District Internet Safety and Responsible Use Policy & Procedures *

Included below are items that you should consider when you are creating policy and procedure for online safety and CIPA compliance.  Some items may fit best in your AUP.  Other items might be best included in district procedures or curriculum.    The list is offered as a resource, not a recommendation.

A.        Purpose

· Statement of why the system is in place

· Don’t rule out personal use of all types. One of the NETS standards is that students will be able to locate and access information for their personal use. 

· To whom does the policy apply?  Is it students, staff or both?

· Statement that training is provided in safe and productive use

B.        District Limitation of Liability

· General disclaimer about the changing nature of Internet, the chance of encountering inappropriate content. 

· Not responsible for lost or damaged data, service interruption

· Not responsible for financial obligations arising through unauthorized use

· Users and parents indemnify and hold the District harmless from losses or damage sustained as a result of misuse of the system.

· Must have a signed form to use the system.

C.        Responsibilities

· Who will oversee the system?

· What are staff, student, and parental responsibilities?

· Understand that all information is not accurate.

· District will teach information literacy.

· Parents will get annual notification of acceptable use policy

· Parents must impart family values.

D.        Due Process

· Statement of cooperation with local, state, or federal officials in any investigation

· What is the procedure is a suspected student violation is found?

· What is the procedure is a suspected staff violation is found?

E.         Supervision, Monitoring, Search and Seizure, and Retention of Records

· How will student use be supervised?

· How will activity be monitored?

· What kinds of records are collected?

· How are they used?

· Statement about storage and destroying records no longer needed

· What are the privacy expectations of users?

· Under what conditions are records checked?

F.         Free Speech, Educational Portal, Selection of Material, and Copyright

· If the district establishes an educational portal, its purpose should be defined here.

· Define differences between access by different grade levels

· Statement of copyright protection of student and teacher work.

· Statement about parental permission for posting of work.

G.        Protection Against Access to Material that is Prohibited, Restricted, or Non-educational

· What technology protection measure has been put in place?

· What educational measures are taken to protect students?

· General description of types of inappropriate content and activities.

· Filtering disclaimer about over blocking and under blocking

· Filter is just one part of the protection plan and should not be relied on

· What sort of filtering does the district do?

· What measures are in place to allow access to over blocked sites?

· What procedures should students follow in case of accidental access to inappropriate material?

· What are procedures when a substitute is in?

H.        Safety and Security of Students When Using Direct Electronic Communication

· Statement about student email access. Reinforce educational use. 

· Are elementary, secondary, and staff guidelines different?

· Is web based mail allowed?

· Reminder of the educational use of email and that  excessive use of e-mail student may trigger a violation investigation.

· Statement about chat, IRC, ICQ, IM etc.

10 General Guidelines

· Never provide personal information online

· Never meet anyone in person whom you have met online.

· Remember never to write any personal things about yourself in your online profile.

· Be civil and polite online.

· Respect the privacy of others

· If people are conducting themselves poorly online, leave and report the conduct to a teacher.

· Report any activity that makes you uncomfortable or if someone sends you inappropriate e-mail.

· Remember that you never really know who the other person is online.

· Don’t do things online that you know you wouldn’t do in real life.

· If you find an inappropriate web site, just click the back button and go somewhere else.

I.          Illegal, Unauthorized, and Inappropriate Activities

· Standard statement about illegal activities 

· Statement about inappropriate language

· Statement about plagiarism and copyright infringement

· Statement about respect for privacy of others

J.          System Security and Resource Limits

· Users are responsible for the security of their password

· Procedures to follow if security is compromised

· Virus protection information

· Storage and resource limits

· Mailing list subscription policy

K.        Protection of Student Confidentiality and Privacy

· Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA) statement

· Statement of safety education

· Statement of parental guidance in not providing personal information

· Accounts established should be under the supervision of teachers

· How will students be identified on the web site

· Student picture policy statement

· Internet vs Intranet statement

*This material has been largely derived from Nancy Willard’s  Children' Internet Protection Act Planning Guide for Schools.

It is not to be considered legal advice.  Always consult with legal authorities before implementing any policies.