FLOSSMOOR
SCHOOL DISTRICT 161 Policy
No. 6:235
Instruction
Access
to Electronic Networks
Electronic networks, including the
Internet, are a part of the District’s instructional program and serve to
promote educational excellence by facilitating resource sharing, innovation,
and communication. The Superintendent shall develop an implementation
plan for this policy and appoint system administrator(s).
The School District is not responsible
for any information that may be lost or damaged, or become unavailable when
using the network, or for any information that is retrieved or transmitted via
the Internet. Furthermore, the District will not be responsible for any
unauthorized charges or fees resulting from access to the Internet.
Curriculum
The use of the District’s electronic
networks shall: (1) be consistent with
the curriculum adopted by the District as well as the varied instructional
needs, learning styles, abilities, and developmental levels of the students,
and (2) comply with the selection criteria for instructional materials and
library resource center materials. Staff members may, consistent with the Superintendent’s
implementation plan, use the Internet throughout the curriculum.
The District’s electronic network is
part of the curriculum and is not a public forum for general use.
Acceptable Use
All use of the District’s electronic
networks must be: (1) in support of
education and/or research, and be in furtherance of the goals stated herein, or
(2) for a legitimate school business purpose.
Use is a privilege, not a right. Students and staff members have no
expectation of privacy in any material that is stored, transmitted, or received
via the District’s electronic networks or District computers. General rules for behavior and communications
apply when using electronic networks. The District’s Authorization for Electronic Network Access contains the
appropriate uses, ethics, and protocol. Electronic communications and
downloaded material, including files deleted from a user’s account but not
erased, may be monitored or read by school officials.
Internet Safety
Each District computer with Internet
access shall have a filtering device that blocks entry to visual depictions
that are: (1) obscene, (2) pornographic,
or (3) harmful or inappropriate for students, as defined by federal law and as
determined by the Superintendent or designee. The Superintendent or designee
shall enforce the use of such filtering devices. An administrator, supervisor, or other
authorized person may disable the filtering device for bona fide research or
other lawful purpose, provided the person receives prior permission from the
Superintendent or system administrator. The Superintendent or designee shall
include measures in this policy’s implementation plan to address the following:
1.
Ensure staff supervision of
student access to online electronic networks,
2.
Restrict student access to
inappropriate matter as well as restricting access to harmful materials,
3.
Ensure student and staff
privacy, safety, and security when using electronic communications,
4.
Restrict unauthorized access,
including “hacking” and other unlawful activities, and
5.
Restrict unauthorized
disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal identification information, such
as, names and addresses.
Authorization for Electronic Network
Access
Each staff member must sign the
District’s Authorization for Electronic
Network Access as a condition for using the District’s electronic
network. Each student and his or her
parent(s)/guardian(s) must sign the Authorization
before being granted unsupervised use.
All users of the District’s computers
to access the Internet shall maintain the confidentiality of student
records. Reasonable measures to protect
against unreasonable access shall be taken before confidential student
information is loaded onto the network.
The failure of any student or staff
member to follow the terms of the Authorization
for Electronic Network Access, or this policy, will result in the loss of
privileges, disciplinary action, and/or appropriate legal action.
LEGAL REF.: No Child Left Behind Act, 20 U.S.C. §6777.
Children’s
Internet Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. §254(h) and (l).
Enhancing Education Through
Technology Act, 20 U.S.C §6751 et seq.
720 ILCS
135/0.01.
CROSS REF.: 5:100 (Staff Development Program), 5:170 (Copyright), 6:40
(Curriculum Development), 6:210 (Instructional Materials), 6:230 (Library
Resource Center), 6:260 (Complaints About Curriculum,
Instructional Materials, and Programs), 7:130 (Student Rights and
Responsibilities), 7:190 (Student Discipline), 7:310 (Restrictions on
Publications and Written or Electronic Material)
ADOPTED: 7/14/08