Governing Board may pursue criminal prosecution or civil action for any unauthorized use of Information & Technology Resources or any violation of this policy when appropriate.

Technology Resources and Acceptable Use Policy Outline

General Standards of Conduct for Use of Technology Resources,
General Standards of Conduct for Electronic Mail and Communications,
General Standards of Conduct for Internet Use,
Educational Service Center Web Sites, and
Disclaimers.

Form: Authorized User Receipt and Acknowledgment

General Standards of Conduct for Use of Technology Resources

Only software licensed to the Board and/or authorized in writing by the Coordinator of Information and Technology, or designee, shall be installed on Technology Resources. Installation of such software shall be performed only by authorized personnel to ensure that the software is (a) compatible with existing computer systems; (b) properly installed, maintained, used, and upgraded; (c) free from any computer virus; and (d) properly licensed. Installation of any other software, including but not limited to, shareware, freeware, public domain, or demonstration copies of software, is prohibited. Unscheduled audits of Technology Resources shall be periodically performed and any unlicensed or unapproved software shall be removed without notice.
Only hardware licensed to the Governing Board and/or authorized in writing by the Coordinator of Information and Technology, or designee, shall be installed on Technology Resources. Installation of such hardware shall be performed only by authorized personnel to ensure that the hardware is (a) compatible with existing computer systems; (b) properly installed, maintained, used, and upgraded; (c) free from any computer virus; and (d) properly licensed. Installation of any other hardware, including but not limited to, CPUs, mother Boards, hard-drives, zip drives, video cards, memory, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, SCSI cards, modems/routers, is prohibited. Memory based recording devices/media used for the transportation of information or enhancement devices (e.g., speakers, cameras) are permitted. The Governing Board reserves the right to inspect or restrict such use should these devices/media contain material that may damage Technology Resources (e.g., viruses, malware, spam ware, spyware). Unscheduled audits of Technology Resources shall be periodically performed and any unlicensed or unapproved hardware shall be removed without notice.
Technology Resource users shall not delete any software on the Educational Service Center’s computers, copy any software owned by the Educational Service Center, or remove any hardware from the Educational Service Center’s property without prior written permission from the Coordinator of Information and Technology.
Technology Resource users may not deploy or install wireless access points without prior written permission from the Coordinator of Information and Technology.
Network and system passwords ensure the security of critical and sensitive electronic data and are the first defense against unauthorized access. Only passwords issued by the Coordinator of Information and Technology, or designee, shall be used. Technology Resource users are prohibited from divulging their passwords to other individuals. Habitual loss or unauthorized disclosure of any password shall be subject to disciplinary action.
Disruption of electronic services and interference with Technology Resources or electronic information (including but not limited to, uploading, or downloading damaging data or illegal software; tampering with hardware or software; vandalizing or destroying data; introducing or using computer viruses, worms, or Trojan horses; or attempting to gain access to restricted information or networks) are prohibited.
Authorized users are prohibited from allowing any unauthorized person to use or operate any Technology Resource. Volunteers, aides, or other persons in the school for a specific school purpose may be authorized by the Coordinator of Information and Technology, or designee, to use Technology Resources only under the direction and direct supervision of a Educational Service Center employee. Technology Resource users shall shut down and secure in an appropriate fashion Technology Resources which are not in use.
Any use of Technology Resources to facilitate illegal activity is prohibited. Technology Resources shall not be used to encourage or promote any activity prohibited by law or Board policy, rules, procedures, or regulations. Any misconduct or criminal activity discovered shall be referred to appropriate authorities.
Use of the Educational Service Center’s Technology Resources to access or transmit obscene, pornographic, or violent materials or to transmit materials likely to be threatening, offensive or objectionable is prohibited. Such prohibited materials include, but are not limited to, “hacking” materials; racist material or hate literature; terrorism instructions/directions or other dangerous information; profane or vulgar materials; threatening or inflammatory language; false or defamatory materials; disparagement of others based on race, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, ancestry, disability, age, sex, or sexual orientation; and any materials that advocate violating other’s rights. In the context of educational purposes, the Educational Service Center may allow research or investigation of some objectionable materials to allow students to be better prepared to recognize social harms and improve their ability to deal effectively therewith.
Use of Technology Resources for political, commercial, or for-profit purposes, including fund-raising unless specifically authorized by the Educational Service Center administration, is prohibited.
Unauthorized access, use, modification, alteration, vandalism or destruction of Technology Resources or electronic information is prohibited. Any inappropriate use of Technology Resources that may hinder future use is prohibited. Technology Resource users are expected to respect the Educational Service Center’s property and to follow any instructions from the Coordinator of Information and Technology, or designee, regarding maintenance and care of equipment. Technology Resource users shall promptly notify the Coordinator of Information and Technology of any need for service to Technology Resources.
Technology Resources may not be used in violation of Copyright laws. Any copyrighted material placed on any system connected to the Educational Service Center network without the author’s permission shall be removed.
Technology Resources may not be used in violation of privacy laws and the unauthorized disclosure, use or dissemination of personally identifiable information concerning students is prohibited. All Technology Resource users are required to protect themselves and others by not issuing or releasing any personal or confidential information via Technology Resources.
The Coordinator of Information and Technology may establish and enforce quotas for usage of available space on the Educational Service Center network. Technology Resource users are expected to remain within allocated disk space and delete e-mail or other materials which take up excessive storage space.
Technology Resource users shall immediately notify the Coordinator of Information and Technology if they identify any security problem.
The Educational Service Center administration reserves the right to limit the times of access and to establish priorities among competing acceptable uses of Technology Resources.
All remote access and use of Technology Resources shall also be subject to all applicable requirements of this policy.

General Standards of Conduct for Electronic Mail and Communications:

There shall be no use of e-mail, chat room, bulletin Boards (such as myspace.com), instant messaging or other forms or systems of direct electronic communication by volunteers, aides or other persons in the school for a specific school purpose, either internal or external to the Educational Service Center network, without the prior written consent of the Coordinator of Information and Technology. If such consent is granted, the authorized user(s) shall be subject to the electronic mail and communications requirements that are applicable to Educational Service Center employees as set forth in this policy.

General Standards of Conduct for Internet Use:

The General Standards of Conduct for Use of Technology Resources set forth above shall be equally applicable to all Internet use.
Internet access over the Educational Service Center network may be provided only to Educational Service Center employees, students, individuals enrolled in Adult Education classes, and volunteers, aides, or other persons in the school for a specific school purpose when authorized by the Coordinator of Information and Technology, or designee. Student Internet access may be limited to specified times, as provided by the instructors and the Educational Service Center administration.
Internet access over the Educational Service Center network is available only to support learning, to enhance instruction and to assist in the administration of the Educational Service Center. Internet access is to be used in a responsible, ethical, and legal manner. All authorized users are responsible for their actions and communications on the Internet.
The Educational Service Center has implemented technology protection measures to block or filter materials which are obscene or harmful to minors. The Educational Service Center shall restrict, to the extent practicable and technically possible, access to offensive information and materials. Because Internet access provides connections to computer systems located all over the world, the Educational Service Center cannot, however, control the content of all information and materials available on the District network.
The Educational Service Center administration shall determine whether any use of the network is inappropriate or unauthorized, or whether any Internet information and materials are objectionable.
Instructional Staff should preview recommended sites and materials selected for inclusion in coursework. Sites should be appropriate in light of the age of the students and relevant to course objectives. Student Internet use shall be carefully monitored by Educational Service Center staff or authorized individuals. Educational Service Center staff and authorized individuals are expected to enforce all rules pertaining to student computer and Internet use and, if any instructional staff member becomes aware of student violations, he/she is expected to stop the activity and inform appropriate Educational Service Center administrators.
All Technology Resource users shall promptly report to the Coordinator of Information and Technology or another appropriate Educational Service Center administrator any inappropriate information or material they encounter when using the Internet or which they believe may be available based on Internet usage by other individuals.
Files downloaded from the Internet shall be scanned with virus detection software before being viewed or opened. Internet users are prohibited from accessing or retrieving any relay chat or other real-time or “live” communications unless there has been prior clearance by the Superintendent or designee. However, live communication for Educational Service Center business reasons within the Educational Service Center network is permissible.
Internet peer-to-peer file sharing and torrent use are prohibited unless there has been prior clearance by the Superintendent or designee. However, file sharing for Educational Service Center business reasons within the Educational Service Center network is permissible.
The downloading and installation of programs from the Internet is prohibited without the prior written approval of the Coordinator of Information and Technology or designee. Unauthorized programs shall be removed without notice.
Information obtained via the Internet is not always reliable and should be verified for accuracy, quality, and completeness.
Distribution of student information, using any personal Internet service provider, whether during or after school hours and whether on or off the Educational Service Center’s premises, is a violation of student privacy and is subject to disciplinary action.
For curricular reasons only, authorized users may access personal sites/pages if they reflect the professional image of the Educational Service Center and are consistent with the mission of the Educational Service Center.

Educational Service Center Websites

The Educational Service Center has established a Website, www.https://www.npesc.org/, and shall develop Web pages that present information about the Educational Service Center. The Superintendent or designee is responsible for maintaining the Educational Service Center Website and may establish Website Publishing rules to manage the posting of information to the Educational Service Center Website, the posting of any school, class or student Web pages, and the creation of links to or from outside sources. All Websites and pages (including links) hosted on the Educational Service Center network shall reflect the professional image of the Educational Service Center and be consistent with the mission of the Educational Service Center. Unauthorized Websites or pages may not be placed on the Educational Service Center network.

Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools For School Work

To ensure the integrity of the educational process and to promote fair and equal opportunities for all students, except as outlined below, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools is strictly prohibited for the completion of school work. The use of AI tools, without the express permission/consent of a teacher, undermines the learning and problem-solving skills that are essential to academic success and that the staff is tasked to develop in each student. Students are encouraged to develop their own knowledge, skills, and understanding of course material rather than relying solely on AI tools and they should ask their teachers when they have questions and/or need assistance. Unauthorized use of AI tools is considered a form of plagiarism, and any student found using these tools without permission or in a prohibited manner will be disciplined in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct. (See Policy 7540.09 - Artificial Intelligence ("AI"))

Notwithstanding the preceding, students can use AI tools in the school setting if they receive prior permission/consent from their teacher, so long as they use the AI tools in an ethical and responsible manner. Teachers have the discretion to authorize students to use AI tools for the following uses:

Research assistance: AI tools can be used to help students quickly and efficiently identify background information, including locating relevant information and sources for their school projects and assignments, suggesting research questions, providing opposing viewpoints, identifying blind spots, and suggesting other perspectives.
Data Analysis: AI tools can be used to help students with pattern identification and to analyze, understand, and interpret large amounts of data, such as text documents or social media posts. This can be particularly useful for research projects or data analysis assignments – e.g., scientific experiments and marketing research.
Language translation: AI tools can be used to translate texts or documents into different languages, which can be helpful for students who are learning a new language or for students who are studying texts written in a different language. AI tools can also remove abstract language from a text, adjust text complexity, and provide background information about a culture to help a student understand texts.
Writing assistance: AI tools can provide feedback on a student’s writing, including grammar and spelling corrections, as well as suggest alternative word choices and sentence structure, to help students improve their writing skills. Similarly, AI tools can offer suggestions to modify tone and voice, organize a student’s thinking, identify bias, suggest additional topics, and ask questions to expand the student’s thinking on a topic.
Accessibility: AI tools can be used to help students with disabilities access and understand written materials. For example, text-to-speech software can help students with specific learning disabilities or visual impairments to read texts and AI-powered translation tools can help students with hearing impairments understand spoken language (e.g., create transcripts or provide closed-captioning for spoken material).

When AI tools are used responsibly and effectively, they can supplement, not replace, traditional learning methods. If a student has any questions about whether they are permitted to use AI tools for a specific class assignment, they should ask their teacher.

In accordance with their teacher’s direction, students are required to cite/identify work generated/created with the use of AI tools and explain/demonstrate how the AI tools were used in the creation of the work.

Disclaimers

The Educational Service Center does not guarantee the privacy of any information, including but not limited to e-mail messages or electronic communications or files sent or received via Technology Resources. Any person utilizing any Technology Resource understands and agrees that he/she is specifically waiving any expectations of privacy in communications, data and other information stored, displayed, accessed, communicated, or transmitted thereon. The Educational Service Center reserves and shall exercise the right to access, monitor, review, audit, log and intercept computer activity, Internet use, e-mail, electronic communications, and other Technology Resource use by any users, at all times and without notice. The Educational Service Center may edit or remove any materials from Technology Resources which are determined to be objectionable. If any misconduct or criminal activity is discovered, the information or communications may be used to document such conduct and may be referred to the Educational Service Center administration and appropriate authorities. The use of a Educational Service Center provided password or code does not restrict the Educational Service Center’s right to access, monitor, review, audit, log, and intercept electronic information or communications.

The Educational Service Center denies any responsibility for the accuracy, quality, or completeness of any information available over the Internet. Furthermore, the Educational Service Center assumes no responsibility for any costs, liabilities or damages incurred through use of Technology Resources.

Technology Resource users are responsible for archiving and backing-up all electronic information and communications which need to be retained. The Educational Service Center makes no guarantee that the functions or services provided by or through the Educational Service Center network shall be error free or without defect. The Educational Service Center is not responsible for any damages incurred due to loss of data or delays in or interruption of services.

The Coordinator of Information and Technology may investigate any unusual activity involving Technology Resources and may periodically report to the Superintendent or designee on the manner in which Technology Resources are being used.