COMPUTERIZED
DATA SYSTEMS
It
is the policy of the Board of Education of Independent School District Number
One (Tulsa Public Schools) that District computer usage complies with: (a)
federal and state laws and regulations, (b) Internet policies and procedures,
and (c) other related Board of Education policies. The use of the District
system, whether by students, faculty or staff, must be in support of education
and consistent with the educational objectives of the District.
District
computing resources are intended for administration, education, training,
research and planning purposes. The computing resources shall not be used for
unauthorized purposes such as, but not limited to, transmission of commercial or
personal advertisements, solicitations, promotions, destructive programs and/or
distribution of political or religious material or material considered
offensive.
To
protect the integrity of the systems, workstations, networks, and instructional
facilities, the District reserves the right to monitor and restrict access to
District computing resources and the Internet.
The
District makes no warranty of any kind, whether expressed or implied, for the
services it provides through District computing resources.
The
use of District computing resources is a privilege, not a right, afforded to
students, staff, and employees of the District. Violation of District policies
and procedures may result in cancellation of computer-use privileges and/or
other disciplinary action.
General Computer Use
Copyrighted
Material
Illegal installation of copyrighted material is prohibited. Illegal copying of software from any District computer, network, or program diskette is prohibited. Computer software and data protected under copyright laws may not be downloaded or uploaded to a computer owned by the District without written consent of the copyright holder. Users must comply with all limitations imposed upon use of copyrighted material.
Harassing
or Inflammatory Material
Harassing
or inflammatory material may not be transmitted via e-mail, posted on computers,
posted to electronic bulletin boards, or included in electronic news groups.
Accessing, downloading, or uploading e-mail, data, graphics, and/or programs
considered offensive is prohibited.
Inappropriate
Use
1.
Transmission of material violating federal or state regulations is prohibited.
This material may include, but is not limited to, copyrighted material,
threatening or obscene material, or material protected by trade secret. Use for
private commercial activities, product advertisement, political lobbying, or
distribution of inappropriate material is prohibited.
2.
Downloaded software programs or data may not be installed or executed without
first being checked for computer viruses. A diskette or CD-ROM from an outside
source should not be used in a District office, classroom, lab, or workshop
without first being checked by an instructor or appropriate staff member for
computer viruses.
3.
No operating system or application software that interferes with network
operations or the Internet may be installed on any District computer,
workstation, or file server. District staff will not support or maintain any
computer operating system or application software that does not meet District
standards.
4.
Accessing, downloading, uploading, or copying e-mail, graphics, photographs,
audio, or computer software that is considered offensive is prohibited.
Inappropriate
Material
Access
to information should not be restricted or denied solely because of the
political, religious, or philosophical content of the material. However, system
users must realize that rights go hand-in-hand with responsibilities and agree
not to use the District system to access information or distribute information
or material which is obscene, libelous, vulgar, lewd or indecent, displays or
promotes unlawful products or services, promotes group defamation or hate
literature, or is disruptive to school operations.
Security
1.
All reasonably available physical security measures will be taken to safeguard
District computing resources.
2.
District computing resources should be secured by the user when not in use or
when unattended.
3.
A computer logged into the District Wide Area Network (WAN) or the Internet
should not be left unattended. Users are responsible for all transactions
made under their user ID and password.
4.
All users who have access to the District WAN or the Internet will be assigned a
user ID and a password. Safeguarding of the password will be the responsibility
of the individual user. The individual user will be held 100 percent responsible
for safeguarding his/her user ID and password.
5.
The District has the right to restrict a user's access to the District WAN or
the Internet by restricting the locations and workstations from which the user
may log on, or by denying or limiting access to programs and files.
6. The administration, faculty, or staff of the District may request to deny, revoke, or suspend specific user accounts for violation of these policies or procedures.
Vandalism
Vandalism of District hardware, software or the system itself will result in cancellation of privileges. Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy the property or data of the District, of another user, or of any other network connected to the Internet, or all or any portion of the District's computer network system or any other network or system connected to the Internet. This includes, but is not limited to, the uploading or creation of computer viruses or any actions that disrupt, “crash” or “bomb" all or any portion of the District's computer system. All system users should avoid the accidental spread of computer viruses by strict adherence to District policies governing the downloading of software. No system user may use the system to "hack" or attempt to gain unauthorized access to any other computer system, network or site, or any unauthorized portion of the District's system.
Networks
A network is a group of computers cabled together, using software that allows the computers to share files, printers or other peripherals.
Electronic Mail (e-mail) - messages or documents transmitted electronically through a computer network.
1. The e-mail system is the property of the District and is intended solely for carrying out District business. It is not intended for use by students. >
2. Reasonable effort must be made to protect confidential information transmitted by e-mail. Confidential information as defined by the “Privacy Act” shall not be forwarded to individuals inside or outside the District unless the individuals are authorized to receive such information.
3. E-mail messages should not be left on the computer screen unattended. E-mail or attachments considered offensive shall not be transmitted.
4. E-mail should not contain personal information. Use for private commercial activities is prohibited. Use for product advertisement, dissemination of religious material or political lobbying is prohibited. Schedules or group activities sent via group mail should be limited to activities approved by the superintendent, a division manager or by a school or department director.
5. Transmission of material in violation of federal or state laws or regulations is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, copyrighted material, offensive material, or material protected by trade secrets.
6. The District reserves the right to suspend a user's access to the District WAN or the Internet and/or revoke other disciplinary action for violation of these policies or procedures.
Private Files
Files controlled by individual users are considered private, whether or not they are accessible by other users. A user must obtain permission from the owner of a file to alter or copy the file. The ability to read, alter or copy a file does not imply permission to
read, alter or copy that file. (Caution: Files placed in shared directories are accessible by anyone who has rights to that directory. Users who share files must establish guidelines to preserve file integrity.)
District Standards
Computer hardware or software utilized on the District WAN or any Local Area Network (LAN) must comply with District standards. No hardware or software that interferes with the network shall be utilized on the District WAN or any LAN.
Netiquette
Users are expected to abide by generally accepted rules of network etiquette. These include, but are not limited to:
1. Messages should not be abusive to others.
2. Language that is considered offensive should not be used.
3. Personal information, e.g., addresses or phone number of Board members, students, employees, and other users, should be kept confidential.
4.Network use should not disrupt the use of the network by other users.
5. Obsolete mail should be deleted regularly in order to free disk storage space.
Internet
The Internet is an international network of computers.
Internet users will have Internet access software loaded on their workstations; receive an Internet user ID; and sign an Acceptable Use of Computing Resources form. In the case of minor students, parent(s) or legal guardian(s) must also sign the Acceptable Use of Computing Resources form.
There is a wide range of information available through the Internet which either is not appropriate for access by minors, has no educational value, or does not meet with the particular values of the families of the student. The District system and Internet acceptable use policy contains devices and restrictions on use intended to prevent access to inappropriate material or information. It is impossible for the District to guarantee that students will not be exposed to inappropriate material through their use of the Internet. The District believes that parents bear primary responsibility for communicating acceptable behavior and family values to their children. The District encourages parents to discuss with their children what material is and is not acceptable for their children to access through the District system.
The District will not be responsible for any damages which may be suffered through the use of the District system or the Internet, including, but not limited to, the loss of information or files or the interruption of service. The District is not responsible for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through use of the District system or the Internet. The District is not responsible for any financial obligations that may be incurred through use of the District system.
Adopted:September, 1998EHAPage40f4