Acceptable Tech Use Policy

What should an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) include?

According to INFOSEC Institute author Dimitar Kostadinov, a well prepared AUP should include the following:

1. Structure.
2. Preamble or Purpose. In general, acceptable use means respecting the rights of other computer users, the integrity of the physical facilities and all pertinent license and contractual agreements.
3. Scope. The range and coverage of AUPs vary more or less. A policy could apply to specific users, departments, regions, systems, components, software or data that are employed or connected to the owner's network/computer systems.
4. Policy. To include:
   1. Acceptable Uses Section
   2. Unacceptable Uses Section
   3. Violations/Sanctions Section

Once the AUP is complete, there should always be a place for both the user and the owner to sign and date the document as proof that each are aware of the obligations being entered into.

An example of an Acceptable use policy for our school can be viewed below:

Scarborough Model Middle School

Acceptable Use Policy

Introduction

Scarborough Model Middle School (SMMS) recognizes that access to technology in school gives students greater opportunities to learn, engage, communicate, and develop skills that will prepare them for work, life, and citizenship. We are committed to helping students develop 21st-century technology and communication skills.

To that end, we provide access to technologies for student and staff use.

Preamble

This Acceptable Use Policy outlines the guidelines and behaviors that users are expected to follow when using school technologies or when using personally-owned devices on the school campus.

● The Scarborough Model Middle School network is intended for educational purposes.

● All activity over the network or using district technologies may be monitored and retained.

● Access to online content via the network may be restricted in accordance with our policies and federal regulations, such as the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA).

● Students are expected to follow the same rules for good behavior and respectful conduct online as offline.

● Misuse of school resources can result in disciplinary action.

● Scarborough Model Middle School makes a reasonable effort to ensure students’ safety and security online, but will not be held accountable for any harm or damages that result from use of school technologies.

● Users of the district network or other technologies are expected to alert IT staff immediately of any concerns for safety or security.

Scope of Technologies Covered

Scarborough Model Middle School may provide Internet access, desktop computers, mobile computers or devices, videoconferencing capabilities, online collaboration capabilities, message boards, email, and more.

As new technologies emerge, Scarborough Model Middle School will attempt to provide access to them. The policies outlined in this document are intended to cover all available technologies, not just those specifically listed.

Usage Policies

All technologies provided by the district are intended for education purposes. All users are

expected to use good judgment and to follow the specifics of this document as well as the spirit of it: be safe, appropriate, careful and kind; don’t try to get around technological protection measures; use good common sense; and ask if you don’t know.

Web Access

Scarborough Model Middle School provides its users with access to the Internet, including web sites, resources, content, and online tools. That access will be restricted in compliance with CIPA regulations and school policies. Web browsing may be monitored and web activity records may be retained indefinitely.

Users are expected to respect that the web filter is a safety precaution, and should not try to circumvent it when browsing the Web. If a site is blocked and a user believes it shouldn’t be, the user should follow district protocol to alert an IT staff member or submit the site for review.

Email

Scarborough Model Middle School may provide users with email accounts for the purpose of school- related communication. Availability and use may be restricted based on school policies.

If users are provided with email accounts, they should be used with care. Users should not send personal information; should not attempt to open files or follow links from unknown or untrusted origin; should use appropriate language; and should only communicate with other people as allowed by the district policy or the teacher.

Users are expected to communicate with the same appropriate, safe, mindful, courteous conduct online as offline. Email usage may be monitored and archived.

Social/Web 2.0 / Collaborative Content

Recognizing the benefits collaboration brings to education, Scarborough Model Middle School may provide users with access to web sites or tools that allow communication, collaboration, sharing, and messaging among users.

Users are expected to communicate with the same appropriate, safe, mindful, courteous conduct online as offline. Posts, chats, sharing, and messaging may be monitored. Users should be careful not to share personally-identifying information online.

Mobile Devices Policy

Scarborough Model Middle School may provide users with mobile computers or other devices to promote learning outside of the classroom. Users should abide by the same acceptable use policies when using school devices off the school network as on the school network.

Users are expected to treat these devices with extreme care and caution; these are expensive devices that the school is entrusting to your care. Users should report any loss, damage, or malfunction to IT staff immediately. Users may be financially accountable for any damage resulting from negligence or misuse.

Use of school-issued mobile devices off the school network may be monitored.

Personally-Owned Devices Policy

Students should keep personally-owned devices (including laptops, tablets, smart phones, and cell phones) turned off and put away during school hours—unless in the event of an emergency or as instructed by a teacher or staff for educational purposes.

Because of security concerns, when personally-owned mobile devices are used on campus, they should not be used over the school network without express permission from IT staff. In some cases, a separate network may be provided for personally-owned devices.

Security

Users are expected to take reasonable safeguards against the transmission of security threats over the school network. This includes not opening or distributing infected files or programs and not opening files or programs of unknown or untrusted origin.

If you believe a computer or mobile device you are using might be infected with a virus, please alert IT. Do not attempt to remove the virus yourself or download any programs to help remove the virus.

Downloads

Users should not download or attempt to download or run .exe programs over the school network or onto school resources without express permission from IT staff.

You may be able to download other file types, such as images of videos. For the security of our network, download such files only from reputable sites, and only for education purposes.

Netiquette

Users should always use the Internet, network resources, and online sites in a courteous and respectful manner.

Users should also recognize that among the valuable content online is unverified, incorrect, or inappropriate content. Users should use trusted sources when conducting research via the Internet.

Users should also remember not to post anything online that they wouldn’t want parents, teachers, or future colleges or employers to see. Once something is online, it’s out there—and can sometimes be shared and spread in ways you never intended.

Plagiarism

Users should not plagiarize (or use as their own, without citing the original creator) content, including words or images, from the Internet. Users should not take credit for things they didn’t create themselves, or misrepresent themselves as an author or creator of something found online. Research conducted via the Internet should be appropriately cited, giving credit to the original author.

Personal Safety

Users should never share personal information, including phone number, address, social security number, birthday, or financial information, over the Internet without adult permission. Users should recognize that communicating over the Internet brings anonymity and associated risks, and should carefully safeguard the personal information of themselves and others. Users should never agree to meet someone they meet online in real life without parental permission.

If you see a message, comment, image, or anything else online that makes you concerned for your personal safety, bring it to the attention of an adult (teacher or staff if you’re at school; parent if you’re using the device at home) immediately.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying will not be tolerated. Harassing, dissing, flaming, denigrating, impersonating, outing, tricking, excluding, and cyberstalking are all examples of cyberbullying. Don’t be mean. Don’t send emails or post comments with the intent of scaring, hurting, or intimidating someone else.

Engaging in these behaviors, or any online activities intended to harm (physically or emotionally) another person, will result in severe disciplinary action and loss of privileges. In some cases, cyberbullying can be a crime. Remember that your activities are monitored and retained.

Examples of Acceptable Use

I will:

● Use school technologies for school-related activities.

● Follow the same guidelines for respectful, responsible behavior online that I am expected to follow offline.

● Treat school resources carefully, and alert staff if there is any problem with their operation.

● Encourage positive, constructive discussion if allowed to use communicative or collaborative technologies.

● Alert a teacher or other staff member if I see threatening, inappropriate, or harmful content (images, messages, posts) online.

● Use school technologies at appropriate times, in approved places, for educational pursuits.

● Cite sources when using online sites and resources for research.

● Recognize that use of school technologies is a privilege and treat it as such.

● Be cautious to protect the safety of myself and others.

● Help to protect the security of school resources.

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Users should use their own good judgment when using school technologies.

Examples of Unacceptable Use

I will not:

● Use school technologies in a way that could be personally or physically harmful.

● Attempt to find inappropriate images or content.

● Engage in cyberbullying, harassment, or disrespectful conduct toward others.

● Try to find ways to circumvent the school’s safety measures and filtering tools.

● Use school technologies to send spam or chain mail.

● Plagiarize content I find online.

● Post personally-identifying information, about myself or others.

● Agree to meet someone I meet online in real life.

● Use language online that would be unacceptable in the classroom.

● Use school technologies for illegal activities or to pursue information on such activities.

● Attempt to hack or access sites, servers, or content that isn’t intended for my use. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Users should use their own good judgment when using school technologies.

Limitation of Liability

Scarborough Model Middle School will not be responsible for damage or harm to persons, files, data, or hardware.

While Scarborough Model Middle School employs filtering and other safety and security mechanisms, and attempts to ensure their proper function, it makes no guarantees as to their effectiveness.

Scarborough Model Middle School will not be responsible, financially or otherwise, for unauthorized transactions conducted over the school network.

Violations of this Acceptable Use Policy

Violations of this policy may have disciplinary repercussions, including:

● Suspension of network, technology, or computer privileges

● Notification to parents

● Detention or suspension from school and school-related activities

● Legal action and/or prosecution

I have read and understood this Acceptable Use Policy and agree to abide by it:

(Student Printed Name)

(Student Signature) (Date)

I have read and discussed this Acceptable Use Policy with my child:

(Parent Printed Name)

(Parent Signature) (Date)

(Administrator Signature) (Date)