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MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Morristown, New Jersey 07960
Policy |
| File Code: |
6142.10 |
| Monitored: |
X |
| Mandated: |
X |
| Other Reasons |
X |
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The Morris School District reaffirms its commitment to improving learning and teaching by
providing access to and use of stand-alone district computers, the District Local Area Network
and the Internet. Reference to the Network herein shall include stand-alone computers, network
systems, PDAs (Personal Data Assistants) or other wireless access to the network, and Internet
access.
The Morris School District shall develop a technology plan that effectively uses electronic communication to
advance and promote learning and teaching. This system of technology shall be used to provide local,
statewide, national and global communications opportunities for staff and students. Educational technology
shall be infused into the district curriculum to maximize student achievement of the Core Curriculum Content
Standards.
MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT NETWORK, INTERNET AND WORLD WIDE WEB
Purpose
To support its commitment to providing avenues of access to the universe of information available, the
district's system of electronic communication shall include access to the Internet for students and staff.
Limitation of Liability
The Internet constitutes an unregulated collection of resources that changes constantly, so it is not possible to
totally predict or control the resources that users may locate. The Board of Education cannot guarantee the
accuracy of the information or the appropriateness of materials that a user may encounter. Furthermore, the
board shall not be responsible for any damage users may suffer, including but not limited to, loss of data or
interruptions of service. Nor shall the board be responsible for financial obligations arising through the
unauthorized use of the system.
Morris School District Rights and Responsibilities
The computer systems: hardware, software, networks and ALL files are the property of the district, and all computer software and hardware belong to the district. Repairs and installations of such equipment and software are limited to district owned hardware and software.
Therefore, the district retains the right to monitor all access to and use of the Internet and network systems.
The Board of Education designates the Superintendent or his/her designee as the coordinator of the district
system. He/she shall recommend to the Board of Education qualified staff persons to ensure provision of
individual and class accounts necessary for access to the Internet, designation of quotas for disk usage on
the system, establishment of a document retention schedule, establishment of a virus protection process and
coordination of other activities as required to maintain the system.
The Superintendent or his/her designee shall coordinate the district system by approving all activities for that
building; ensuring that teachers receive proper training in the use of the system; ensuring that students are
adequately supervised when using the system; maintaining executed user agreements; and interpreting this
acceptable use policy at the building level.
The Superintendent or his/her designee shall ensure the acquisition and installation of blocking/filtering
software to deny access to certain areas of the Internet.
District Web Site
The board authorizes the Superintendent or his/her designee to establish and maintain a district web site.
The purpose of the web site will be to inform the district educational community of district programs, policies
and practices.
Individual schools and classes may also establish web sites that include information on the activities of that
school or class. The building principal shall oversee these web sites.
The Superintendent or his/her designee shall publish and disseminate guidelines on acceptable material for
these web sites.
The Morris School District is committed to the application of ethical and legal standards in using
the Network. The District expects its students, staff and administrators, who access and/or use
any hardware or software on the Network (hereinafter referred to as "Users") to abide by the
standards set forth below.
Users accept the following Rights and Responsibilities.
RIGHTS
The User has the right to access and use hardware and software available at schools in the Morris School
District to complete class assignments, improve his or her ability to access technological resources, develop
lessons, lesson plans and to further his or her academic and professional growth.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Appropriate Use
- It is understood that access to and use of the Network are privileges. Such access and use of the
Network shall be reserved for activities that are of "educational value" to the User. For the purposes
of this policy, "educational value" shall mean having a direct or indirect relationship to the approved
school curriculum and educational program.
- The use of the Network for accessing or distributing harassing, defamatory, inaccurate, abusive,
obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, racially offensive or illegal material or conducting
other prohibited activities, is forbidden. The Morris School District will avail itself of any and all
avenues, within the confines of the law, to prevent such material from entering the Network. Users
shall report the introduction or existence of such material on the Network to the Director of
Technology or the Superintendent's designee, building principal or (in the case of a student) a
teacher in the Morris School District.
- Users must recognize that e-mail or other messages on the Network may contain thoughts,
conclusions, certain biased perceptions. And/or untruths. Users who spread false and disparaging
information about third parties may be found liable for defamation. Such use of the Network is
expressly prohibited.
Security
- Only those Users who have received training shall be authorized to access and/or use any hardware
or software on the network.
- The User shall accept the responsibility of the preservation and care of Morris School District
hardware and software.
- It is the User's responsibility to make sure that no hardware or software is destroyed, modified or
abused in any way. Any attempted or actual alteration of the Network system software, data or files,
or disruption or destruction of resources is considered vandalism.
- Users shall not deliberately attempt to disrupt the district's computer system performance or destroy
data by spreading computer viruses, worms, "Trojan Horses," trap door program codes or any similar
product that can damage computer systems, firewalls, servers or network systems..
- It is the User's responsibility to obtain written permission from the Director of Technology or the
Superintendent's designee prior to removing, relocating or modifying any hardware or software. The
Director of Technology or the Superintendent's designee will oversee all repairs to the Network done
on school grounds.
- The User has the responsibility for keeping food and/or drink away from computer equipment.
- The User shall immediately notify the Director of Technology or the Superintendent's designee,
building supervisor or (in the case of a student), a teacher in the Morris School District if he or she
feels that he or she has identified a security break or vandalism or has been the victim of an on-line
stalker.
- Any User identified with a history of violations/problems with computer systems will be designated a
security risk, and may be denied access or restricted in the use of the Network.
- Users shall not install or download software or other applications or files without permission of the
supervising staff person. Users shall follow all district virus protection procedures when installing or
downloading approved software.
- Users are responsible for their accounts and should take all reasonable precautions to prevent
unauthorized access to them. In no case should a user provide his/her password to another
individual.
- Users shall not be permitted to bring into schools or administrative buildings their personal hardware and software, such as but not limited to: laptops, printers, etc..
Privacy
- Users accept responsibility for preserving the privacy of others. Hacking or access unauthorized files
is prohibited. Investigating or reading another User's files is a violation of his or her privacy.
- All Users of the Network must comply with the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986, as
amended, and the Communications Decency Act. These acts prohibit the unauthorized interception
or disclosure of e-mail messages by third parties, as well as the appropriateness of certain material
being posted on the Internet.
- Users shall not store extensive e-mail messages on the Network; e-mail messages may be stored for
a period of no longer than fourteen (14) calendar day sand the Morris School District reserves the
right to delete any e-mail messages (read or unread) left on the Network for a period in excess of 14
days.
- Users may not allow any other person to use their password or to share their account. It is the User's
responsibility to protect e-mail accounts from unauthorized use by changing passwords periodically
and using passwords that are not easily determined.
- Users are responsible for using their own name at all times, shall neither resort to anonymity nor
misrepresent themselves as someone else.
- No personnel or student information, which is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy
Act, shall be disseminated through the Network. Students shall not post personal contact information
about themselves or others. Nor shall students engage in any kind of personal contact with
individuals they meet online. Attempts at contact from such individuals shall be reported immediately
to the staff person monitoring that child's access to the Internet. Personal contact information
includes but is not limited to names, home/school/work addresses, telephone numbers, or personal
photographs.
- Users shall respect the privacy of messages that they receive and refrain from reposting messages
without the approval of the sender.
- Users must recognize that the Superintendent or his/her designee does have the authority to monitor
and intercept e-mail messages for all Users and that there shall be no privacy right construed to exist
in any work product put on the network.
Adherence to Copyright Law
- The User is forbidden from putting any material owned by others onto the Network without written
permission.
- Software is protected by U.S. copyright law. The User will not make unauthorized copies of software
found on the Network or put such software onto other computers, e-mail messages, bulletin boards or
other transmissions.
- The User will not lend, give or sell copies of software to others without the written permission of the
copyright owner or without being able to clearly show the software is shareware or in the public
domain.
- The User will not employ "cut and paste" or other techniques to falsely imply that he or she is the
original author of another's material, but will include proper citations to show the sources of such
information. Users shall not plagiarize material that is available on the Internet. Plagiarism is
presenting another's ideas/words as one's own.
DISCIPLINARY ACTION POLICY
In addition to other disciplinary action available to the Morris School District, a User who does not adhere to
the above responsibilities will be subject to disciplinary action. Consequences for violations may range from temporary loss of Internet and network access to explusion. Disciplinary actions may be determined consistant with existing policies and regulations concerning staff and student conduct. Where applicable. law enforcement agencies may be contacted and involved. The following disciplinary action may be enforced:
- Responsibility for full financial restitution to the Morris School District or any other injured party.
- Indemnification of the Morris School District for any damages incurred or assessed as the result of
the User's inappropriate or unauthorized use of the Network.
- Denial of access to the Network for an appropriate period of time to be determined by the Morris
School District.
- Subjection to criminal and/or civil penalty.
Implementation
The Superintendent and/or his/her designee shall prepare regulations to implement this policy.
Date: August 31, 1998
October 18, 2001, First Reading
October 29, 2001, Approved
September 12, 2007, Approved
Legal References:
N.J.S.A. 2A:38A-1 et seq. Computer System
N.J.S.A. 2C:20-25 Computer Related Theft
N.J.S.A. 18A:7A-11 Annual report of local school district; contents;
annual report of commissioner; report on
improvement of basic skills
N.J.A.C. 6A:24-1.1 et seq. Urban Education Reform in the Abbott Districts
See particularly:
N.J.A.C. 6A:24-1.4, 2.2, 4.1, 6.1
N.J.A.C. 6A:30-1.1 et seq. Evaluation of the Performance of School Districts
17 U.S.C. 101 United States Copyright Law
47 U.S.C. 254(h) Children's Internet Protection Act
N.J. v. T.L.O. 469 U.S. 325 (1985)
O'Connor v. Ortega 480 U.S. 709 (1987)
Manual for the Evaluation of Local School Districts (August 2000)
Cross References:
1111 District publications
3514 Equipment
3543 Office services
4118.2/4218.2 Freedom of speech (staff)
5114 Suspension and expulsion
5124 Reporting to parents/guardians
5131 Conduct/discipline
5131.5 Vandalism/violence
5142 Pupil safety
5145.2 Freedom of speech/expression (students)
6144 Controversial issues
6145.3 Publications
6161 Equipment, books and materials
Key Words
Acceptable Use, Blocking/Filtering Software, E-mail, Internet, Technology, Web Site, World Wide Web
Morris School District
User Agreement of Understanding
Access and use of the Network is a privilege for the User.
I have read and understand the Technology/Internet Code of Ethics and the Disciplinary Action Policy,
and hereby agree to be responsible for and abide by all rules and regulations contained in them.
The files and emails contained on the district's computer systems are the property of the Morris School District.
I understand that the Morris School District has no control over the content of material found on the
Internet, nor is the Morris School District responsible for any financial obligations incurred by me as a
result of any purchase of product or services over the Network.
Since there is always the potential that a Network system failure will result in a loss to a User's
information or work product, I understand that I am responsible for making a personal back-up of any
information or product placed on the Network.
I recognize that the Morris School District Administration does have the authority to monitor and
intercept e-mail messages of all Users and that there shall be no privacy right construed to exist in any
work product put on the Network.
User name is either staff or students. For students, Parent name and signature required, as well.
User's Name: __________________________________________ (PRINTED)
User's Signature: _____________________________ Date: ______________
Parent's Name: ________________________________________ (PRINTED)
Parent's Signature: ___________________________ Date: _______________
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