District Policies
District Policies
Silvercrest Children's Development Center is a diagnostic and treatment placement for children with behavior
disorders. Most of the children have other handicapping
conditions, from Autism, to Tuberous Sclerosis, to
profound learning disabilities.
The Internet has not yet arrived in the classroom, and it is
doubtful that it will at any time in the near future. As stated in
previous assignments, our building has one online computer,
shared among all teachers, therapists, and administrators.
Policies, in general, do not apply to our facility other than
copyright infringement and generating obscene materials.
In the event of a miracle of state funds and extreme
philosophical changes, Silvercrest will remain in the latter part
of the 20th Century as far as online computer technology for
students. Were this the case, however, we would follow the
guidelines of the State of Indiana, listed in the paragraphs
below.
Our Intranet Server is Indianapolis based, and the policies
are similar to general state guidelines.
http://www.onemain.com/acceptableuse.html
SCHOOL DISTRICT:
Policy on District-Provided Access to
Electronic Information, Services,
and Networks
Freedom of expression is an inalienable human right and the foundation for self-government. Freedom of expression encompasses the right to freedom of speech and the corollary right to receive information. Such rights extend to minors as well as adults. Schools facilitate the exercise of these rights by providing access to information regardless of format or technology. In a free and democratic society, access to information is a fundamental right of citizenship.
In making decisions regarding student access to the Internet, the {SCHOOL DISTRICT} considers its own stated educational mission, goals, and objectives. Electronic information research skills are now fundamental to preparation of citizens and future employees. Access to the Internet enables students to explore thousands of libraries, databases, bulletin boards, and other resources while exchanging messages with people around the world. The District expects that faculty will blend thoughtful us e of the Internet throughout the curriculum and will provide guidance and instruction to students in its use. As much as possible, access from school to Internet resources should be structured in ways that point students to those which have been evaluated prior to use. While students will be able to move beyond those resources to others that have not been previewed by staff, they shall be provided with guidelines and lists of resources particularly suited to learning objectives.
Outside of school, families bear responsibility for the same guidance of Internet use as they exercise with information sources such as television, telephones, radio, movies, and other possibly offensive media.
Students utilizing District-provided Internet access must first have the permission of and must be supervised by the {SCHOOL DISTRICT}'s professional staff. Students utilizing school-provided Internet access are responsible for good behavior on-line just as they are in a classroom or other area of the school. The same general rules for behavior and communications apply.
The purpose of District-provided Internet access is to facilitate communications in support of research and education. To remain eligible as users, students' use must be in support of and consistent with the educational objectives of the {SCHOOL DISTRICT}. Access is a privilege, not a right. Access entails responsibility.
Users should not expect that files stored on school-based computers will always be private. Electronic messages and files stored on school-based computers may be treated like school lockers. Administrators and faculty may review files and messag es to maintain system integrity and insure that users are acting responsibly.
The following uses of school-provided Internet access are not permitted:
to access, upload, download, or distribute pornographic, obscene, or sexually explicit material;
to transmit obscene, abusive, or sexually explicit language;
to violate any local, state, or federal statute;
to vandalize, damage, or disable the property of another individual or organization;
to access another individual's materials, information, or files without permission; and,
to violate copyright or otherwise use the intellectual property of another individual or organization without permission.
Any violation of District Policy and rules may result in loss of District-provided access to the Internet. Additional disciplinary action may be determined at the building level in keeping with existing procedures and practices regarding inappropriate language or behavior. When and where applicable, law enforcement agencies may be involved.
The {SCHOOL DISTRICT} makes no warranties of any kind, neither expressed nor implied, for the Internet access it is providing. The District will not be responsible for any damages users suffer, including--but not limited to--loss of data resulting from delays nor interruptions in service. The District will not be responsible for the accuracy, nature or quality of information stored on District diskettes, hard drives, or servers; nor for the accuracy, nature, or quality of information gathered thro ugh District-provided Internet access. The District will not be responsible for personal property used to access District computers or networks or for District-provided Internet access. The District will not be responsible for unauthorized financial obligations resulting from District-provided access to the Internet.
Parents of students in the {SCHOOL DISTRICT} shall be provided with the following information:
The {SCHOOL DISTRICT} is pleased to offer its students access to the Internet. The Internet is an electronic highway connecting hundreds of thousands of computers and millions of individual users all over the world. This computer technology will help propel our schools through the communication age by allowing students and staff to access and use resources from distant computers, communicate and collaborate with other individuals and groups around the world, and significantly expand their available information base. The Internet is a tool for life-long learning.
Families should be aware that some material accessible via the Internet may contain items that are illegal, defamatory, inaccurate, nor potentially offensive to some people. In addition, it is possible to purchase certain goods and services via the Internet which could result in unwanted financial obligations for which a student's parent or guardian would be liable.
While the District's intent is to make Internet access available in order to further educational goals and objectives, students may find ways to access other materials as well. Even should the District institute technical methods or systems to regulate students' Internet access, those methods could not guarantee compliance with the District's acceptable use policy. That notwithstanding, the District believes that the benefits to students of access to the Internet exceed any disadvantages. Ultimately , however, parents and guardians of minors are responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their children should follow when using media and information sources. Toward that end, the {SCHOOL DISTRICT} makes the District's complete Internet policy and procedures available on request for review by all parents, guardians, and other members of the community; and provides parents and guardians the option of requesting for their minor children alternative activities not requiring Internet use.
NOTICE: This policy and all its provisions
are subordinate to local, state, and federal statutes.
STATE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
PUBLIC SCHOOL INTERNET
ACCEPTABLE USE POLICIES AND GUIDELINES
http://www.siec.k12.in.us/aup/recomm.html
A. IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL
CORPORATION IN INDIANA ESTABLISH AN INTERNET ACCEPTABLE
USE POLICY THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH EXISTING POLICIES FOR
PRINT MEDIA, AND THAT THE LOCAL INTERNET ACCEPTABLE USE
POLICY INCLUDE:
1. A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE INTERNET, CONTENT THAT IS
AVAILABLE VIA THE INTERNET, AND THE POTENTIAL EDUCATIONAL
VALUE OF STUDENT ACCESS TO THE INTERNET.
2. DISCLAIMER LIMITING THE SCHOOL CORPORATION'S LIABILITY
RELATIVE TO:
A. INFORMATION STORED ON SCHOOL CORPORATION DISKETTES,
HARD DRIVES OR SERVERS.
B. INFORMATION RETRIEVED THROUGH SCHOOL CORPORATION
COMPUTERS, NETWORKS OR ON-LINE RESOURCES.
C. PERSONAL PROPERTY USED TO ACCESS SCHOOL CORPORATION
COMPUTERS, NETWORKS OR ON-LINE RESOURCES.
D. UNAUTHORIZED FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS RESULTING FROM USE
OF SCHOOL CORPORATION RESOURCES/ACCOUNTS TO ACCESS
THE INTERNET.
3. PARENT/GUARDIAN RESPONSIBILITIES.
4. A DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIVACY RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS OF
SCHOOL SPONSORED/MANAGED INTERNET ACCOUNTS.
5. NOTIFICATION THAT, EVEN THOUGH THE SCHOOL CORPORATION MAY
USE TECHNICAL MEANS TO LIMIT STUDENT INTERNET ACCESS, THESE
LIMITS DO NOT PROVIDE A FOOLPROOF MEANS FOR ENFORCING
THE PROVISIONS OF LOCAL ACCEPTABLE USE POLICIES.
6. NOTIFICATION THAT ALL PROVISIONS OF THE POLICY ARE SUBORDIANTE
TO LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL STATUTE.
7. NOTIFICATION TO PARENTS/GUARDIANS THAT IT IS POSSIBLE FOR
STUDENTS TO PURCHASE GOODS AND SERVICES VIA THE INTERNET,
AND THAT THESE PURCHASES COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN
UNWANTED FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS.
B. IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL
CORPORATION IN INDIANA DEVELOP GUIDELINES THAT:
1. INCLUDE SUGGESTIONS TO HELP PARENTS AND STUDENTS TO TAKE
FULL ADVANTAGE OF INTERNET ACCESS FROM HOME OR PUBLIC
ACCESS TERMINALS.
2. REQUIRE STUDENTS OF AN APPROPRIATE AGE TO READ AND SIGN
(INDICATING THEIR ACCEPTANCE OF THE PROVISIONS AND
AGREEMENT TO COMPLY) THE SCHOOL CORPORATION'S
ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY.
3. DESCRIBE APPROPRIATE STAFF USE OF SCHOOL CORPORATION
INTERNET RESOURCES/ ACCOUNTS.
4. FOR INTERNAL USE, ASSIGN SPECIFIC STAFF WITH SPECIFIC SECURITY,
MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNT RESPONSIBILITIES
ASSOCIATED WITH THE SCHOOL CORPORATION'S
INTERNET RESOURCES AND ACCOUNTS.
5. INCLUDE PROCEDURES FOR USERS TO SUBSCRIBE TO INTERNET
SERVICES, SUCH AS LISTSERVERS AND NEWS GROUPS.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION -- REVISED NOVEMBER 1995
INDIANA STATE REQUIREMENTS
FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL INTERNET ACCEPTABLE
USE POLICIES AND GUIDELINES
http://www.siec.k12.in.us/aup/require.html
A. EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL CORPORATION IN INDIANA MUST ADOPT AN
INTERNET ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY WHICH:
1. DESCRIBES GENERAL INSTRUCTIONAL PHILOSOPHIES AND STRATEGIES
TO BE SUPPORTED BY INTERNET ACCESS IN THE SCHOOLS.
2. DESCRIBES THE PROCESS FOR GOVERNING LOCAL INTERNET SYSTEM
SECURITY, USER ACCOUNTS AND USER PRIVILEGES.
3. DESCRIBES SANCTIONS TO BE TAKEN WHEN VIOLATIONS OF THE
POLICY OCCUR.
4. MAKES SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO PROHIBITING THE USE OF SCHOOL
CORPORATION INTERNET RESOURCES/ACCOUNTS:
A. TO ACCESS, UPLOAD, DOWNLOAD OR DISTRIBUTE PORNOGRAPHIC,
OBSCENE OR SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIAL.
B. TO TRANSMIT OBSCENE, ABUSIVE OR SEXUALLY EXPLICIT
LANGUAGE.
C. TO VIOLATE ANY LOCAL, STATE OR FEDERAL STATUTE.
D. TO VANDALIZE, DAMAGE OR DISABLE THE PROPERTY OF ANOTHER
PERSON OR ORGANIZATION.
E. TO ACCESS ANOTHER PERSON'S MATERIALS, INFORMATION OR FILES
WITHOUT THE IMPLIED OR DIRECT PERMISSION OF THAT PERSON.
F. TO VIOLATE COPYRIGHT, OR OTHERWISE USE ANOTHER PERSON'S
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY WITHOUT THEIR PRIOR APPROVAL OR
PROPER CITATION.
5. REQUIRES THAT PARENTS BE NOTIFIED THAT THEIR STUDENTS WILL BE
USING SCHOOL CORPORATION RESOURCES/ACCOUNTS TO ACCESS THE
INTERNET, AND PROVIDES PARENTS THE OPTION TO REQUEST
ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES NOT REQUIRING INTERNET ACCESS.
6. REQUIRES THE PERMISSION OF AND SUPERVISION BY THE SCHOOL'S
PROFESSIONAL STAFF FOR A STUDENT TO USE A SCHOOL ACCOUNT
ACCESS IS THE JOINT RESPONSIBILITY OF STUDENTS, PARENTS AND
EMPLOYEES OF THE SCHOOL CORPORATION.
8. MAKES THE SCHOOL CORPORATION'S INTERNET POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW BY ALL PARENTS,
GUARDIANS, STAFF AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
B. EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL CORPORATION IN INDIANA MUST PROVIDE
STAFF AND STUDENT INTERNET USERS GUIDELINES FOR:
1. RESPONDING TO UNSOLICITED ON-LINE CONTACT.
2. SAFE-GUARDING PERSONAL INFORMATION, SUCH AS NAME,
ADDRESS, TELEPHONE NUMBER, ETC.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION -- REVISED NOVEMBER 1995
