Responsible Use Policy (RUP)

For Use Of

Iron County School District Technology Resources

Introduction

This Responsible Use Policy (RUP) is an agreement between the Iron County School District and its Users for compliance with the expected appropriate uses of District technology resources. It will be necessary for Students (Grades 6-12), Parents of all students, and all Employees to agree to the terms set forth in this RUP.

Entities

● “District” - refers to the Iron County School District.

● “School” - applies to any elementary, secondary, alternative, or online School within the District.

● “Student(s)” - applies to all students attending an elementary, secondary, alternative, or online School within the District.

● “Employee(s)” - applies to School and District administrators, officers, staff, faculties, service & support personnel, teachers’ aids, volunteers, and/or other personnel employed by or through the District.

● “User(s)” - applies to students and/or employees.

● “Parent” - applies to the parent OR legal guardian of a child (student), and who is able to act on behalf of the student, and which student is under the age of 18 (as of the processing date of this RUP).

● “Guest(s)” - applies to any individual who (a) is not a student, employee, or designated volunteer of a particular School; and (b) is on School property or at the site of a School-sponsored activity or event.

Definitions

● “Social Media” - online resources including, but not limited to, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Apps, Skype, chat rooms, wikis, and blogs.

● “Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA)” - The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) is a federal law enacted by Congress to address concerns about access to offensive content over the Internet on School and library computers. CIPA imposes certain types of requirements on any School or library that receives funding for Internet access or internal connections from the E-rate program (a program that makes certain communications technology more affordable for eligible Schools and libraries).

● “Personal Devices” - any electronic device that is not owned by the District.

● “Digital Content” - products available in digital form. It typically refers to music, information and images that are available for download or distributed on electronic media.

● “Hacking” - to reconfigure or reprogram a computer or system of computers to function in ways not approved of by the owner, administrator, or original designer of the technology. Hacking is also a term often associated with efforts made by “hackers” who break into a technology system (hardware or software) with the intent of causing disruptions to its users, or to steal personal information.

● “Copyright(ed)” - The legal right granted to an author, composer, playwright, publisher, or distributor to exclusive publication, production, sale, license, or distribution of a literary, musical, dramatic, or artistic or functional works (e.g., software).

● “Computer Malware” - a computer program that can cause harm to a computing system or otherwise perform malicious or unwanted actions. The term Malware includes all types of malicious and unwanted software, such as adware, computer viruses, crimeware, internet worms, malicious rootkits, ransomware, spyware, and trojans. Some types of malware [computer viruses] can only be enabled through the action of a user, such as opening a malicious email attachment, while other types [internet worms] are capable of contacting and infecting other computer systems without user interaction through a local network or over the internet. Some malware performs actions that would be noticed by a user [adware shows advertisements], while other malware is more difficult to detect [a Trojan Horse, or "trojan", masquerades as a legitimate program while secretly performing malicious functions in the background]. All types of malware have the potential to harm a computer system's data or performance.

● “Technology Resources” - Any and all electronic devices, mass storage media, display devices, computers, printers, and all computer-related activities involving any device capable of receiving email, browsing websites, receiving, storing, managing or transmitting data including but not limited to mainframes, servers, personal computers, notebook computers, laptops, smart phones, tablets, hand-held computers, personal digital assistants (PDA), pagers, distributed processing systems, telecommunication devices, network environments, telephones, fax machines and printers. Technology resources also include the procedures, equipment, facilities, software and data that is designed to process information.

Overview

The District invests in and provides access to a vast collection of technology resources to support the needs of the District. Users are given access to technology resources, which help to achieve their education and career goals. The RUP outlines the appropriate ways technology resources are to be used, along with the potential repercussions for inappropriate use.

This RUP replaces all prior versions of the District RUP, and replaces the School Acceptable Use Policy (AUP).

The Iron County School District provides digital citizenship and appropriate-use training, performed annually for students and employees, in accordance with Utah State Law [and] Utah State Board of Education Rules.

Objectives of District Technology Resources

Iron County School District provides technology resources to its students and employees for educational and administrative purposes. District technology resources are key to achieving the following purposes:

● Support administrators to promote educational excellence at Iron County School District

● Provide teachers with the best technology solutions possible in support of their curriculum needs

● Encourage students to achieve their personal ambitions within the outlined curriculum

● Enable District technology support personnel with the resources needed to support District goals

The Iron County School District provides “one-to-one” User-assigned devices and, where requested, internet Wi-Fi hotspots. Students participating in an online virtual classroom will be filtered in the same manner as students who are attending School in a physical classroom. Through this RUP, the expected care and appropriate conduct when using technology resources will not differ based on how and where the education is delivered.

The use of technology resources in the District is considered a User privilege.

The Iron County School District firmly believes that the value of information, interaction, and research capabilities outweighs the possibility that users may obtain material considered inappropriate or of a nature that is not consistent with the educational goals of the District. This, however, does not imply that intentionally accessing inappropriate content is, by any means, acceptable and tolerated.

Proper behavior, as it relates to the use of technology resources, is no different than proper behavior in all other District activities. In recognizing the value of the internet, the District supports all Users and Guests engaged in an online environment that allows for them to discuss, collaborate, communicate, create, and share in a safe, ethical, and responsible manner. This expectation extends to all personal networks and devices, both inside and outside the District. This policy clarifies expectations as they apply to technology resource usage and is consistent with Iron County School District policy.

Acceptance

● For Elementary Students: Parents will sign this RUP; the signed RUP will remain valid for as long as the student attends School in the District (whether at the School or as part of an alternative District program).

● For Secondary Students: Parents AND Students will sign this RUP; the signed RUP will remain valid for as long as the student attends School in the District (whether at the School or as part of an alternative District program).

● For Employees: Employees will sign this RUP; the signed RUP will remain valid for as long as the employee is employed by the District.

Situations may occur, in coming years, where changes in education and/or technology requirements may necessitate updates to this RUP. In these cases, All Users will be required to re-sign the new (updated) RUP.

Responsible Use

This Responsible Use Policy (RUP) is to discourage and prohibit unauthorized access and other unlawful or improper activities by Users, unauthorized disclosure of, or access to sensitive or confidential information, to ensure responsible and appropriate use of technology resources, and to comply with the Child’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Only current Users and Guests will be permitted to use District technology resources and connect those resources to the District network.

All Users, to include the Parents of Students under the age of 18, must review and sign the RUP.

IMPORTANT: The absence of a signed RUP does not excuse a student’s or employee’s failure to comply with the expectations of this policy. All Users must follow this policy and report violations to a teacher, supervisor, administrator, or the appropriate District personnel.

If a User is uncertain about whether a particular online activity is acceptable or appropriate, they should consult their teacher or supervisor in advance of any questionable use.

The use of any technology resources (including, but not limited to, desktop computers, Chromebooks, mobile devices, personal/District devices, network-delivered services, the internet, audio-visual equipment, digital content, online virtual events, and social media) must support the educational goals and requirements of the District.

Personal use is permissible as long as the User demonstrates responsible-use practices. Use of these technology resources must be authorized by a District administrator, and must exist within the bounds of District and School curriculum and educational purposes, or for limited emergency use.

When allowing, removing, or restricting access to specific systems or applications, the internet, and/or to any other technology resources, School officials shall apply the same criteria for educational suitability used to evaluate all other educational resources, namely, the responsible uses to follow.

The Following Represents Responsible Uses of the District’s Technology Resources

a. Material accessed through the District’s network system should be for class assignments or for research on subjects similar to what you might study in a class or School media center; online searches should access only appropriate information and materials.

b. Ensure the work you turn in is yours; do not plagiarize content you may find on the Internet. (Plagiarism is taking the ideas, graphics, or writings of others and presenting them as if they were yours without adequate and accurate citation of the originator.)

c. Users own the copyright to works individually created in School or for a class assignment. If the work is created by a group, each student will share in joint ownership of the copyright. Users (and Parent, if a Student) must authorize originating works before being posted on the School or District Website. Works should be posted with the originating User’s copyright notice.

d. Student access to social media is permitted if part of a class assignment or project; approved apps/sites are determined by the School principal and approved by the District privacy officer.

e. Employee access to social media apps/sites are permitted, but is not to be abused; approved apps/sites are determined by the District superintendent and administrative officers.

f. Photos or videos taken of students should be discussed with the School principal, District superintendent, or the District privacy officer before being publicly released; the responsible party should review and ensure this meets compliance with the District’s Directory Information declaration (not applicable to employees or students age 18 or older).

g. Respect the rights of copyright owners when using materials found on, disseminated through, or posted to the internet. Copyright infringement occurs when a student or employee reproduces a work that is protected by a copyright without explicit permission from the copyright holder or outside the limitations of copyright law.

h. Be considerate of internet and network usage during School hours. On District devices, delete your unneeded download files when finished using them or when logging off from a District device.

i. If you mistakenly access inappropriate material, you should immediately report this to a teacher or an administrator. This will help to protect you against a claim that you have intentionally violated this policy.

j. The District takes reasonable steps to restrict access to materials it considers harmful and to materials that do not support or conform to accepted educational objectives. The District has installed filtering software & hardware to protect against access to inappropriate material in accordance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). If you believe the filtering software is blocking your access to an appropriate and necessary site, report this to a teacher or District administrator; the School principal or District administrator will approve or deny access (and will escalate to the technology staff for activation).

k. Do not share your passwords with anybody at any time, and do not reuse any of your passwords for other accounts. Employees should change passwords regularly and use a secure digital password manager to avoid maintaining written or unencrypted computer-stored passwords.

l. Do not share your personal contact information with anyone you do not know and trust. Personal contact information consists of your full name, together with other information such as family name, home address, work address and/or phone numbers that would make it easier for someone to identify you and determine your location. You may disclose personal contact information to educational institutions, military recruiters, or other entities for college/career exploration purposes, or with specific staff approval.

m. Protect the personal contact information of others. You should not disclose names or other private or personal information about other students or faculty. You should not forward a message that was sent to you privately without permission of the person who sent you the message.

n. You will promptly disclose to your teacher or to other School or District staff any message you receive that is inappropriate or makes you feel uncomfortable. You should not delete such messages until instructed to do so by an administrator.

o. Any User’s personal device may be subject to the District Search and Seizure policy.

p. If you want or need to use a Web browser extension or add-on, ask a teacher or technology support person for permission to add or install the extension before proceeding without prior approval.

q. If you observe someone using School technology resources in an inappropriate manner (reference the ‘Inappropriate Uses’ below), you should report it to an adult or to your supervisor as soon as possible, even if it is reported anonymously.

r. Always maintain proper care for all District technology resources to ensure each computer or device can be used by other Users over multiple years, and is capable of reaching the expected end-of-life of the computer or other device.

s. Part of being a good digital citizen is understanding your environment. Follow all rules and expectations of the School and environment.

Inappropriate Use

Users involved in any of the following actions or activities may be subject to disciplinary or corrective action in accordance with applicable District policies, rules and regulations. These inappropriate uses include but are not limited to:

a. Possessing, accessing, transmitting, copying, or creating material that violates the District Safe Schools Policy, User digital citizenship training, or District rules and regulations including but not limited to content that is inappropriate, illegal, copyrighted, pornographic or obscene, stolen, threatening, discriminatory, harassing, or offensive.

b. Attempts to bypass or disable the District network, content filters, security systems, or other hardware or software put in place to prevent unauthorized users or for accessing inappropriate sites or content.

c. Attempts to access, alter, interfere with, damage, or change network configuration, security, passwords, or individual accounts of other persons without written permission from the District technology department.

d. Any unauthorized attempts to circumvent access controls or to obtain access to others' passwords or other personal or security-related information.

e. Obtaining and disclosing the passwords of other users or allowing another individual to use a person’s password and account.

f. Attempts to upload, create, or transmit computer Malware or other malicious software (including internet worms, Trojans, macros, scripts, code, or other operation with malicious intent, etc).

g. Attempts to access or install unlicensed, inappropriate, or non-approved software or technology.

h. Attempts to alter, disconnect, destroy, hack, or disable District computer equipment (including mice, keyboards or other computer components), the personal devices of others, District data, the data of others, or other networks connected to the District system, including any time while not on School property.

i. Users shall not access peer-to-peer file sharing programs, such as torrent technologies to download or share copyrighted material (for example, movies, videos, or games), which are in violation of copyright law.

j. Use of District technology resources to engage in plagiarism or other academic dishonesty.

k. Use of District technology resources and devices at anytime and in any place to access, create, send, or post material that is obscene or pornographic; material that depicts or describes in an offensive way violence, nudity, sex, death, or bodily functions; material that has been designated as for adults only; material that promotes or advocates illegal activities; material that promotes the use of alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs, School cheating, or weapons; or material that advocates participation in hate or other potentially dangerous groups.

l. Unauthorized use of any District technology resources or personal/District device for non-educational purposes or excessive use outside the bounds of District curriculum.

m. Use of District internet resources such as email, social media, chat groups, etc., while at School to engage in conduct that violates the District Safe Schools Policy or threatens School or District safety.

n. Use of District technology resources, including email, the Internet, phone (of any type), social or other media resources to threaten, harass, bully, retaliate, or discriminate against other Users or Guests.

o. Use of personal or District email, the internet, or social or other media resources, without regard to whether it occurs on or off School property, to engage in conduct that involves a public School and contains the elements of the offense of terroristic threat or false alarm, or otherwise causes a substantial disruption to the educational environment.

p. Violating or infringing upon the intellectual property (copyright, patent, trademark, or trade secret) rights of another.

q. Using the District's network for personal commercial use, or to promote personal political or religious views or purposes. Users may not offer, provide, or purchase products or services not affiliated with, or for purposes of, the District without authorization by District administrative staff.

r. Possessing, accessing or transmitting any material which is in violation of any local, state or federal law is

prohibited.

s. Damaging or destroying District technology resources or equipment. If the damage is intentional, the user must cover the repair or replacement costs; if the damage is accidental, the user may need to to pay for repair or replacement costs as determined by the School principal. (The District may offer an insurance option for one-to-one student-assigned devices, which carries a policy to cover damages but are separate from other/general damages identified above.)

t. Users may have personal devices confiscated if the devices are not being used in accordance with designated classroom curriculum and instructional policies (reference District Search and Seizure policy).

u. User Google accounts are assigned to assist student education or to promote User communications; Google accounts and services shall not be used for promoting inappropriate communications or for storing/sharing inappropriate content.

The preceding are all examples of inappropriate conduct that would violate this policy. The Iron County School District reserves the right to take immediate actions (for emergencies), or disciplinary or corrective action against a User that engages in conduct that (i) creates security or safety issues for the District, Users, Schools, networks, or technology resources, or (ii) is determined by the School principal or District administrator to be inappropriate or inconsistent with District policy or law.

Disciplinary Actions Due to Violations of RUP

Violation of this Responsible Use Policy, or other device, technology or Internet policies, rules, agreements, or laws may result in the User’s access being suspended or having access revoked entirely.

The Iron County School District has implemented a violation remediation plan consisting of four (4) levels of action. The District superintendent, School principals, or administrative officer, will make the determination if a violation has occurred and if any disciplinary action is necessary. Remediation and penalties for violation are effective for the current School year, and will be removed at the start of the following School year: They can also be removed after a period of time as designated by the principal or administrative officer, and in following the outline provided below:

Level 1: First Violation. The User will be required to attend or participate in appropriate-use training. This may include group and peer discussions, meetings with the principal or administrative officer to review appropriate use of technology, appropriate-use and responsibility videos, reading, homework, or any combination of the above listed.

Level 2: Second Violation. The User will be given restricted access to District technology. The User will have privileges limited and access tightly filtered. This may include the user switching to a different computer or device, which is configured with limited access. Users will still be able to access curriculum and systems needed to complete School work or responsibilities, but will be restricted to a controlled content environment.

Level 3: Third Violation. The User’s electronic technology access will be revoked. Students would be switched to using paper resources; Employees would see adjustments made to their job responsibilities. This may also result in confiscation of District-owned devices and limiting the use of personal devices while at School or work.

Level 4: Serious Violation. The User would have all access revoked immediately and the District superintendent or officer, or School principal, may take immediate action and by-pass remediation levels 1-3. The safety of others is most critical and may require that swift action be taken. This will also result in confiscation of District-owned devices. Attempts by the user to delete User data or wipe (reformat) the device storage is prohibited and may result in further repercussions. Serious violations may also involve action from the School resource officers and/or may be reported to other law enforcement. This may also result in criminal action and/or a change of employment (if a District employee).

It is the responsibility of School administrators to keep track of Users currently under a violation status and to promptly report the incident and remediation consequences to the District technology staff (to modify User access); the District Human Resources director is responsible to report and issue remediation (to District technology staff) for employees found in violation.

It is the responsibility of all Users to be proactive participants in making sure access and extended User privileges are adhered to and enjoyed by all Users and Guests. Users should report any witnessed violations to the School principal or District officer.

Personal Electronic Devices

The Iron County School District will permit Users to pursue personal electronic devices to access the District wireless network in locations where the District network is available. District network access is available for personal User devices to enhance a student’s educational and online experience, and to complement a User’s ability to accomplish their District responsibilities. When a personal device is connected to the District Wi-Fi network, the User’s online activity will be filtered and monitored for potentially inappropriate content. Permission to use personal devices on a District campus is contingent on adherence to District guidelines of this RUP. If a personal device is used by a District User to disrupt the educational environment, that User’s access to technology resources and devices, and the District network, may be limited or revoked entirely.

If a teacher permits student-use of a personal device in the classroom, the teacher will clearly communicate to Parents and Students the conditions under which the use of a personal electronic device is allowed. The teacher is granted the right to revoke the use of personal devices if they conflict with the teacher’s curriculum.

General Guidelines and Rules

1. All Users may use a personal electronic device on the District wireless network, provided the User (and Parent) has signed this RUP.

2. The use of the personal electronic devices is solely limited to support and enhance instructional activities currently occurring in the classroom environment.

3. Recognizing that all such devices may not be appropriate for instructional situations, personal electronic devices will be considered for classroom use if they are mobile and have the capability of browsing the internet. These items include, but are not limited to laptops, notebooks, tablets, cell phones, e-readers and handheld gaming devices. The determination of which devices are appropriate to connect to the District network rests with the teacher (and in line with approval of the School principal).

4. Users are discouraged from accessing the internet using a private external network subscription through their own Internet Service Provider (ISP).

5. Connecting a personal electronic device may not be successful if the technical specifications for wireless protocol are not met; District and School technology staff are not required to make it possible for (any) particular personal device or class of personal devices to connect to District networks.

6. It is prohibited for any User to connect to the District network and then establish a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or wireless ad-hoc or peer-to-peer network using his/her electronic device or other wireless device while on School grounds, without first obtaining permission from the School principal and District technology staff. This includes, but is not limited to, using a personal electronic device as a cabled or wireless hotspot. (Example: Using a personal phone or hotspot as a server so Users can play online games.)

7. Network access is provided via Wi-Fi (wireless) connection only. Users are not allowed to connect a personal electronic device to the network by using an Ethernet cable plugged into a wall data jack in the School. Users must always connect personal devices to the network via Wi-Fi access. Violation of this term will result in disciplinary action and revocation of User access to the network.

8. Teacher permission is required for students to use a personal electronic device during any classroom period.

9. Voice, video, and image capture applications may only be used with prior teacher or School principal permission, and only for specific instructional or job-function purpose(s).

10. The teacher may request at any time that the personal electronic device be turned off and put away. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action and revocation of access to the network. (See “Disciplinary Actions Due to Violation of RUP” from this RUP for Technology Resources.)

11. Sound/audio in the classroom should be muted unless the teacher grants permission for use of sound/audio associated with the instructional activity.

12. The owner of the personal electronic device is the only User permitted to access and use their personal device.

13. No User shall access another User’s District or School-issued account login credentials.

14. No User shall knowingly attempt to gain access to any computer system, computer network, information storage media, or peripheral equipment without the consent of authorized School or District personnel.

15. No District-licensed academic or productivity software can be installed on personal devices, with the exception of user licenses that are made available through the District. (Example: Microsoft Office 365.)

16. No User shall and use any computer or device to illegally collect any electronic data or to disrupt networking services. Users may not engage in any malicious use of, or pursue disruption or harm to the District network, internet services, learning environment or any other electronic device owned by or provided to the District, School or service organization, any School personnel, or student.

17. Users shall not attempt to use any software or other means to access internet sites or content blocked by District internet filters.

18. Users may not use any personal electronic devices during any standardized testing and assessments (such as ACT, RISE, Utah Aspire+, or any other assessment platform) under any circumstances.

19. Under the provisions of this Personal Electronic Devices section, Parents who choose to allow Students to use their own technology, and/or Users who bring personal technology to a School, do so knowing that its use may be diminished by how that device is used and who is allowed access to its contents; not all personal devices may be capable of supporting District network security certificates which may further diminish or prohibit the User experience; the District technology staff will not modify District technology standards to accommodate personal devices incapable of installing or using required District certificates.

20. The School reserves the right to search a personal electronic device in accordance with applicable laws and policies if there is reasonable suspicion that the User has violated local, state, and/or federal laws, District policies, administrative procedures, School rules, or engaged in other misconduct while using the device.

21. Personal electronic devices are brought to School at the User’s (and Parent’s) own risk. In the event that a personal device is lost, stolen or damaged, the District or School is not responsible for financial or data loss.

22. The District and School personnel are not responsible for repairing, correcting, or troubleshooting any malfunctioning personal hardware or software, or to modify District resources to enable personal devices.

23. If a personal device is believed to contain illegal or inappropriate content and is seized or impounded by law enforcement and, during the process of investigation the personal device is damaged or retained for an extended period of time, the District or School is not responsible for replacing the device or compensating the User as a result of a device being rendered inoperable.

Individual User Responsibilities

All Users are expected to abide by the generally accepted rules of network (or internet) etiquette. These rules include, but are not restricted to the following:

a. Etiquette - Remember that you are a representative of your School and of Iron County School District on a non-private system. You may be alone when using a technology resource or personal/District device, but what you say and do on your computer may be viewed globally. You should not submit, publish or display any defamatory, inaccurate, racially offensive, discriminatory, abusive, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, harassing or threatening material or messages either public or private.

b. Privacy - Do not reveal any personal information about yourself or other persons (including, but not limited to, home address, personal phone numbers, photographs, or last name).

Users should have no expectation of privacy regarding their use of District property and technology resources. In general, communications or transmissions made through technology resources should never be considered completely private or confidential because the District reserves the right to monitor the use of its network and all District technology resources it deems necessary to ensure the safety and integrity of its network and to diagnose problems, investigate reports of illegal or impermissible activity and ensure user compliance with state and federal laws and District policies. In addition, users should be aware that the District will comply with lawful orders of courts, such as subpoenas and search warrants.

The Iron County School District is subject to the Utah Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) which may require disclosure of information transmitted through its technology resources, including email communications.

The Iron County School District is subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which requires students’ educational records to be maintained in confidentiality. All District and School employees are required to follow the guidelines of this law and to receive annual training to ensure that both FERPA and Utah data privacy laws are understood and strictly adhered to.

c. Electronic Mail (E-Mail)

a. All Users of any electronic mail, either provided by the Iron County School District or transmitted

through District technology resources are required to comply with this Responsible Use Policy.

b. Users are required to follow GRAMA laws as it pertains to the backup and retention of User email.

c. Never assume electronic mail is private. Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities must be reported to the authorities; the District will comply with state and federal laws, as well as court orders or subpoenas that require disclosure.

d. Be brief and professional: few people will bother to read a long message or one that is not narrowly tailored to the underlying purpose of the communication. Electronic communications by District employees should be consistent with District professional standards of conduct.

e. Include your email signature (name, position, affiliation) at the bottom of your email messages.

f. Send only to individuals or groups you are familiar with, or with whom you have been instructed (by a teacher, School principal, or District officer) for sending emails to.

d. Disruptions - Do not use the District network in any way that would cause network disruptions for others.

e. Ownership - Any student or employee data or communication placed on District equipment will become property of the District, with the exception of intellectual property of the user (the user must save their work to another device, afterwhich, all intellectual property, regardless of the owner or originator will be deleted from the device).

f. Vandalism - Any attempt to alter or destroy data of another User will be subject to disciplinary or corrective action in accordance with this policy; the exception is when District technology staff destroy all data when preparing an existing computer or device for a new User or for surplus.

g. Accountability - Users are responsible for the proper use of their User accounts on various systems, including the credentials used to log into those systems and for District-issued technology resources. Users must use all reasonable means necessary to prevent unauthorized use of their accounts, passwords and District-issued technology resources. Users should not provide their password to any other person, unless authorized or directed to do so by a District administrator. If a User permits someone else to access their account, login credentials, or District-issued technology resources, that User may be held responsible for any improper, illegal or destructive activity done by that person. Do not give others access to District technology resources unless authorized and directed by District administration to do so. Users may not extend access of District technology resources to other Users without permission from the District.

If a user believes that their account, login credentials, or District-issued technology resource may have been stolen, hacked, or otherwise compromised, the user must immediately report it to the District’s technology department. If an Employee believes that his or her password has been compromised, they should immediately reset their password if they are able to do so. Student password resets are only possible by a student notifying a School representative who will then contact the District technology department to make the password change.

EXCEPTIONS: If the user is unable to follow any of these guidelines for any special circumstances related to health or due to an emergency, prior approval is required from a District administrator through the School principal.

Internet Safety

The Iron County School District makes the Internet accessible in accordance with our mission to provide information resources and services to ensure that all users have free and open access to ideas and information. In this role, the District provides access to information resources available on the internet. The District has very limited control over any information obtained through the internet that has not passed through the firewall and security filters. The District cannot be held responsible for its content or accuracy. It may contain materials which some find offensive or inappropriate. All Users may access the internet at their own discretion.

In accordance with the federal Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), all desktop computers, laptops and personal/District wireless devices that utilize the District network, are being filtered by a centralized filtering appliance. This filtering appliance is set to screen out sites which may reasonably be construed as obscene, as that term is defined in section 1460 of title 18, United States Code; or child pornography, as that term is defined in section 2256 of title 18, United States Code; or harmful to minors as defined in section 1703, Pub. L. 106-544. The Iron County School District may monitor the online activities of Users and Guests through direct observation and/or technological means in situations, as required by law, when an investigation is underway.

The Iron County School District Board Policy also prohibits harassment, bullying, retaliation, discrimination, and other conduct that creates a hostile working or educational environment for an individual. This prohibition extends to the use of the District’s technology resources. If you ever feel that you are being harassed, bullied, retaliated or discriminated against, or otherwise being subjected to illegal or inappropriate conduct through the District’s technology resources, you should immediately report it to a School principal or District administrator.

As with any other technology resources, restriction of a child's use of the internet is ultimately the responsibility of the Parent, within the confines of the law. (See the Parental Restriction on Use of Technology Resources section below, if the Parent does not wish for their students to access District-supplied technology resources.)

The Iron County School District assumes no responsibility for damages, direct, or indirect, for the use of the internet. This includes, but is not limited to, damage to District or personally owned devices caused by malware-laden material downloaded from any internet site. Where possible, users are encouraged to purchase and use Virus/Malware protection on personally-owned devices.

Users should be aware that the internet is not a secure medium. It is possible for third parties to obtain information regarding an individual User's search activities. Users should be very cautious about providing personal information over the internet.

Parental Restriction on Use of Technology Resources

Parents who have objections to the internet or other network-delivered services may assume responsibility for imposing restrictions on their child(ren) only. Any Parent wishing to restrict his/her child’s access to such services must provide the School principal with this restriction request in writing.

Limitation of LEA Liability

The Iron County School District will not guarantee that the functions or services provided through the District’s network service will be without error. The District will not be responsible for any damages a user may suffer, including but not limited to loss of data, interruption of service, or exposure to inappropriate material or persons. The District will not be responsible for the accuracy or quality of the information obtained through the system. The District will not be responsible for financial obligations arising through the unauthorized use of the system. Users and Parents can be held financially responsible for harm that may result from a user’s intentional misuse of a system.

Cloud Services for Education

The Iron County School District uses online services with several technology companies. These “Cloud Services” are an essential part of the digital curriculum and electronic communications used in the District. Some of the largest cloud services are provided by Google, Microsoft, Adobe, and Amazon. Several other smaller third party apps also provide online cloud services. Some app providers may partner with larger companies to provide online cloud services. The following information is to provide transparency for Parents of the online (cloud) products and services used by students of the District, with an overview of the privacy and protection each service provides, and efforts made by these technology vendors to secure your student’s personal information.

Google Workspaces

Google Workspace for Education, is a set of education productivity tools from Google, including Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Classroom, and more, and is used by tens of millions of students and teachers around the world. At Iron County School District, most students will use their Google Workspace account to communicate with a teacher. Students may use the account to log into their Chromebook and complete assignments.

Google Workspace for Education Privacy Notice

This Google privacy overview is meant to help Google Workspace for Education parents understand what student data Google collects, why Google collects it, and what Google does with the information. This also includes information about Google’s privacy practices that are specific to Google Workspace for Education and summarizes the most relevant portions of the Google Privacy Policy.

The following are the most common questions about how Google manages student information:

1. What personal student information does Google collect?

2. How does Google use this information?

3. Will Google share student personal information?

4. Does Google use student’s personal information to target advertising?

5. Can my child share information with others using the Google Workspace for Education account?

1. What personal student information does Google collect?

A Google Workspace for Education account is a Google Account created and managed by a School for use by students and educators. When creating this account, the District may provide Google with certain personal information about its students and educators, which includes a username and password in most cases, but could also include account recovery information such as a secondary email address, telephone number, and home address. Google may also collect a profile photo, birthdate, gender, nickname/alias, or other information needed to add the Google Workspace for Education account.

Google also collects data usage information. This includes:

● device information, such as the hardware model, operating system version, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information including phone number of the user;

● log information, including details of how a service is used, device event information, and the user's Internet protocol (IP) address;

● location information, as determined by technologies including IP address, GPS, and other sensors;

● unique application numbers, such as application version number; and

● cookies or similar technologies which are used to collect and store information about a browser or device, such as the user’s preferred language, and other settings.

2. How does Google use this information?

● when working with Google Workspace for Education Core Services; includes Gmail, Calendar, Classroom, Contacts, Drive, Docs, Forms, Groups, Sheets, Sites, Slides, Chat, Meet, Vault, and Chrome Sync;

● when working Google Workspace for Education Additional Services (non-core); includes, but not limited to Google Maps, Blogger, and YouTube;

● to provide, maintain, protect, improve, and develop new Google Workspace for Education Services for improving the user’s overall education experience;

● to offer users with tailored content search results that are more relevant to the user’s intended searches; and

● to protect Google and the users of Google Workspace for Education.

3. Will Google share student personal information?

Google does not share personal information with companies, organizations, and individuals outside of Google unless one of the following circumstances applies:

● with Parental consent;

● with Google Workspace for Education account administrators inside the District domain;

● for external processing by trusted organizations who are in compliance with Google’s privacy and confidentiality policies and provide analysis results to Google; and

● for legal reasons required to meet applicable laws, regulations, legal processes or enforceable government requests, or to protect against harm to the rights of Google and users.

4. Does Google use student’s personal information to target advertising?

Google may serve ads to Google Workspace for Education students; within the District, all ads have been disabled on student accounts for “Core Services”; cannot be disabled on student accounts for “Additional Services” (e.g., YouTube).

5. Can my child share information with others using the Google Workspace for Education account?

When students share their Google Workspace for Education (Google Drive Docs) and other information publicly, it may be indexable by search engines, including with Google. For Iron County School District, students in grades K-5 are unable to share their (Google Drive Docs) and other information publicly, as this ability has been disabled.

However, K-5 student data can be shared with teachers inside the District domain. Students in grades 6-12 are able to share their (Google Drive Docs) and other information publicly, outside the District domain.

Microsoft Office 365

The Iron County School District provides access to Microsoft Office 365 for all students in grades K-12. As it pertains to Microsoft protecting student privacy and information, Microsoft will:

● not collect or use student personal data beyond that needed for authorized educational or School purposes;

● not sell or rent student personal data;

● not use or share student personal data for advertising or similar commercial purposes, such as behavioral targeting of advertisements to students;

● not build a personal profile of a student, other than for supporting authorized educational or School purposes or as authorized by the parent, guardian, or student of appropriate age; and

● require that our vendors with whom student personal data is shared to deliver the educational service, if any, are obligated to implement these same commitments for student personal data.

Adobe Creative Cloud

The Iron County School District provides access to Adobe Creative Cloud for all students in grades 7-12. As it pertains to Adobe protection of privacy and student information, Adobe:

● may share student data with third party service providers as needed to perform services for Adobe or on Adobe’s behalf. When Adobe does this, it is subject to contractual restrictions protecting the security and confidentiality of this data, or as otherwise permitted by Adobe’s agreement with the District;

● does not sell student data to third parties;

● does not market to students with Enterprise or Federated IDs or use student data to inform our marketing or advertising activities;

● does not use student personal information to target advertising;

● provides reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security controls to protect the District’s and students’ personal information and content; and

● will notify Schools deploying Enterprise or Federated IDs in accordance with the relevant breach notification law and our agreement with the School.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

The Iron County School District uses services that may store data on, or process data through AWS. AWS follows strict procedures to secure servers from unauthorized access and protect all stored data in compliance with State and Federal laws regarding student data privacy.

Other Cloud Services

Where applicable, other companies providing internet cloud services to Iron County School District must also comply with State and Federal laws regarding student data privacy. This security and privacy service is contractually supported between the Iron County School District and the service provider.

Approved: July 27, 2021