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SBCISD Acceptable Use Policy

Acceptable Use Policy – Board Approved 10-09-2012

 

General Information

The Internet is not a single network; it is vast a, globe-spanning network of networks. No single person, group, or organization runs the Internet. Instead, it is the purest form of electronic democracy. It provides vast, diverse and unique resources. With this freedom of expression and universal access, also comes the availability of material that may not be of educational value in the context of the school setting.

In making decisions regarding student access to the Internet, the San Benito CISD’s goal is to promote educational excellence through resource sharing, innovation and communication. The District expects that faculty will blend thoughtful use of the Internet throughout the curriculum and will provide guidance and instruction to students in its use. The San Benito CISD perceives information gathered from the Internet in the same manner as reference materials identified by schools.* Specifically, the district support resources that will enhance the learning environment with directed guidance of faculty and staff. Exploration and manipulation of resources is encouraged. However, it is impossible to control all materials on a global network and an obstinate user may discover inappropriate information. It is required that teachers and staff members directly supervise and monitor all students’ Internet sessions as they would any other classroom activity.

Even though the district uses filtering technology, implements certain Internet safety measures to comply with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) including the new Order (FCC 11-125) revisions and Texas Law  (Texas Education Code, Chapter 37 section 37.001 related to cyber-bullying), and restricts access to such material, it is not possible to absolutely prevent such access. Therefore, it will be the user’s responsibility to follow the rules for appropriate use. The school district cannot prevent the possibility that some users may access material that is not consistent with its educational mission, goals and policies: CQ (Legal) – P, CQ (Local) – B21 and FCC 47 U.S.C. 254, Local FFI.

http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Code/260?filter=FFI

 

Guidelines

To remain eligible as users, use must be in support of and consistent with the educational objectives of the school district. Access is a privilege, not a right. Access entails responsibility. If a user violates any of the acceptable use provisions outlined in this document, future access will be denied. Any user violating the provisions contained herein, any applicable state or federal law, policies posted in classrooms, and/or district policies in effect will be subject to the loss of Internet access privileges. District disciplinary action consistent with district policies will be taken accordingly.

Acceptable Use means that the information must be:

  • in support of education and research consistent with district policy
  • consistent with the rules appropriate to any network being used / accessed and generally accepted rules of network etiquette.

It is advisable to notify the Information Technology Department immediately if you see any inappropriate web sites or any security problem. Also, inform the Technology Department if there should be changes in your account. (name change, campus change, etc.)

Unacceptable Use means that a user is prohibited from:

  • making unauthorized use or downloading of copyrighted information including music and movies
  • sending unsolicited bulk mail (UBE or SPAM), transmitting, distributing, uploading, posting of any material that is obscene, defamatory, libelous, unlawful, harassing, abusive, threatening, harmful and vulgar (cyber-bullying, sexting)
  • using the school account for any personal, non-school commercial activities such as advertising or procurement for profit
  • using the network for political or lobbying purposes
  • using the network or the Internet to induce, solicit, or participate in any unlawful activity such as gambling, extortion, pyramid schemes, chain letters, or the viewing of lewd materials
  • Disabling or by-passing any installed filtering device (i.e. hacking) or gaining access to any account not belonging to the user (i.e. cracking)
  • making available or using any software, program, product or service that is designed to violate this AUP
  • gaining access to restricted resources and information
  • using devices and applications that put the network at risk**
  • identifying or showing security problems to others
  • using another person’s account
  • revealing your account password or allowing another person to use your account
  • disseminating your or other’s personal identification information

 

Filtering

In the schools, student access to and use of the electronic mail will be available through a restricted teacher/staff account. The district-provided Internet access has a filtering device that blocks access to visual depictions those are obscene, pornographic, inappropriate for students, or harmful to minors, as defined by the federal Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and as determined by the Superintendent or his designee. This filtering device database blocks millions of inappropriate sites and is monitored and updated regularly.

Disclaimer of Liability

The school district makes no warranty of any kind, neither expressed nor implied, for the Internet access it is providing. The District shall not be liable for:

  • users’ inappropriate use of electronic communication resources or violation of copyright restriction or other laws, users’ mistakes or negligence, or costs incurred or unauthorized financial obligation resulting from the district-provided access to the Internet by the user
  • ensuring the accuracy, age appropriateness, or usability of any information found on the Internet
  • damage to personal property used to access district computers or networks or for district-provided Internet access
  • any action of the user who accesses the Internet or any other type of computer networking service from a non-school, business, home, or individual account.

All terms and conditions as stated in this document are applicable to all users of the network. These provisions reflect an agreement of the parties and shall be governed and interpreted in accordance with this policy and the laws of the State of Texas and the United States of America.

Remember

Use of the Internet via the district network is a privilege, not a right. Unacceptable usage may result in suspension of access or termination of privileges and other disciplinary action consistent with district policies. Electronic mail transmission and other use of the district’s electronic communication is not considered private. Designated district staff is authorized to monitor such communication at any time to ensure appropriate use.

Outside of school, families bear responsibility for the same guidance of Internet use as they exercise with information sources such as television, telephones, radio, movies, and other possibly offensive media.

The school district will educate all students about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms and cyber-bullying awareness and response.

*For Safety tips and teaching materials visit the following websites:

 

**Devices and applications that put the network at risk, but are not limited to:

  • Unauthorized Wireless Access Points (WAPs), personal (non-school) computers or game consoles
  • Consumer-grade routers
  • Peer-to-peer applications such as LimeWire, BitTorrent, KaZaA, Freenet, eDonkey and Gnutella
  • Instant messaging such as Windows Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger and Yahoo!
  • Other unauthorized uses of SBCISD bandwidth/network