District Computer Policy

MAINE TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 207

Cheating and Plagiarism:

Students are expected to complete all tests and assignments honestly and will not collaborate in dishonest actions. Students will not give or accept answers or assignments unless directed to by the teacher. If a student is found to be cheating, the following will occur as a result of the first and subsequent violations:

• 1st Violation:
  The student's teacher will assign a zero grade on the test or assignment and will call the student's parent or legal guardian. The teacher shall notify the counselor and may refer the student to the dean. Upon referral the dean may place the student on probation in that class for the remainder of the course. The dean may suspend the student and may refer the student to the Executive Committee depending on the severity of the infraction. If a student is placed on class probation, a letter will be sent by the dean to the student's parent(s) or legal guardian informing them of the probation or suspension.
• 2nd Violation:
  If the violation recurs in the same class, the teacher will refer the matter to the dean. The dean will confer with the student. The dean may refer the matter to the Executive Committee for further action, which may include but not be limited to removal from the class, assignment of a failing grade, and reassignment to a supervised study area. A letter will be sent by the dean to the student's parent(s) or legal guardian informing them of the decision.

USE OF DISTRICT TECHNOLOGY

6510

6510.1 INTRODUCTION

The primary purpose of the District 207 electronic communications network (D207net) and technologies, which attach to it, is to support and enhance learning and teaching that prepares students for success. Students and staff[1] in District 207 who are provided with access to networks (including the Internet) D207net and other technologies by the District shall be governed by the following policy. The Internet is a network of networks connecting millions of computer users all over the world. This network enables worldwide connection to e-mail, discussion groups, databases, software, file storage and other information resources, such as libraries and museums. District 207 may provide network access to promote educational excellence in District 207 schools by facilitating resource sharing, innovation, and communication. District 207 firmly believes that the valuable information and interaction available on networks far outweigh the possibility that users may procure material that is not consistent with the educational goals of District 207. The use of D207net is a privilege, not a right, which may be revoked at any time for inappropriate behavior. Users assume responsibility for understanding the policy and guidelines as a condition of using the network. Staff members are accountable to teach and use the network responsibly. Use of the network that is inconsistent with this policy may result in loss of access as well as other disciplinary or legal action.

1. RISK: It is impossible to control all materials on the network. Sites accessible via D207net, particularly networks not under District control, might contain material that is illegal, defamatory, obscene, inaccurate or controversial. With global access to computers and people, there is a risk that students may access material that might not be considered to be of educational value in the context of the school setting. No technology is guaranteed to be 100% error free or dependable. The District makes no warrantees of any kind for the service it is providing. The District is not liable or responsible for: 1) any information that may be lost, damaged or unavailable due to technical or other difficulties; 2) the accuracy or suitability of any information that is retrieved through technology; 3) breaches of confidentiality; or 4) defamatory material.
2. USERS RESPONSIBLE: Students and staff should use District technology in a responsible, efficient, ethical, and legal manner in accordance with the District 207 mission. Network users, like traditional library users, are responsible for their actions in accessing available resources. The user is responsible for making sure any information received does not contain pornographic material, inappropriate information, inappropriate language, or files that are potentially dangerous to the integrity of the hardware/software on school premises. The user is not permitted to install any software that may be used to circumvent network or computer security or to violate any of these policies or break any law.

6510.3 ACCEPTABLE USE:

D207net access may be used to improve learning and teaching consistent with the educational mission of District 207. District 207 expects legal, ethical, and efficient use of the network. These policies apply equally to network, mail, web, wireless or any other use of District technology.

1. ACCESS: District 207 may issue network accounts to provide access to network resources. The use of the D207net is a part of the curriculum and not a public forum for general use.
2. PRIVILEGE: Use of a personal D207net account, once issued, is a privilege, not a right.
3. VOLUNTARY: Use of a personal D207net account is voluntary on the part of the student or teacher.
4. SUBJECT TO SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION: All D207net account usage is subject to examination or investigation as needed without prior notification or consent of the user. All users of the D207net should recognize that mail use, storage capacity or evening/night/weekend access might be limited for technical reasons. Network administrators may review files and communications to maintain system integrity and to ensure that staff members are using the system responsibly. Users should not expect that e-mail or files stored on District servers will be private. Files and/or communications will only be inspected when called for by system troubleshooting or in cases of criminal investigation. When complaints are made about D207net use or system alerts are triggered the content of those files/messages may be inspected. In those cases, if needed, the content of the files/mail might be cause for disciplinary proceedings.
5. RETENTION POLICY: The District retains e-mail files for ninety days, home drive backups for four weeks and other types of network logs and communication for between one and seven days.

6510.4 INAPPROPRIATE USE:

Inappropriate use includes, but is not limited to, those uses that violate the law, that are not in accord with this policy, or that hamper the integrity or security of D207net or any external networks to which D207net are connected.

1. COMMERCIAL USE: Use for private or commercial, income-generating, financial gain or "for-profit" activities or product advertisement or solicitation purposes or fraud is prohibited.
2. HARASSMENT: Harassment or inappropriate communications with others is prohibited.
3. PROFANITY OR OBSCENITY: Use of appropriate language is required. Use of profanity or obscenity is prohibited. All users shall use language appropriate for school situations.
4. OFFENSIVE OR INFLAMMATORY SPEECH: Users must respect the rights of others both in the local community and the network at large. Sharing personal information or ppersonal attacks are an unacceptable use of D207 net. If a user is the victim of an inappropriate communication the incident shall be brought to the attention of a teacher or system administrator.
5. VANDALISM/MISCHIEF: Vandalism and mischief are prohibited. Vandalism is defined to include any attempt to harm or destroy data of another user, on the network or on any networks that are connected to D207 net or physical damage to District technology. This includes, but is not limited to, the deliberate creation and/or propagation of computer viruses. Mischief includes interference with the work of other users and is prohibited.
6. USER ID VIOLATIONS: Once an account is issued to a user, that user is responsible for all actions taken while using that account. Sharing an account with another person is prohibited. Every user is responsible for all inappropriate uses of the user’s account by any other person. All users must exercise extreme caution with their passwords. Passwords must be secure (at least seven characters, one character that is not a letter or number, no simple words or names, nothing easily guessed) passwords that use two words separated by a non-alphanumeric character are good i.e. cub$anto. Logging on, or attempting to log on, in the name or account of another person or entity is prohibited.
7. ELECTRONIC MAIL VIOLATIONS: Forgery of electronic mail messages is prohibited. Reading, deleting, copying, or modifying the electronic mail of other users is prohibited. Sending unsolicited junk E-mail or E-mail chain letters is prohibited.
8. FILE/DATA VIOLATIONS: Deletion, examination, copying, or modification of files, and/or data belonging to another user is prohibited.
9. NON-ACADEMIC USE: District technology is a valuable, scarce resource. It is not to be used for non-academic purposes such as game playing unless approved by the Superintendent or the Superintendent's designee. Unauthorized intentional downloads to a single computer, network drive or external media of movies or video files; MP3s; shareware; freeware; pirated software; or other .exe or application files (unless a part of the curriculum) are not allowed. It is not to be used to access pornography or obscene materials under any conditions, nor can it be used to forward chain letters. Outside the school day the technology can be used for personal use that does not violate other sections of this policy
10. SYSTEM INTERFERENCE/ALTERATION: Attempts to exceed, evade or change resource quotas that may be established are prohibited. Quotas are limits on local hard drive storage space or network time or storage space which are designed to allow all users an equitable opportunity to access resources. Causing network congestion through mass consumption of system resources is prohibited. Any attempt to circumvent security on desktop machines or laptop systems is prohibited.
11. Any use as a forum for communicating by e-mail or other medium with other school users or outside parties to solicit, proselytize, advocate, advertise, or communicate the views of an individual or non-school sponsored organization; to solicit membership in or support of any non-school sponsored organization; or to raise funds for any non-school sponsored purpose, whether profit or non-profit are all prohibited uses of D207 net. No employee shall knowingly provide school e-mail addresses to outside parties whose intent is to communicate with school employees, students, and/or their families for non-school purposes. Employees who are uncertain as to whether particular activities are acceptable should seek further guidance from their immediate supervisor;
12. Any communication that represents personal views as those of the school system or any school unit or that could be misinterpreted as such is not allowed.
13. Approved software list: See list at http://www.maine207.k12.il.us/DistrictApprovedSoftware.asp for software and list of computers on which it can be installed.

6510.5 VIOLATION OF LAW: Transmission of any material in violation of any international, U.S., or state law is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to: copyrighted material; music; software; threatening, harassing or obscene material; or material protected by trade secret. Any attempt to break the law while using District 207 facilities may result in prosecution or litigation against the offender. If such an event should occur, District 207 will fully cooperate to the extent permitted by law with the authorities to provide any information necessary in connection with prosecution.

6510.6 CONSEQUENCES OF POLICY VIOLATION:

A user's network access privileges may be interrupted or terminated for any violation or attempted violation of this policy.

A user's network privileges may be interrupted or suspended by a technology department staff member, administrator, or the District Technology Chairperson while a suspected violation is being investigated and while determination of any appropriate discipline is in progress. During such an investigation and determination, alternative opportunities for the user to complete assignments will be made available where appropriate and reasonably possible. Before suspension or termination of network privileges, the user will be advised of the suspected violation and given an opportunity to respond as part of the discipline procedures (which are part of Board Policy and are contained in the Discipline Procedures booklet).

Violators will also be subject to disciplinary measures, such as suspension from school or expulsion for students or appropriate penalties for staff, in accordance with the Discipline Procedures or staff hand book, whichever applies.

6510.7 SECURITY:

1. HIGH PRIORITY: Security on any computer system is a high priority, especially when the system involves many users.
2. REPORTING SECURITY PROBLEMS: If a user identifies a security problem on the network it is expected that he or she will notify the District Chairperson of Technology or a designee. The user must not share the security problem with other users.
3. USER RESPONSIBILITIES: The user is accountable for reasonably responsible behavior to ensure security. The user must follow network guidelines in the selection of an appropriate password. The user must protect the confidentiality of their password.
4. SECURITY RISKS DENIED ACCESS: Any user identified as a security risk or having a history of violations with other computer systems may be denied access to D207 net through District 207 facilities. It is the intent of District 207 to prohibit access to such persons.

6510.8 DISCLAIMER:

District 207 makes no warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, for the network facilities it is providing. District 207 will not be responsible for any damages suffered by users. This includes loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, mis-deliveries, or service interruptions caused by its own negligence or user errors or omissions. District 207 is not responsible for phone/credit card bills or any other charges incurred by users. Use of any information obtained via the network is at the user's risk. District 207 specifically denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through its network facilities.

Adopted: 06/2004

6511:

6511.1 Introduction: District 207 web sites provide information to the world about school curriculum, instruction, school-authorized activities, and other general information relating to our schools and our District’s mission. The District’s Web Site Management Committee provides guidance for the creation of web pages. Creators of web pages need to familiarize themselves with and adhere to the following policies and procedures. Failure to follow these policies and procedures may result in the loss of authoring privileges or other more stringent disciplinary measures.

6511.2 Philosophy:

1. Risk: As with other technology, the District cannot guarantee that the development and use of web pages will be error-free or completely dependable. While the District will strive to ensure that District web pages are accurate and appropriate, the District is not liable or responsible for: (1) any information that may be lost, damaged, or unavailable due to technical or other difficulties; (2) the accuracy of information on District web pages; (3) breaches of confidentiality; or (4) the unauthorized use of or access to District web pages.
2. Subject Matter: All subject matter on web pages should relate to curriculum, instruction, school-authorized activities, general information that is appropriate and of interest to others, or it should relate to the school District, or the schools within the District. The District 207 website may not include personal home pages or home pages for other individuals or organizations not directly affiliated with the District. Staff or students may publish work only as part of a department or school-sponsored organization.
3. Quality: All web page work must be free of spelling and grammatical errors. Documents may not be used for inappropriate purposes. The Board of Education Policy on Use of Networks (Including the Internet) defines inappropriate uses. Regarding the question of quality or propriety of web page material, appearance, or content, the judgment of the District Web Site Management Committee, building or district administrators will prevail.
4. Ownership: All web pages on the District’s servers are the property of the District 207.

6511.3 Student Safeguards

1. In general, documents may not include a student’s full name or phone number or address unless parents and the Web Management Committee grant permission.
2. Published e-mail addresses are restricted to a department or school-sponsored organization.
3. The Website Management Committee will establish general guidelines for the publication of student pictures (video or still) and audio clips. (See form)

MAINE TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 207
1131 South Dee Road
Park Ridge, IL 60068
RELEASE FORM

6511.4 Compliance with other District 207 School Board Policies

All documents on the Maine Township District 207 web server(s) must conform to all other School Board Policies and Regulations as well as established school guidelines. Copies of School Board Policies are available in all school offices. Persons developing or maintaining District 207 web documents are responsible for complying with these and other policies as well as the procedures outlined in this document.

1. No one may use audio, pictures, or videos of future, current, or former students or staff members without their written permission. The Web Manager, the individual who is responsible for the day-to-day management of each building’s web content, will keep documentation of the permission on file.
2. Documents created for District 207 web and linked to District Web pages will meet the criteria for use as instructional resources.
3. Any links to District web pages that are not specifically curriculum-related will meet the criteria established in the District Use of Networks (Including Internet) Policy. Any other non-curricular materials should be limited to information about school-sponsored activities. Web page links may not include entities whose primary purpose is commercial or political advertising.
4. All communications via the District web pages will comply with the District Use of Networks (Including the Internet) Policy and the District’s Student Discipline Policy.
5. Any student information communicated via the District web pages will comply with Maine Township District 207’s policies on Student Records.
6. Home pages must be in accordance with the guidelines established by the District Network Management Committee.
7. Pages not located on the District web server but residing on a school district computer must still meet all of the guidelines of the District 207 Web Page Policies, Guidelines and Procedures

Additionally the following apply to other electronic devices

1. Any deliberate tampering with or misuse of District network service or equipment will be considered vandalism and will be handled in accordance with the District Use of Networks (Including the Internet) Policy, the District Student Discipline Policy, and other related policies.
2. The use of personal electronic devices that attach to the District network is only permitted in the following instances. The Technology Department must pre-approve any device before an attempt is made to attach it to the network. Approval will be based on the following requirements: Is the device needed for an educational purpose that cannot be provided with District equipment? Can the device be properly inspected by technology for worms/viruses, hacker software and software or files that in anyway violate federal or state law or other provisions of these policies. The device must be provided to technology at least one week prior to the planned use so that it can be evaluated. Users cannot attach certain classes of devices by their nature to the network. These include switches, hubs, routers and wireless access points. This regulation applies to any device that connects to the network, including but not limited to the devices mentioned above, PDAs, laptops and tablet computers. The use of any electronic device to record and/or transmit audio and/or images will not be allowed unless it is part of the curriculum supervised by a teacher or otherwise approved by the Administration.
3. Other devices that do not require a network connection may be governed in other District policies. These include but are not limited to: cell phones, IM (Instant Messaging) devices, text messaging devices, and calculators with advanced communications functions. In addition, any devices for taking pictures and videos or recording audio whether it be stand alone, on a phone, or PDA or wireless, all require advanced approval before they can be used.
4. Staff does not require advanced approval for the following devices if they do NOT connect to the network: laptops, PDAs, cell phones and other communications devices. As long as staff is following other District policies with regard to permissions from their subjects, and if necessary the subject’s family, they do not need to have approval to record images, video or sound.

6511.5 Copyright:

1. Electronic transmission of materials is a form of copying. No one may produce or transmit unlawful copies of copyrighted materials via the District’s equipment, including its Web servers. Home page creators will signa form indicating that to the best of their knowledge the information presented on the home-page is not copyrighted, trademarked or used without the permission of the author (see attached form). For material used with the permission of the trademark or copyright holder, documentation verifying the granting of permission should be included. No one should use photographs, drawings, video clips or sound clips on a web page without permission of the person who created them or the person who owns the rights to them
2. All pages of the Maine Township High School District 207 web sites are copyrighted and the sole property of Maine Township High School District 207.
3. All links that take us to sites outside District 207 pages should be identified as not being part of the Maine Township site (e.g. Alumni pages).

6511.6 WEB PAGE GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES

District Web Site Management Committee

Teachers are expected to use appropriate professional judgment in the materials they upload to their web space. If doubt arises their department chair should be consulted prior to placing the materials on the web. If there is still a question about material, it will be brought before District Web Site Management Committee consisting of the Web Manager from each building, the District Web Master, the District Chair for Technology and the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction. This committee is responsible for approving any material that staff have questions about for placement on the District’s server(s).

Technical Standards

Each web page added to the District web site(s) must contain certain elements that will provide general consistency for District web pages.

1. At the bottom of the web page, there must be an indication of the date of the last update to that page and the name of the person(s) responsible for the page or update. It shall be their responsibility to keep the web page current by updating it at least once a year.
2. At the bottom of the web page, there must be a link that returns the user to the appropriate point(s) in the District web pages. A template will be available for all users. The links will include the following: District 207 shield for District 207 office and the mascots for each school.
3. No computers other than the assigned building web servers shall be configured as web/FTP servers.
4. Users must exhibit care when creating web pages with extensive tiled backgrounds or large graphics. As a general rule, a web page should take less than one minute to download over a 28.8 K-modem connection. Graphics files should be under 60K in size unless a special situation exists that requires a larger graphic.
5. Web pages may not contain links to other web pages not yet completed. If additional pages are anticipated, but not yet developed, the text that will provide such a link should be included. However, the actual link to said page(s) may not be made until the final page is actually in place on the District server(s).
6. All web pages must contain names that clearly identify the pages.
7. Any graphics, sounds, or video used on web pages must conform to the format currently approved by the District.
8. Web pages may not contain any student e-mail address links.
9. Final decisions regarding active web pages will rest with the District Website Management Committee.
10. The Website Management Committee will regularly review links to external sites.

Publishing on the Maine Township District 207 Web Server

1. Review District Web Page Policy and Web Page Guidelines and Procedures.
2. Develop and test your web page(s), including graphics.
3. Review the page for errors and mistakes and determine if it is appropriate to place on the web server.

[1] Individual school board members, administrators, faculty, classified/non-contractual, custodial/maintenance, paraprofessionals, and regular part time employees shall be considered as staff.