1. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
As a
student of Portland Public Schools, you agree to not only follow the rules in
this Policy, but also to report any misuse of the network to the person
designated by the School for such reporting. Misuse means any violations of
this Policy or any other use that is not included in the Policy, but has the
effect of harming another or his or her property.
The Internet provides access to unique resources for education and research in the United States and throughout the world and offers the opportunity for collaborative work. Use of the Internet must be in support of education and research and consistent with the educational objectives of the Portland Public Schools. Use of other organizations’ networks or computing resources must comply with the rules appropriate for that network.
2. TERM OF THE PERMITTED USE
Use
of the Portland Public Schools computer
network and the Internet is a privilege, not a right. Inappropriate use will result in cancellation of privileges. (Each student will receive orientation and
training in the proper use of the computer network and the Internet.) Based upon the acceptable use guidelines
outlined in this document, the Superintendent and/or his or her designee will
deem what is inappropriate use and their decision is final. In addition, the Superintendent and/or his
or her designee may revoke use privileges at any time as required. The administration, faculty and staff of the
Portland Public Schools may request the system administrators to deny, revoke
or suspend privileges.
3. ACCEPTABLE USES
A. Educational Purposes Only. Portland
Public Schools is providing access to its computer networks and the Internet
for only educational purposes. If you
have any doubt about whether a contemplated activity is educational, you may
consult with the person(s) designated by the School to help you decide if a use
is appropriate.
B. Unacceptable Uses of Network.
Among the uses that are
considered unacceptable and which constitute a violation of this
Policy are the following:
·
uses that violate the law or encourage others to violate
the law. Do not transmit offensive or harassing messages; offer for sale or use
any substance the possession or use of which is prohibited by the Portland
Public Schools Student Discipline Policy; view, transmit or download
pornographic materials or materials that encourage others to violate the law;
intrude into the networks or computers of others; and download or transmit
confidential, trade secret information, or copyrighted materials. Even if
materials on the networks are not marked with the copyright symbol, you should
assume that all materials are protected unless there is explicit permission on
the materials to use them.
·
uses that cause harm to others or damage to their
property. For example, do not engage in defamation (harming another's
reputation by lies); employ another’s password or some other user identifier
that misleads message recipients into believing that someone other than you is
communicating or otherwise using his/her access to the network or the Internet;
upload a worm, virus, “Trojan horse,” “time bomb” or other harmful form of
programming or vandalism; participate in “hacking” activities or any form of
unauthorized access to other computers, networks, or information systems.
·
uses that jeopardize the security of student access and
of the computer network or other networks on the Internet. For example, do not
disclose or share your password with others; do not impersonate another user.
·
uses that are commercial transactions. Students and
other users may not sell or buy anything over the Internet. You should not give
others private information about you or others, including credit card numbers
and social security numbers.
C.
Netiquette.
All users must abide by rules of network etiquette, which include the
following:
·
Be polite. Use appropriate language. No swearing,
vulgarities, suggestive, obscene, belligerent, or threatening language.
·
Avoid language and uses that may be offensive to other
users. Do not use access to make, distribute, or redistribute jokes, stories,
or other material which is based upon slurs or stereotypes relating to race,
gender, ethnicity, nationality, religion, or sexual orientation.
·
Do not assume that a sender of e-mail is giving his or
her permission for you to forward or redistribute the message to third parties
or to give his/her e-mail address to third parties. This should only be done
with permission or when you know that the individual would have no objection.
·
Be considerate when sending attachments with e-mail. Be
sure that the file is not too large to be accommodated by the recipient’s
system and is in a format that the recipient can open.
4. INTERNET SAFETY
A.
General
Warning - Individual Responsibility of Parents and Users. All
users and their parents/guardians are advised that access to the electronic
network may include the potential for access to materials inappropriate for
school-aged pupils. Every user must take responsibility for his or her use of
the computer network and Internet and stay away from these sites. Parents of
minors are the best guide to materials to shun. If a student finds that other
users are visiting offensive or harmful sites, he or she should report such use
to the person designated by the School.
B. Personal Safety. Be
safe. In using the computer network and Internet, do not reveal personal
information such as your home address or telephone number. Do not use your real
last name or any other information that might allow a person to locate you
without first obtaining the permission of a supervising teacher. Do not arrange
a face-to-face meeting with someone you “meet” on the computer network or
Internet without your parent’s permission (if you are under 18). Regardless of
your age, you should never agree to meet a person you have only communicated
with on the Internet in a secluded place or in a private setting.
C. “Hacking”
and Other Illegal Activities. It is a violation of this
Policy to use the Portland Public Schools computer network or the Internet to
gain unauthorized access to other computers or computer systems, or to attempt
to gain such unauthorized access. Any use which violates state or federal law
relating to copyright, trade secrets, the distribution of obscene or
pornographic materials, or which violates any other applicable law or municipal
ordinance, is strictly prohibited.
D. Confidentiality of Student Information. Personally
identifiable information concerning students may not be disclosed or used in
any way on the Internet without the permission of a parent or guardian or, if
the student is 18 or over, the permission of the student himself/herself. Users
should never give out private or confidential information about themselves or
others on the Internet, particularly credit card numbers and Social Security
numbers.
E. Active Restriction Measures.
Portland Public Schools will utilize Internet filtering software to
prevent students from accessing visual depictions that are (1) obscene, (2)
child pornography, (3) harmful to minors, or (4) not of educational value. Portland Public Schools will also monitor
the online activities of students through direct observation and/or
technological means to ensure that students are not accessing such depictions
or any other material which is inappropriate for minors.
Internet filtering software
may be bypassed by a supervising teacher or school administrator, as necessary,
for purposes of bona fide research or other educational projects. The term “harmful to minors” is defined by
the Communications Act of 1934 (47 USC Section 254 [h][7]).
5. PRIVACY
Network and Internet access is provided as a tool for your education. Portland Public Schools reserves the right to 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. All such information files shall be and remain the property of Portland Public Schools and no user shall have any expectation of privacy regarding such materials.
6. FAILURE TO FOLLOW POLICY
Any user who violates this Policy, shall at a minimum, have his or her access to the computer network and Internet terminated, which Portland Public Schools may refuse to reinstate for the remainder of the student’s enrollment in Portland Public Schools. A user violates this Policy by his or her own action or by failing to report any violations by other users that come to the attention of the user. Further, a user violates this Policy if he or she permits another to use his or her account or password to access the computer network and Internet, including any user whose access has been denied or terminated. Portland Public Schools may also take other disciplinary action in such circumstances.
Legal Reference: Child Internet Protection Act
Cross References: GCSA - Employee Computer and Internet Use
Adopted: November
19, 1997
Revised: April 3, 2002, October 1, 2003