File IJNDC: Technology Acceptable Use Policy

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Monomoy Regional School District
Technology Acceptable Use Policy

The Monomoy Regional School District shall provide access for employees and students to the computer system/network, including access to external networks, for educational and business purposes. Educational purposes shall be defined as classroom activities, career and professional development, and high-quality self-discovery activities of an educational nature. The purpose of the system/network is to assist in preparing students for success in the classroom by providing access to a wide range of information and the ability to communicate with others. The system/network will be used to increase communication (staff, parent, and student), enhance productivity, and assist staff in upgrading existing skills and acquiring new skills through a broader exchange of information. The system/network will also be utilized to provide information to the community, including parents, governmental agencies, and businesses. This Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) governs all electronic activity of employees using and accessing the district’s technology, Internet, and data systems regardless of the user’s physical location.

Online tools, including social media, should be used in MRSD to promote educational excellence, resource sharing, innovation, and communication. Employees shall use digital resources in a responsible, efficient, ethical, and legal manner in accordance with the mission of the district. Staff members are responsible for teaching and for modeling responsible digital citizenship. Any online activities that would not be considered appropriate in the classroom should not be conducted online. High standards of appropriate online communication and conduct must be maintained.

Availability

The Director of Technology shall be responsible for implementing, monitoring, and evaluating the district's system/network for instructional and administrative purposes. Access to the system/network, including external networks, shall be made available to employees and students for instructional and administrative purposes and in accordance with administrative regulations and procedures.

Compliance Requirement

Access to the system/network is a privilege, not a right. All users shall be required to acknowledge receipt and understanding of all administrative regulations and procedures governing use of the system and shall agree in writing to comply with such regulations and procedures. Noncompliance with applicable regulations and procedures may result in suspension or termination of user privileges and other disciplinary actions consistent with the policies of the Monomoy Regional School District. Violations of law may result in criminal prosecution as well as disciplinary action by the Monomoy Regional School District.

Acceptable Use

The Central Administration shall develop and implement administrative regulations, procedures, guidelines, and user agreements, consistent with the purposes and mission of the Monomoy Regional School District as well as with law and policy governing intellectual property.

Definitions
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) - The FOIA is a law that allows for the release of government documents at the request of an individual. A FOIA request can be made to the MRSD for electronic documents/communications stored or transmitted through district systems unless that information could be detrimental to governmental or personal interests. For more information, visit http://www.foia.gov/

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) - The FERPA law protects the privacy, accuracy, and release of information for students and families of MRSD. Personal information stored or transmitted by agents of MRSD must abide by FERPA laws and the MRSD is required to protect the integrity and security of student and family information. For more information, visit http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html

Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) - Requires schools that receive federal funding through the E-Rate program to protect students from content deemed harmful or inappropriate. MRSD is required to filter internet access for inappropriate content, monitor the internet usage of minors, and provide education to students and staff on safe and appropriate online behavior.

Communication & Social Media

Employees and students are provided with district email accounts and online tools to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of communication, both within the organization and with the broader community. Communication should be consistent with professional practices used for all correspondence. When using online tools, members of the MRSD community will use appropriate behavior:

a) when acting as a representative or employee of the MRSD.
b) when the communication impacts or is likely to impact the classroom or working environment in the MRSD.

Employee communication is a matter of public record. This extends to employee use of social media when conducting district business. All communication sent by an employee using district property or regarding district business could be subjected to public access requests submitted through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Users need to be aware that data and other material/files maintained on the school district’s systems may be subject to review, disclosure, or discovery. Use of personal email accounts and communication tools to conduct school business is strongly discouraged and may open an individual’s personal account to be subject to FOIA inquiries. MRSD will cooperate fully with local, state, and federal authorities in any investigation concerning or related to any illegal activities or activities, not in compliance with school district policies or government regulations.

Guidelines for Online Communication/Social Media

Communication with students should not include content of a personal nature.
When communicating with parents/guardians of students, employees should use email addresses and phone numbers listed in the Student Information System (SIS) unless steps have been taken to verify that the communication is occurring with a parent/guardian who has educational rights for the student.
When communicating with a parent/guardian, refrain from discussing any non-related students when possible.
Employees who use internal or external social media (blogs, Twitter, etc.) are expected to refrain from discussing confidential information and/or discussing specific students. Information that can be traced back to a specific student or could allow a student to be publicly identified should not be posted on any social media sites.
Employees should not share photos of students on their personal social media accounts, unless they are sharing an official district post.
When using social media, employees are expected to refrain from posting any negative comments online about students.
Employees are required to notify their principal before setting up an online site to facilitate student learning. Employees are encouraged to monitor/moderate online communication to the best of their abilities.
Team, class, or student organization social media pages, accounts, or groups will be created in accordance with the district's established procedures.
Employees should not add any students/former students or parents as ‘friends’ or contacts on social media unless the site supports classroom instruction or school business.
Employees may communicate with MRSD graduates (+18 years old) on social media but should be advised to maintain professionalism and caution when communicating online.
Employees who add parents/guardians of students as ‘friends’ or contacts on social media must maintain professionalism to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest.
Avoid responding to spam or phishing attempts that require a user to click on any links or to provide any account information. Note: MRSD will never ask for a user’s account password for any purpose and users are advised to report any suspicious requests for account information directly to the MRSD Technology Department.

Monitored Use
Electronic mail transmissions and other use of electronic resources by students and employees shall not be considered confidential and may be monitored at any time by designated staff to ensure appropriate use for instructional and administrative purposes. Internet use will be monitored and filtered so that users are not accessing inappropriate material. CIPA-compliant filtering will be used. Every effort will be made to protect users from accessing what could be deemed inappropriate materials online with the understanding that no filtering system can prevent every potential source of what could be deemed inappropriate content.

By authorizing the use of technology resources, MRSD does not relinquish control over materials on the systems or contained in files on the systems. There is no expectation of privacy related to information stored or transmitted over the MRSD network or in MRSD systems. MRSD reserves the right to access, review, copy, store, or delete any files (unless other restrictions apply) stored on MRSD computers and all employee and student communication using the MRSD network. Electronic messages and files stored on MRSD computers, cloud storage, or transmitted using MRSD systems may be treated like any other school property. District administrators and network personnel may review files and messages to maintain system integrity and, if necessary, to ensure that users are acting responsibly. MRSD may choose to deploy location-tracking software on devices for the sole purpose of locating devices identified as lost or stolen.

Personal Use
MRSD recognizes that users may use MRSD email, devices, and network bandwidth for limited personal use; however, personal use should not interfere with or impede district business and/or cause additional financial burden on the district. Excessive use or abuse of these privileges can be deemed in violation of the Acceptable Use Policy.

Electronic Transmission of Data
When educational records or private data are transmitted or shared electronically, staff are expected to protect the privacy of the data by password-protecting the record/file and only using MRSD systems to transmit data. Staff are also expected to ensure records are sent only to individuals with a right to said records and must take reasonable measures to ensure that only the intended recipients are able to access the data.

Passwords
Users are required to adhere to password requirements set forth by the MRSD when logging into school computers, networks, and online systems. Users are not authorized to share their password and must use extra caution to avoid email scams that request passwords or other personal information. Users must make every reasonable effort to protect confidential data and student privacy by protecting passwords and preventing unauthorized access to computers that access confidential data or student records.

Data Privacy
Access to view, edit, or share personal data on students and employees maintained by MRSD central offices, individual schools, or by persons acting for the district must abide by local, state, and federal regulations, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Student and staff information and data may only be shared with individuals deemed eligible to have access by the person(s) responsible for oversight of that data. Employees have a duty to safeguard student and staff information and data. They must not enter data into unauthorized software/applications without first obtaining approval through the district's established procedures.

Media & Storage
All local media (USB devices, hard drives, CDs, flash drives, etc.) with sensitive data must be securely protected with a password and/or encrypted to ensure the safety of the data contained. Users are encouraged to use MRSD-approved data/information systems for the storage and transmission of sensitive data whenever possible and avoid storage on local hardware that can not be secured.

Device Support
MRSD provides basic installation, synchronization, and software support for MRSD-issued electronic devices. Devices must be connected to the MRSD network on a regular basis to receive software and antivirus updates and for inventory purposes. Password protection is required on all MRSD-issued electronic devices to prevent unauthorized use in the event of loss or theft. Users are responsible for making periodic backups of data files stored locally on their devices.

Loss/Theft
Users must take reasonable measures to prevent a device from being lost or stolen. In the event an electronic device is lost or stolen, the user is required to immediately notify the appropriate school staff and/or their direct supervisor, local authorities, and the MRSD Technology Department. The MRSD will take all reasonable measures to recover the lost property and to ensure the security of any information contained on the device.

Return of Electronic Devices
All technology purchased or donated to the MRSD is considered district property and any and all equipment assigned to employees or students must be returned prior to leaving their position or school. All equipment containing sensitive information and data must be returned directly to MRSD before it can be redeployed.

Personal Electronic Devices
The use of personal electronic devices is permitted at the discretion of the Principal and Director of Technology. All personal devices may only connect to the guest network. This guest network offers throttled bandwidth to ensure school-issued devices and traffic are prioritized on the network. No student or staff member shall connect a wired device such as a router, access point, or computer to the network without the prior approval of the Director of Technology. The MRSD is not responsible for the maintenance and security of personal electronic devices and assumes no responsibility for loss or theft. The district reserves the right to enforce security measures on personal devices when used to access district tools and remove devices found to be in violation of the AUP.

Use of Copyrighted Materials
Violations of copyright law that occur while using the MRSD network or other resources are prohibited and have the potential to create liability for the district as well as for the individual. MRSD staff and students must comply with regulations on copyright plagiarism that govern the use of material accessed through the MRSD network. Users will refrain from using materials obtained online without requesting permission from the owner if the use of the material has the potential of being considered copyright infringement. MRSD will cooperate with copyright protection agencies investigating copyright infringement by users of the computer systems and network of the MRSD.

Liability
The Monomoy Regional School District shall not be liable for users' inappropriate use of electronic resources or violations of copyright restrictions, users' mistakes or negligence, or costs incurred by users.

Administrative Procedures for Implementation

Commercial use of the system/network is prohibited.
Targeted and/or cyberbullying using of the system/network is prohibited and will be investigated following school and district policies.
The district will link the Acceptable Use Policy and Procedures to the district website.
Copyrighted software or data shall not be placed on the district system/network without permission from the system administrator or Director of Instructional Technology.
Access to the network will be granted to employees with the understanding of reading this acceptable use policy and signed agreement of reading.
Access will be granted to students with a signed access agreement and permission of the building administrator or designee(s).
Students completing required coursework will have first priority for after-hours use of equipment.
Principals or their designee will be responsible for disseminating and enforcing policies and procedures in the building(s) under their control.
Principals or their designee will ensure that all users complete and sign an agreement to abide by policies and procedures regarding the use of the system/network. All such agreements are to be maintained at the building level.
The system/network may not be used for illegal purposes, in support of illegal activities, or for any activity prohibited by district policy.
Deliberate attempts to degrade or disrupt system performance may be viewed as violations of district policy and/or criminal activity under applicable state and federal laws.
Vandalism will result in the cancellation of system privileges and will require restitution for costs associated with hardware, software, and system restoration.
Attempts to read, delete, copy, or modify the electronic mail of other users or to interfere with the ability of other users to send/receive electronic mail is prohibited.
Pretending to be someone else when sending/receiving messages is prohibited.
Transmitting or viewing obscene material is prohibited.
Revealing the personal information (addresses, phone numbers, etc.) of others without their consent is prohibited.
The recording (photo/video/audio) and transmitting the images of others without their consent is prohibited.
The district will cooperate fully with local, state, or federal officials in an investigation concerning or relating to misuse of the district's system/network.

Reference: MASC File GBEE
Adopted: 3/27/2013
Revised: 6/27/2019, 5/23/2024

Section I: Instruction

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