Acceptable Use of Electronic Networks
All use of electronic networks shall be consistent with the Charter School’s goal of promoting educational excellence by facilitating resource sharing, innovation, and communication. These procedures do not attempt to state all required or proscribed behaviors by users. However, some specific examples are provided. The failure of any user to follow these procedures will result in the loss of privileges, disciplinary action, and/or appropriate legal action.
Terms and Conditions
All use of the School’s electronic network must be either in support of education or research and in furtherance of the School’s stated educational goals; or for a legitimate school business purpose. Use is a privilege, not a right. Students have no expectation of privacy in any materials that are stored, transmitted, or received via the School’s electronic network or School computers. The School reserves the right to access, monitor, inspect, copy, review, and store, at any time and without prior notice, any and all usage of the computer network and internet access and any and all information transmitted or received in connection with such usage, including email and instant messages.
1. Privileges: The use of the School’s electronic networks is a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use of the School’s electronic networks may result in the cancellation of those privileges. The building principal will make all decisions regarding whether or not a user has violated these procedures, and may deny, revoke, or suspend access at any time. An appeal of such decisions may be made to the Executive Director within seven days. His or her decision is final.
2. Unacceptable Uses: The user is responsible for his or her actions and activities involving the network. Some examples of unacceptable uses are the following:
A. Using the network for any illegal activity, or to access websites encouraging illegal activity including violation of copyright or of contracts, or transmitting any material in violation of any U.S. or State law;
B. Accessing sites which allow or promote online gambling;
C. Accessing information pertaining to the manufacture of weapons or the promotion of illegal weapons;
D. Uses that cause harm to others or damage property;
E. Unauthorized downloading, installation, or copying of software, regardless of whether it is copyrighted or checked for viruses;
F. Downloading copyrighted material or trade secret information;
G. Viewing, transmitting, or downloading pornographic materials, materials harmful to minors, or other sexually explicit materials;
H. Using the network for private financial or commercial activities;
I. Wastefully using resources, such as file space or the printer;
J. Hacking, attempting to bypass security systems, or gaining unauthorized access to files, resources, or entities;
K. Uploading a worm, virus, or other harmful form of programming and other uses that jeopardize the security of the network;
L. Invading the privacy of individuals, which includes the unauthorized disclosure, dissemination, and use of information of a personal nature about anyone;
M. Using another user’s account or password or some other user identifier that misleads message recipients into believing that someone other than you is communicating;
N. Posting material authored or created by another person, or pictures of another person, or another person’s private information or messages without his or her consent;
O. Posting anonymous messages or messages using a name other than one’s own;
P. Using the network for commercial or private advertising;
Q. Uses that are commercial transactions;
R. Accessing, submitting, posting, publishing, sending, or displaying any inaccurate, abusive, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, racially offensive, or illegal material;
S. Accessing sites which promote violence or depict or describe graphic violence. This includes promotion of self-harm;
T. Accessing sites which advocate discrimination or which promote intolerance.
U. Uses amounting to harassment, sexual harassment, bullying, or cyber-bullying;
V. Uses that cause harm to others or damage their property, person, or reputation, including but not limited to engaging in defamation;
W. Using the network while access privileges are suspended or revoked;
X. Promotion of political, personal, or religious causes in a way that presents such opinions as the view of the School;
Y. Disclosing identifying personal information or arranging to meet persons met on the internet or by electronic communications; and
Z. [OPTIONAL] Students are prohibited from using e-mail unless authorized to do so by School staff. Students are prohibited from joining chat rooms or using school equipment or school systems for any such activity unless it is a teacher-sponsored activity.
3. Network Etiquette – The user is expected to abide by the generally accepted rules of network etiquette. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
A. Be polite. Do not become abusive in messages to others.
B. Use appropriate language. Do not swear or use vulgarities or any other inappropriate language.
C. Do not reveal personal information (including the addresses or telephone numbers) of students or staff.
D. Recognize that School e-mail is not private. People who operate the system have access to all mail. Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities may be reported to the authorities.
E. Do not use the network in any way that would disrupt its use by other users.
F. Consider all communications and information accessible via the network to be private property.
4. No Warranties: The Charter School makes no warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, for the service it is providing. The School will not be responsible for any damages the user suffers. This includes loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, missed deliveries, or service interruptions caused by its negligence or the user’s errors or omissions. Use of any information obtained via the internet is at the user’s own risk. The School specifically denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through its services.
5. Security: Network security is a high priority. If the user can identify a security problem with the School’s electronic devices or services, the user must notify the system administrator, Internet Safety Coordinator, or building principal. The user shall not demonstrate the problem to other users. Users shall keep their account and passwords confidential. Users shall not use another individual’s account. Attempts to log on to the internet as a system administrator will result in cancellation of user privileges. Any user identified as a security risk may be denied access to the network.
6. Telephone Charges: The Charter School assumes no responsibility for any unauthorized charges or fees, including telephone charges, long-distance charges, per-minute surcharges, or equipment or line costs.
7. Copyright Web Publishing Rules: Copyright law and Charter School policy prohibit the republishing of text or graphics found on the internet or on School websites or file servers, without explicit written permission.
A. For each republication on a website or file server of a graphic or text file that was produced externally, there must be a notice at the bottom of the page crediting the original producer and noting how and when permission was granted. If possible, the notice should also include the website address of the original source.
B. Students engaged in producing website pages must provide library media specialists with e-mail or hard copy permissions before the website pages are published. Printed evidence of the status of “public domain” documents must be provided.
C. The absence of a copyright notice may not be interpreted as permission to copy the materials. Only the copyright owner may provide the permission. The manager of the website displaying the material may not be considered a source of permission.
D. The “fair use” rules governing student reports in classrooms are less stringent and permit limited use of graphics and text.
E. Student work may only be published if there is written permission from both the parent/guardian and the student.
F. Violation of the copyright web publishing rules may result in denial of access to the network.
8. Use of Email.
A. The Charter School’s email system, and its constituent software, hardware, and data files, are owned and controlled by the School. The School provides e-mail to aid students in fulfilling their duties and responsibilities and as an education tool.
B. Email could be subject to public records requests and disclosures depending upon the subject matter of the contents of the email.
C. The School reserves the right to access and disclose the contents of any account on its system, without prior notice or permission from the account’s user. Unauthorized access by any student to an electronic mail account is strictly prohibited.
D. Each person should use the same degree of care in drafting an electronic mail message that would be put into a written memorandum or document. Nothing should be transmitted in an e-mail message that would be inappropriate in a letter or memorandum.
E. Email sent from a School account includes an identification of the user’s internet “domain.” This domain identifies the author as being with the School. Great care should be taken, therefore, in the composition of such messages and how such messages might reflect on the name and reputation of this School. Users will be held personally responsible for the content of any and all email messages transmitted to external recipients.
F. Any message received from an unknown sender should either be immediately deleted or forwarded to the system administrator. Downloading any file attached to any internet-based message is prohibited, unless the user is certain of the message’s authenticity and the nature of the file so transmitted.
G. Use of the Charter School’s email system constitutes consent to these regulations.
Internet Safety
1. Internet access is limited to only those “acceptable uses,” as detailed in these procedures.
2. Staff members shall supervise students while students are using Charter School internet access at School, to ensure that the students abide by the Terms and Conditions for Internet access, as contained in these procedures.
3. Each Charter School computer with Internet access shall be equipped with a filtering device that blocks entry to visual depictions that are obscene, pornographic, or harmful or inappropriate for students, as defined by the Children’s Internet Protection Act and as determined by the Executive Director or designee. Students must use the School’s filtered network for all online activities on School grounds or using School equipment.
4. The system administrator, Internet Safety Coordinator, and/or building principals shall monitor student Internet access.
Student Use of Social Media
Students will be held accountable for the content of the communications that they post on social media locations and are responsible for complying with Charter School policy and procedures for content posted using a School computer, network, or software or when posted during school hours when the student is in attendance at School. Student posts on social media locations outside of school hours and School grounds using a personal computer, network, and software shall be private as long as they do not enter into the educational setting and interfere with the orderly operation of the School. Posts to social network sites using a School computer, network, or software may be subject to public records requests. Students may not disrupt the learning atmosphere, educational programs, School activities, or the rights of others.
All of the requirements and prohibitions in School policy and procedure apply to the use of social media on School grounds, through the School network or using School equipment, or as part of a class assignment.
Procedure History:
Adopted on: 6/14/21
Revised on:
Reviewed on: