Staff Tech Policy and Procedure

Board Policy:       2005 6470R
                                Personnel  

SUBJECT: NETWORK SECURITY AND EQUIPMENT USE

The District's computer system (DCS hereafter) is provided for staff and approved contract service providers to enhance the educational programs of the District, to further District goals and objectives; and to conduct research and communicate with others.

Generally, the same standards of acceptable staff conduct, which apply to any aspect of job performance, shall apply to use of the DCS. The standards of acceptable use as well as prohibited conduct by staff and other users accessing the DCS, as outlined in Board of Education Policy and Administrative Regulation, are not intended to be all inclusive. A staff member or approved contract service provider who commits an act of misconduct, which is not specifically addressed in Board of Education Policy and/or Administrative Regulation, may also be subject to disciplinary action, including loss of access to the DCS as well as the imposition of discipline under the law and/or the applicable collective bargaining agreement. Legal action may also be initiated against a staff member or approved contract service provider who willfully, maliciously or unlawfully damages or destroys property of the District.

Staff are encouraged to utilize electronic communications in their roles as employees of the District. Staff are also encouraged to utilize electronic means to exchange communications with parents/guardians or homebound students, subject to appropriate consideration for student privacy. Such usage shall be limited to school related issues or activities. Communications over the DCS are often public in nature; therefore, general rules and standards for professional behavior and communications will apply.

The Board of Education Policy and accompanying Administrative Regulation on staff or approved contract service providers and student use of computerized information resources establish guidelines for staff to follow in instruction and in working with students on acceptable student use of the DCS, including access to external computer networks.

Staff members who are authorized to take information home in computer formats, or who are granted access to the DCS from their home or other remote locations, are subject to the Board's policy and these regulations.

Staff members, who have important job-related information on home computers or off-premises, in electronic format, shall provide the district with copies of same and destroy such information when no longer needed.

Privacy Rights

Staff data files, E-mail and electronic storage areas shall remain District property, subject to District control and inspection. The Executive Director of Planning, Development and Technology may access all such files and communications to insure system integrity and that users are complying with requirements of District policy and accompanying regulations. Staff should NOT expect that their use of the DCS or information stored on the DCS will be private.

Prohibitions

It is not the intention of this regulation to define all inappropriate usage. However, in addition to the general requirements of acceptable staff behavior, activities which shall be prohibited by staff members and approved contract service providers using the DCS include, but are not limited to, the following:

1) Using the DCS which in any way results in unauthorized charges or expense to the District.

2) Damaging, disabling or otherwise interfering with the operation of computers, computer systems, software or related equipment through physical action or by electronic means.

3) Installing or using unauthorized software on the DCS, including school-owned laptops.

4) Changing, copying. renaming, deleting, reading or otherwise accessing files or software not created by the staff member without express permission from the computer coordinator.

5) Violating copyright law or software licensing agreements. It is the policy of the District to respect all computer software copyrights and to adhere to the terms of all software licenses to which the District is a party.

A. Staff is reminded that the copyright laws and software license agreements prohibit them from installing most school-owned software on their home computers or other unauthorized computers.

B. There may be limited exceptions to the above rule, e.g., where a teacher is authorized to use a student grading program on his/her home computer. In such cases, the staff member may not use such software in an unauthorized manner, e.g., by installing more than the authorized number of copies, or by providing copies of the program to unauthorized persons. The staff member shall uninstall the program when his/her home use is no longer authorized.

C. Unlicensed programs, music or other multimedia files may not be downloaded to, installed or played on school computers.

6) Employing the DCS for commercial purposes, product advertisement or political lobbying.

7) Disclosing an individual password to others or using others' passwords.

8) Sharing confidential information on students and employees, including but not limited to student grades or other student data from the eClass Grades program.

A. Staff is reminded that federal law prohibits them from disclosing personally identifiable information about students that is contained in any education records, including records maintained in electronic formats, except with the permission of a parent/guardian, or if the student is 18 or over, the permission of the student. There are other limited exceptions to these rules. Staff members should consult with their supervisors before making any such disclosures.

B. Staff members who are authorized for at-home or off-premises use of personally identifiable information about students from education records, including information maintained in any electronic format, must return and/or permanently/electronically shred such information when grading is complete or the data is no longer needed. This requirement is intended to prevent the inadvertent disclosure of confidential information when the staff member's home computer is sold, donated or otherwise disposed of.

9) Sending or displaying offensive messages or pictures.

10) Using obscene language.

11) Harassing, insulting or attacking others.

12) Engaging in practices that threaten the DCS (e.g., loading files that may introduce a virus).

13) Violating regulations prescribed by the network provider.

14) Use of the DCS for other than school related work or activities.

15) Assisting a student to violate Board of Education Policy and/or Administrative Regulation, or failing to report knowledge of any student violations of the District's policy and regulation on student use of computerized information resources.

16) Use which violates any other aspect of Board of Education Policy and/or Administrative Regulations, as well as loca1, state or federal laws or regulations.

Any user of the DCS that accesses another network or other computer resources shall be subject to that network s acceptable use policy.

Sanctions

The Executive Director of Planning, Development and Technology will report inappropriate behavior to the staff member's supervisor who will take appropriate disciplinary action. Any other reports of inappropriate behavior, violations or complaints will be routed to the staff member s supervisor for appropriate action. Violations may result in a loss of access to the DCS and/or disciplinary action. When applicable, law enforcement agencies may be involved.

Notification

All staff or approved contract service providers and students will be given a copy of the Board of Education Policy on staff and student use of computerized information resources and the Administrative Regulation established in connection with this policy. Each staff member will sign an acceptable use agreement (Refer to Form #6470F) before establishing an account or continuing their use of the DCS. Staff members, students and other users shall be informed that their use of District computers and software can be monitored by the District at any time, and that they give their consent to such monitoring and to be bound by the District's Board policy and Administrative Regulation governing the DCS simply by using the DCS. The Executive Director for Planning, Development and Technology shall develop means for informing all staff members, students and other users of these rules, which may include the use of splash screens, rule sheets and publication of the rules in staff and student handbooks and on the District's Web site.

Adopted: 11/14/05