7540.08 - NETWORK RESOURCES AND INTERNET SAFETY

Advances in telecommunications and other related technologies have fundamentally altered the ways in which information is accessed, communicated, and transferred in society. Such changes are driving the need for educators to adapt their means and methods of instruction, and the way they approach student learning, to harness and utilize the vast, diverse, and unique resources available on the Internet. The Governing Board is pleased to provide Internet service to its staff. The ESC’s Internet system has a limited educational purpose. The ESC’s Internet system has not been established as a public access service or a public forum. The Governing Board has the right to place restrictions on its use to assure that use of the ESC’s Internet system is in accord with its limited educational purpose. Staff use of the ESC’s computers, network, and Internet services (“Network”) shall be governed by this policy, Policy 7544, and any applicable employment contracts. The due process rights of all users shall be respected in the event there is a suspicion of inappropriate use of the Network. Users have no right or expectation to privacy when using the Network (including, but not limited to, privacy in the content of their personal files, e-mails, and records of their online activity while on the Network).

The Governing Board encourages staff to utilize the Internet in order to promote educational excellence in our schools by providing them with the opportunity to develop the resource sharing, innovation, and communication skills and tools that are essential to both life and work. The Governing Board encourages the faculty to develop the appropriate skills necessary to effectively access, analyze, evaluate, and utilize these resources in enriching educational activities. The instructional use of the Internet shall be guided by the Governing Board’s policy on Instructional Materials.

The Internet is a global information and communication network that provides an incredible opportunity to bring previously unimaginable education and information resources to our students. The Internet connects computers and users in the ESC with computers and users worldwide. Through the Internet, students and staff can access up-to-date, highly relevant information that shall enhance their learning and the education process. Further, the Internet provides students and staff with the opportunity to communicate with other people from throughout the world. Access to such an incredible quantity of information and resources brings with it, however, certain unique challenges and responsibilities.

The Governing Board may not be able to technologically limit access, through the Governing Board’s Internet connection, to only those services and resources that have been authorized for the purpose of instruction, study and research related to the curriculum. Unlike in the past when educators and community members had the opportunity to review and screen materials to assess their appropriateness for supporting and enriching the curriculum according to the reasonable selection criteria (taking into account the varied instructional needs, learning styles, abilities, and developmental levels of the students who would be exposed to them), access to the Internet, because it serves as a gateway to any publicly available file server in the world, shall open classrooms and students to electronic information resources that have not been screened by educators for use by students of various ages.

Pursuant to Federal law, the Governing Board has implemented technology protection measures, which protect against (e.g., filter or block) access to visual displays/depictions/materials that are obscene, constitute child pornography, and/or are harmful to minors, as defined by the Children’s Internet Protection Act. At the discretion of the Governing Board or Superintendent, the technology protection measures may also be configured to protect against access to other material considered inappropriate for students to access. The Governing Board also utilizes software and/or hardware to monitor online activity of staff members to restrict access to child pornography and other material that is obscene, objectionable, inappropriate and/or harmful to minors. The technology protection measures, may not be disabled at any time that students may be using the Network, if such disabling shall cease to protect against access to materials that are prohibited under the Children’s Internet Protection Act. Any staff member who attempts to disable the technology protection measures without express written consent of an appropriate administrator shall be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

The Superintendent or designee may temporarily or permanently unblock access to sites containing appropriate material, if access to such sites has been inappropriately blocked by the technology protection measures. The determination of whether material is appropriate or inappropriate shall be based on the content of the material and the intended use of the material, not on the protection actions of the technology protection measures. The Superintendent or designee may also disable the technology protection measures to enable access for bona fide research or other lawful purposes.

Staff members shall participate in professional development programs in accordance with the provisions of law and this policy. Training shall include:

1. the safety and security of students while using e-mail, chat rooms, social media and other forms of direct electronic communications;
2. the inherent danger of students disclosing personally identifiable information online;
3. the consequences of unauthorized access (e.g., “hacking”), cyberbullying and other unlawful or inappropriate activities by students or staff online; and
4. unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal information regarding minors.

Furthermore, staff members shall provide instruction for their students regarding the appropriate use of technology and online safety and security as specified above, and staff members shall monitor students’ online activities while at school.

Monitoring may include, but is not necessarily limited to, visual observations of online activities during class sessions; or use of specific monitoring tools to review browser history and network, server, and computer logs.

The disclosure of personally identifiable information about students online is prohibited.

Building principals/program managers/supervisors are responsible for providing training so that Internet users under their supervision are knowledgeable about this policy. The Governing Board expects that staff members shall provide guidance and instruction to students in the appropriate use of the Internet. Such training shall include, but not be limited to, education concerning appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness and response. All Internet users are required to sign a written agreement to abide by the terms and conditions of this policy.

Staff will be assigned a school e-mail address that they are required to utilize for all school-related electronic communications, including those to students, parents, and other constituents, fellow staff members, and vendors or individuals seeking to do business with the ESC.

Staff members are responsible for good behavior on Governing Board’s computer/network and the Internet just as they are in classrooms, school hallways, and other school premises and school sponsored events. Communications on the Internet are often public in nature.

Staff members shall not access social media for personal use on the ESC’s network, and shall access social media for educational use only after submitting a plan for that educational use and securing the principal/program manager’s approval of that plan in advance.

General school rules for behavior and communication apply. The Governing Board does not sanction any use of the Internet that is not authorized by or conducted strictly in compliance with this policy and Policy 7544.

Staff members use of ESC technology resources to access or use social media is to be consistent with Policy 7544.

An employee’s personal or private use of social media may have unintended consequences. While the Governing Board respects its employees’ First Amendment rights, those rights do not include permission to post inflammatory comments that could compromise the ESC’s mission, undermine staff relationships, or cause a substantial disruption to the school environment. This warning includes staff members’ online conduct that occurs off school property including from the employee’s personal communication device. Postings to social media should be done in a manner sensitive to the staff member’s professional responsibilities.

Users who disregard this policy may have their use privileges suspended or revoked, and disciplinary action taken against them. Users granted access to the Internet through the Governing Board’s computers assume personal responsibility and liability, both civil and criminal, for uses of the Internet not authorized by this policy.

The Governing Board designates the Superintendent and Coordinator of Information and Technology Services as the administrators responsible for initiating, implementing, and enforcing this policy as they apply to staff members’ use of the Network.

Ohio Valley Educational Service Center