Internet Use Policy
**This document is in the process of being re-written for readability by our students**
Therefore it is not our official school board policy. To find our official board policy please visit the Mauston School District website.
STUDENT RESPONSIBLE USE OF TECHNOLOGY AND INTERNET SAFETY
Technology has changed the ways in which information is found, communicated, and shared in our world. As a result, teachers are constantly changing their teaching, and the way they help student learning to include the large amount of resources available through the Internet. The Board of Education provides digital devices to support the learning of students. The school’s digital devices give students the opportunity to improve skills and knowledge to learn and live in a digital world. The Board provides students with access to the Internet for educational purposes only and uses online educational services/apps to improve the teaching given to its students. The District’s computer network and Internet system is limited educational purpose.
The Board regulates the use of District technology resources by principles consistent with applicable local, State, and Federal laws, the District's educational mission, and articulated expectations of student conduct. This policy governs students’ use of District technology resources and students' personal communication devices when they are connected to the District computer network, Internet connection, and/or online educational services/apps, or when used while the student is on Board-owned property or at a Board-sponsored activity (see Policy 5136). Users are required to refrain from actions that are illegal (such as libel, slander, vandalism, harassment, theft, plagiarism, inappropriate access, and the like) or unkind (such as personal attacks, invasion of privacy, injurious comment including prejudicial or discriminatory attacks, and the like). Because its technology resources are not unlimited, the Board has also instituted restrictions aimed at preserving these resources, such as placing limits on use of bandwidth, storage space, and printers. Users must not seek information on, obtain copies of, or modify files, other data, or passwords belonging to users, or misrepresent themselves on any network without authorization. Users must not use technology for political lobbying, partisan political activity, or to advance specific political ideas or agendas unless specifically authorized by the District. Users also must not install unauthorized software or connect unauthorized hardware to District systems. Users have no right or expectation to privacy when using District technology resources (including, but not limited to, privacy in the content of their personal files, e-mails, and records of their online activity when using the District's computer network and/or Internet connection). The use of the District network is a privilege, not a right. First, the Board may not be able to technologically limit access to services through its technology resources to only those 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 adopted guidelines and 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, opens classrooms and students to electronic information resources that may not have been screened by educators for use by students of various ages. The District network is provided on an "as is, as available" basis. The District will not be responsible for any damage students may suffer. The District is not responsible for the accuracy or quality of any advice or information obtained through or stored on the District network, nor is it responsible for damages or injuries from improper communication or damage to property used to access the District network. Routine maintenance and monitoring of electronic information, including the District network, may lead to a discovery that a student has violated this policy, and another District policy or federal or state law. Pursuant to Federal law, the Board has implemented technology protection measures, that 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 Board or the Superintendent, the technology protection measures may be configured to protect against access to other material considered inappropriate for students to access. The technology protection measures may not be disabled at any time that students may be using the District technology resources if such disabling will cease to protect against access to materials that are prohibited under the Children’s Internet Protection Act. Any student who attempts to disable the technology protection measures will be subject to discipline. Dependent on the nature and degree of the irresponsible use of the District network and a violation of it, irresponsible use of the District networks may result in one or more of the following consequences:suspension or cancellation of use or access privilegespayment for damages or repairs discipline or expulsion under appropriate District policies, or civil, criminal liability under other applicable laws. The Board utilizes software and/or hardware to monitor online activity of students and to block/filter access to child pornography and other material that is obscene, objectionable, inappropriate and/or harmful to minors. "Harmful to minors" is a term defined by the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(h)(7)) as any picture, image, graphic image file, or other visual depiction that:taken as a whole and with respect to minors, appeals to a prurient interest in nudity, sex, or excretion; depicts, describes, or represents, in a patently offensive way with respect to what is suitable for minors, an actual or simulated sexual act or sexual contact, actual or simulated normal or perverted sexual acts, or a lewd exhibition of the genitals; taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value as to minors.At the discretion of the Board or the Superintendent, the technology protection measure may be configured to protect against access to other material considered inappropriate for students to access. The technology protection measure may not be disabled at any time that students may be using the District technology resources if such disabling will cease to protect against access to materials that are prohibited under the Children's Internet Protection Act. Any student who attempts to disable the technology protection measures will be subject to discipline. The Superintendent or Director of Technology may temporarily or permanently unblock access to websites or online educational services/apps containing appropriate material if access to such sites has been inappropriately blocked by the technology protection measure. 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 measure. The Superintendent or Director of Technology may disable the technology protection measure to enable access for bona fide research or other lawful purposes. Parents are advised that a determined user may be able to gain access to services and/or resources on the Internet that the Board has not authorized for educational purposes. In fact, it is impossible to guarantee students will not gain access to the Internet to information and communications that they and/or their parents may find inappropriate, offensive, objectionable or controversial. Parents of minors are responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their children should follow when using the Internet. Pursuant to Federal law, students shall receive education about the following:safety and security while using e-mail, chat rooms, social media, and other forms of direct electronic communications; the dangers inherent with the online disclosure of personally identifiable information;the consequences of unauthorized access (e.g., "hacking", "harvesting", digital piracy", "data mining", etc.), cyber bullying, and other unlawful or inappropriate activities by students online; unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personally identifiable information regarding minors.Furthermore, the District shall provide instruction for their students regarding the appropriate use of technology and online safety and security as specified above. Stall will monitor the online activities of students while at school. The District reserves the right to monitor, read or copy any item while using the District network. Students will not vandalize, damage, or disable any electronic technology or system used or owned by the District. Network storage areas may be treated like school lockers. Network administrators may review files and communications to maintain system integrity and ensure that users are using the system responsibly. Students should not expect that files stored on the District servers will always be private. In addition, students are to store only school-related material for educational purposes. 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. The Board expects that staff members will provide guidance and instruction to students in the appropriate use of District technology resources. This shall include, but not be limited to, education concerning appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social media, including in chat rooms, and cyber bullying awareness and response. All users of District technology resources (and their parents if they are minors) are required to sign a written agreement to abide by the terms and conditions of this policy. Students will be assigned a school email account that they are required to utilize for all school-related electronic communications, including those to staff members, peers, and individuals and/or organizations outside the District with whom they are communicating for school-related projects and assignments. Further, as directed and authorized by their teachers, they shall use their school-assigned email account when signing-up/registering for access to various online educational services, including mobile applications/apps that will be utilized by the student for educational purposes. Users must maintain the privacy of their account information and shall not allow others to access their accounts unless otherwise required for educational purposes or otherwise required by law. Students are responsible for good behavior when using District technology resources - i.e., behavior comparable to that expected of students when they are in classrooms, school hallways, and other school premises and school-sponsored events. Communications on the Internet are often public in nature. The Board does not approve any use of its technology resources that is not authorized by or conducted strictly in compliance with this policy. Students may only use District technology resources to access or use social media if it is done for educational purposes in accordance with their teacher's approved plan for such use. Students are prohibited from using the Mauston School District's system for solicitations of any kind that are not educational related. Users who disregard this policy may have their use privileges suspended or revoked, and disciplinary action taken against them. Users are personally responsible and liable, both civilly and criminally, for uses of District technology resources that are not authorized by this policy. The Board designates the Superintendent and the Director of Technology as the administrator(s) responsible for initiating, implementing, and enforcing this policy as they apply to students' use of District technology resources.