Internet Safety Program

Dallastown Area School District

Internet Safety Program: Roles and Responsibilities to Minimize the Risks

BENEFITS AND RISKS OF INTERNET USE

During the past decade, the use of the internet for instructional purposes has experienced explosive growth. Access to the internet has increased: Cell phone adaptations and advances in portable technology (e.g., iPads, Kindle Fire, and others) have permitted unprecedented ease of access and increased social interaction for those who use the internet.

The ease of accessibility can lead to potential risks. Dallastown Area School District (DASD) in collaboration with parents and community members strives to educate and support students in various ways so that students can take advantage of the Internet’s benefits while reducing its risks.

We’ve identified those risks as:

  • Inappropriate Contacts – Children may be exposed to cyber-bullies, hackers, phishers, and predators. Children need to know how to recognize and protect themselves against these people.
  • Inappropriate Content – Children need to understand that content they may upload can be viewed by others and can possibly be stored and tracked forever. This information could follow them to future job interviews and college entrance interviews.
  • Inappropriate Conduct – Children must understand that the Internet is a public forum and is not anonymous. Youth must act with this rule in mind: Be the same good person online that they are when they’re offline (ikeepsafe.org, 2008).

MITIGATING RISKS: DASD ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY

The Dallastown Area School District Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) provides specific guidelines to employees and students about the use and restrictions of use for the district’s computers, computer equipment, databases, emails system, and property (both physical property and intellectual property). It prohibits use of district equipment and communications services for sending, receiving, viewing, or downloading illegal material via the Internet.

MITIGATING RISKS: FILTERING THE INTERNET

The District’s Department of Information Systems and Technology deploys LightSpeed’s Total Traffic Control Suite and Microsoft Exchange components which are detailed below.

Campus Collaboration Bundle

Gives districts a safe, monitored, integrated way to share information, access resources, collaborate, communicate, and more.

Web Filter

Block inappropriate sites and allow valuable content with granularly customizable policies and an education-specific database.

Mobile Filter

Extend your filtering policies and protection to off-network users and devices.

My Big Campus

Promote collaborative, blended learning with a safe social learning platform and educational resource library.

Hosted Email

Open up communication with safe email accounts and private file storage—all in the cloud.

Hosted District Web Site

Share district news, announcements, calendars, and more.

Email Management

Keep email efficient, secure, and compliant with spam blocking and message archiving.

Email Archiving

Creates full compliance with Federal Rules of Civil Procedures with secure, searchable archiving of communications.

Spam Filter

Get the emails you want; filter the spam and viruses.

Antivirus

Secure your network against viruses and spyware, at the desktop and the gateway, with email, file, and content scanning.

Advanced Web Traffic Reporting

Review detailed information about activity across your network.

Power Management

Conserve energy and reduce costs with automated shut-downs (available as an add-on to any Lightspeed implementation)

The IT Director has been designated as the administrator of the Internet filtering program. Management procedures support CIPA compliance.

MITIGATING RISKS: EDUCATING PARENTS

DASD provides information to parents regarding the benefits and risks of the Internet in various ways: PTO meetings, district web pages, school web pages, school handbooks and other materials, the Acceptable Use Policy and signature page distributed annually to all students and employees, and resources provided to principals and school staff members who will promote awareness and safety guidelines.

MITIGATING RISKS: WEB PUBLICATION

DASD employs strategies to educate and protect students:

  • Introduction to the Internet/School Network: Occurring annually, the AUP is reviewed, student email protocols and guidelines are discussed, and the privileges, roles and responsibilities of using the Internet and Network are stated.
  • Internet Safety is discussed and reviewed throughout the school year within the formats described earlier in this document:
  1. Inappropriate Contact
  2. Inappropriate Content
  3. Inappropriate Conduct
  • Researching on the Internet: DASD students are taught to use the Internet for responsible research and communication by the Building Technology Integrator, librarian-media specialist, teachers, and aides
  • Embedding Safety Tips in Curriculum: Students are provided lessons and activities in which students are taught how to use “safe behaviors” while using the Internet and Network.
  • Conversations and dialogues with students are held using resources adapted from:

MITIGATING RISKS: PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

DASD’s professional development activities include internet safety, protocols for communication, the AUP, and guidelines for communicating via emails – and other aspects as relevant, timely, and appropriate to enhancements to district network features, functions, and capabilities. Professional development begins for newly hired teachers with Teacher Induction sessions that include instruction about Internet Safety, Network capabilities, and email protocols and content.

EVALUATING DASD INTERNET SAFETY PROGRAMS

The district’s Technology Steering Committee, the IT Department’s Director, webmaster, and network specialists, and Building Technology Integrators – along with building and district administrators – continually examine and discuss the effectiveness of Internet and Network safety features, guidelines, and related instruction. Changes, enhancements, or revisions to instruction and guidelines are made as a result of these discussions.

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A / TECHNOLOGY acceptable use agreement
Note: This is a brief summary, with some additional provisions, of the Dallastown Area School District Policy 815. Acceptance of School Policy is a provision of employment.
Purpose of Technology
Dallastown Area School District provides employees and students with access to technological hardware, the district's electronic communication system, hereinafter called the District Network, which includes wide area networks (WANS), Internet access from all buildings, and the virtual private network (VPN). The purpose of the District Network is to help prepare students for success in life and work, to increase intra-district communication, enhance productivity and to foster professional collaboration and growth. The District Network is designed for educational use. This includes classroom activities, professional or career development, and limited high-quality self-discovery activities.
Services for Students Administration, Faculty and Staff
  • Wide Area Network, the Internet, Remote Access, and the VPN.
  • All technology devices (e.g. laptops, calculators, Kindles, iPods, etc.).
  • Websites - District, School or Class, Student and Extracurricular Organizations
  • Electronic mail (email) – professional and personal communications that adhere to District decency and professional standards.
Guidelines
  • Student safety:
  • Students shall not post personal contact information about themselves or other people.
  • Students shall not agree to meet with someone they have met online without parental approval and participation.
  • Students shall promptly disclose when they receive or view messages or material that is inappropriate or makes them feel uncomfortable.
  • Illegal Activities are defined as:
  • Attempting to gain unauthorized access to the District Network or to any other computer system through the District Network. This includes logging in using another person’s account, accessing another person’s files and providing your password to another person. (Exception: bona fide members of the IT Department may request temporary access to assist you with a problem. You will be instructed to change your password after any such transaction.)
  • Making deliberate attempts to disrupt the computer system performance or destroy data.
  • Using the District Network for commercial purposes, including buying or selling goods or services.
  • Using the system for political campaigning.
  • Engaging in illegal acts, such as arranging for a drug sale, purchasing alcohol, engaging in criminal gang activity, threatening the safety of others, etc.
  • Engaging in hate mail, discriminatory remarks, offensive/inflammatory communication, inappropriate language or profanity or the transmission of material likely to be offensive or objectionable to recipients.
  • Engaging in unauthorized or illegal installation, distribution, reproduction or use of copyrighted materials.
Terms and Conditions of Use
  • Respect for Privacy
  • Do not re-post a message that was sent to you privately without written permission of the person who sent the message
  • Do not post private information about another person in any forum, private or public
  • Respect Resource Limits
  • Download large files only when absolutely necessary and during off-peak times
  • Do not post chain letters or sending annoying or unnecessary messages to large numbers of people
  • Check your e-mail daily; delete unwanted messages promptly.
  • Do not access inappropriate material
  • Know that users are fiscally and legally responsible for damages to equipment, systems and software resulting from deliberate or willful acts.
  • Understand that users have limited privacy in the contents of their personal files on the District Network. The district reserves the right to audit all content.
  • Understand that the district makes no warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied, that the functions or the services provided by or through the District Network will be error-free or without defect. Dallastown Area School District will not be responsible for any damages you may experience.
  • Non-District computers may not be attached to the network without prior approval from the Network Manager or IT Director. In situations where access is denied, a temporary computer will be provided by the IT Department if requested by your building principal.
Enforcement
  • Penalties may be imposed under one or more of the following: DASD regulations, Pennsylvania law, or the laws of the United States.
  • Minor infractions of this policy or those that appear accidental in nature are typically handled informally by electronic mail or in-person discussions. More serious infractions are handled via formal procedures. In some situations, it may be necessary to suspend account privileges to prevent ongoing misuse while the situation is under investigation.
  • Infractions by students may result in the temporary or permanent restriction of access privileges, suspension, and or expulsion. Those by a faculty or staff member may result in referral to the department chairperson or administrator for reprimand or possible dismissal.
  • Offenses which are in violation of local, state, or federal laws may result in the restriction of computing privileges, and will be reported to the appropriate DASD and law enforcement authorities.

CONTINUED ON THE OTHER SIDE

INSTRUCTIONS
Read the Technology Acceptable use Agreement on the reverse side (Part A). Complete this application. Please sign the completed form and return it to your classroom teacher.
B / APPLICANT’S INFORMATION
LAST NAME / JR, ETC. / FIRST NAME / MIDDLE INITIAL
PHONE (home) / HOME ADDRESS
C / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE I HAVE READ THIS DOCUMENT AND I AGREE TO THE TERMS STATED WITHIN THIS APPLICATION.
SIGNATURE OF APPLICANT / DATE / SIGNATURE OF SUPERVISOR / DATE

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