FILE:  IFBGA

Cf:  EFA, JCDAF

 

STUDENT COMPUTER AND INTERNET USE

 

 

The Lafayette Parish School Board recognizes that access to technology in school gives students greater opportunities to gain future-ready technology and communication skills that will prepare them for work, life, and citizenship.  To that end, we are committed to providing access to district network resources and technologies for student and staff use.

 

The School Board authorizes the Superintendent and staff to establish appropriate guidelines for exploring and using network resources and technology within the school district to enhance learning and teaching activities.  Acceptable use of these resources shall be consistent with the philosophy, goals, and objectives of the School Board.  Each student and his/her parent or guardian shall sign a Student Computer and Internet Use Agreement before any student will be allowed to use any district technologies and/or network resources, including computers, the Internet, or email services.

 

DEFINITIONS

 

Technology devices, technologies, and/or network resources, as used herein, may include, but shall not be limited to, the following:  district network, servers, and cloud; Internet access; desktop computers; mobile computers (laptops, iPads, tablets, etc.); district owned/issued mobile phones and other mobile devices; videoconferencing capabilities; online collaboration capabilities; message boards and email.

 

Educational purposes, as used herein, includes classroom activities and assignments, directed student research, interpersonal communication, professional development, collaborative projects, and dissemination of successful educational practices, methods, and materials.

 

ACCOUNTABILITY

 

Student use of technology devices and/or network resources shall be reserved for educational purposes only.  All students using district technology devices and/or network resources shall be accountable for their use.  Any access codes and/or passwords assigned to students shall be maintained on file in a secured location to allow for access to technology devices or network resources by School Board personnel.  Student or class files on the network shall be treated as district property subject to control, inspection, and/or search by School Board personnel without just cause.

 

Tampering with technology devices and/or network resources shall be prohibited. Any use by any person of network resources that incurs expenses to the district other than authorized user fees and/or rates shall be strictly prohibited.  Use of technology devices and/or network resources for any illegal activities shall also be prohibited. Illegal activities may include but are not limited to:  (1) tampering with technology hardware or software, (2) unauthorized access into technology devices and files (hacking), (3) knowledgeable vandalism or destruction of equipment, (4) deletion of computer files, and (5) cyberbullying.  Such activity is considered a crime under state and federal law.

 

The School Board does not condone the use of network resources for any illegal or inappropriate activities and shall not be responsible for such use by students.  Use of network resources shall be considered a privilege and any inappropriate use may result in loss of privileges to use same and/or disciplinary action.  School Board policies and/or agreements governing use of the Internet and/or network resources do not warrant or guarantee use of or access to same.  The School Board may, at any time and in its sole discretion, suspend or terminate the privilege of any individual to use or access the Internet and/or network resources without notice, cause, or reason.

 

INTERNET SAFETY

 

In compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act, the School Board shall use technology protection measures that block and/or filter Internet access or exposure to harmful materials or information, such as sites that contain obscene, pornographic, pervasively vulgar, excessively violent, or sexually harassing material or information, or sites that may contain information on the manufacturing of bombs or other incendiary devices.

 

Age and grade appropriate classroom instruction shall be provided regarding Internet and cell phone safety.  Such instruction shall include appropriate online behavior, interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms, and cyberbullying awareness and response, as well as areas concerning state and federal law.

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE

 

  1. The School Board expects all users of district technologies and network resources, including email and telecommunications tools, to apply them in appropriate ways for the performance of responsibilities associated with their assignments.

  2. Users shall abide by such laws, policies, agreements, and procedures concerning technology use in the Lafayette Parish School System.

  3. Users shall not attempt to gain unauthorized access to network resources, technology devices, or another person’s account or files.

  4. Users of the district’s technologies and/or network resources, including but not limited to the Internet, shall consent to the monitoring, access, review, and retention by the Superintendent or his/her designee of any network activity and/or stored electronic communications, including but not limited to email transmission.

  5. Lafayette Parish School Board-provided email accounts are for the purpose of school-related communication, shall be used only as allowed by district policy, and users shall be responsible for the content of email messages in their accounts.  Email communication is not a confidential medium for transmitting personal information and should be viewed as public in nature.

 

 

  1. Student Google accounts are for purposes of school requirements and students shall keep their account information secure and private.

  2. Students shall keep their personal information private and offline. 

  3. Students shall not attempt to remove, modify, or bypass filters, security systems, software, and/or configurations installed to prevent access to obscene and objectionable materials.

  4. Students shall treat district devices with extreme care and caution and shall report any loss, damage, or malfunction to school staff immediately.

  5. Students should report any harmful and/or inappropriate online behavior to school staff.

 

CONSEQUENCES OF INAPPROPRIATE USE

 

The regulations, terms, and conditions for the use of technology devices and/or network resources are not exhaustive but are only representative and illustrative.

 

Violation of School Board policies and/or agreements regarding computer and Internet use and/or other inappropriate use or access of district technologies and/or network resources may result in:  (1) suspension or termination of privileges regarding the use of technology devices and/or network resources, (2) notification to parents/guardians, (3) disciplinary action in accordance with the Discipline Matrix, and/or (4) any activity that may be in violation of local, state, or federal laws shall be reported to the appropriate law enforcement agency.  Inappropriate use may also require restitution for costs associated with system restoration, hardware, or software costs.

 

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

 

The Lafayette Parish School Board makes a reasonable effort to ensure online safety and security for users of its network resources but shall not be responsible for damage or harm to persons, files, data, or hardware that results from the use of same.  While the School Board employs filtering and other safety and security mechanisms and works to ensure their proper function, it does not make any warranties, whether expressed or implied, including, without limitation, those of fitness for a particular purpose with respect to any services provided by the system and any information or software contained therein.  The School Board uses a variety of vendor-supplied hardware and software and does not warrant that the functions or services performed by, or that the information or software contained on, the system will meet the user’s requirements.  The School Board does not warrant that its technologies and/or network resources will operate uninterrupted or error-free, nor that defects will be corrected.

 

Opinions, advice, services, and all other information expressed by system users, information providers, service providers, or other third-party individuals are those of the providers and not necessarily the School Board.

 

The School Board shall cooperate fully with local, state, or federal officials in any investigation concerning or relating to misuse of the School Board’s technology devices or network resources.

 

Adopted:  October 17, 2012

Revised:  September 2, 2015

Revised:  July 26, 2017

 

 

Ref:    20 USC 7131 (Internet Safety)

47 USC 254 (Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA))

47 CFR 54.520 (Children's Internet Protection Act Certifications for Schools and Libraries)

La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81, 17:100.7, 17:280

Board minutes, 10-17-12, 9-2-15, 7-26-17

 

Lafayette Parish School Board