Board of School Trustees

Shelbyville Central Schools

Acceptable Use of the Internet

Click here to download Shelbyville's Acceptable Use of the Internet in PDF format

The Shelbyville Central Schools provide access to the INTERNET for the educational opportunities they afford to students and faculty.  As such, this access will (1) assist in the collaboration and exchange of information, (2) facilitate personal growth in the use of technology, and (3) enhance information gathering and communication skills.

The INTERNET is an electronic highway connecting hundreds of thousands of computers and millions of individual users all over the world.  This 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.

In making decisions regarding student access to the INTERNET, the Shelbyville Central Schools consider 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, data bases, bulletin boards, and other resources while exchanging messages with people around the world.  The Shelbyville Central Schools expect faculty will blend thoughtful use 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 which 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.

Students utilizing Shelbyville Central Schools provided INTERNET access are responsible for good behavior online just as they are in a classroom or other area of the school.  The same general rules for behavior and communication apply.

Access is a privilege, not a right, which entails responsibility.  Electronic messages and files stored on school-based computers may be treated like school lockers.  Administrators and faculty may review files and messages to maintain system integrity and ensure that users are acting responsibly.

Outside of schools, families bear responsibility for the same guidance of INTERNET use as they exercise with information resources such as television, telephones, radio, movies, and other possibly offensive media.

All students and faculty who wish to use the INTERNET access provided by the Shelbyville Central Schools must comply with the policies and procedures regarding acceptable use of technology.  An agreement must be signed by all users prior to accessing the INTERNET through the Shelbyville Central Schools.

In exchange for the use of the INTERNET resources, students and faculty must agree to the following:

1. Use of these resources may be revoked by the Shelbyville Central Schools at any time for any reason.  Appropriate reasons for revoking use privileges include, but are not limited to, the altering of system software, the placing of unauthorized information, computer viruses, or harmful programs on or through the computer system in either public or private files or messages.  The Corporation reserves the right to remove files, limit or deny access, and refer the individual for other disciplinary actions,  The Corporation reserves the right to monitor any and/or all communication on accounts obtained by the Shelbyville Central Schools.
2. The Shelbyville Central Schools reserves all rights to any material stored in files which are generally accessible to others and will remove any material which the Corporation, at its sole discretion, believes may be unlawful, obscene, pornographic, abusive, or otherwise objectionable.  No students or faculty will use his/her Corporation-approved computer account/access to obtain, view, download, or otherwise gain access to such materials.
3. All information services and features contained on Corporation or Network resources are intended for the private use of its registered users and any use of these resources for commercial-for-profit or unauthorized purposes (i.e. advertisements, political lobbying, illegal use of copyrighted materials, or use as an electronic gameboard), in any form, is expressly forbidden.
4. The Corporation and/or the INTERNET resources are intended for the exclusive use of their registered users.  The student/faculty member is responsible for the use of his/her account/password and/or access privilege.  Any problems which arise from the use of another person’s account are the responsibility of the account holder.  Use of an account by someone other than the registered account holder is forbidden and may be grounds for loss of access privileges.  The Shelbyville Central Schools are not responsible for any obligations incurred by the individual.
5. Any misuse of the account will result in suspension of the account privileges and/or other disciplinary action determined by the Corporation.  Misuse may include, but not be limited to:
1. intentionally seeking information on, obtaining copies of, or modifying files, other data, or passwords belonging to other users;
2. misrepresenting other users on the INTERNET;
3. disrupting the operation of the INTERNET through the abuse of the hardware or software;
4. malicious use of the INTERNET to transmit hate mail, harassment, obscene, profane, vulgar, abusive, or sexually explicit statements or discriminatory remarks;
5. interfering with others use of the INTERNET;
6. extensive use for noncurriculum-related communication
7. illegal installation of copyrighted software;
8. unauthorized downloading, copying, or use of licensed or copyrighted software;
9. allowing anyone to use an account other than the account holder;
10. violating any local, State, or Federal statute;
11. accessing, uploading, downloading, or distributing pornographic, obscene, or sexually explicit materials;
12. vandalizing, damaging, or disabling the property of another person or organization;
13. accessing another person’s materials, information, or files without the implied or direct permission of that person;
14. violating copyright, or otherwise using another person’s intellectual property without his/her prior approval or proper citation,
 
6. The use of Corporation and/or INTERNET resources are for the purpose of 9in order of priority):
1. support of academic programs;
2. telecommunication;
3. general information.
7. The Corporation and/or INTERNET does not warrant that the functions of the system (hardware, software, diskettes, hard drives, or server) will meet any specific requirements the user may have, or that it will be error free or uninterrupted; nor shall it be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages (including lost data, information, or time) sustained or incurred in connection with the use, operation, or inability to use the system.
8. The student/faculty member will diligently delete old mail messages on a daily basis from the personal mail directory to avoid excessive use of the electronic mail disk space.  The Corporation reserves the right to clear all mailboxes of old messages periodically throughout the school year.
9. The Corporation and/or INTERNET will periodically make determinations on whether specific uses of the INTERNET are consistent with the acceptable-use practice.  The Corporation and/or INTERNET reserves the right to log Internet Service use and to monitor electronic mail space utilization by users.
10. The student/faculty member may transfer files from information services and electronic bulletin board services through a file transfer; the student/faculty member agrees to check the file with a virus detection program before opening the file for use.  Should the student/faculty member transfer a file, shareware, or software which infects the Network with a virus and causes damage, the student/faculty member will be liable for any and all repair costs to make the Network once again fully operational and may be subject to other disciplinary measures as determined by the Corporation.  The Shelbyville Central Schools are not responsible for any damage to programs, computers, and/or any electronic equipment of anyone using of INTERNET.
11. The student/faculty member may not transfer files, shareware, or software from services and electronic bulletin boards without the written permission of the Shelbyville Central Schools.  The student/faculty member will be liable to pay the cost or fee of any file, shareware, or software transferred, whether intentional or accidental, without such permission.
12. The student may only log on and use the INTERNET under the immediate supervision of a staff member and only with his/her authorized account number.
13. The Corporation reserves the right to log computer use and to remove the user account on the INTERNET to prevent further unauthorized activity.

In consideration for the privilege of using the Corporation and/or INTERNET resources, and in consideration for having access to the information contained on the Network, or by the Network, the student/faculty member must agree to release the Corporation, the INTERNET, and their operators and administration from any and all claims of any nature arising from their use, or inability to use the Corporation and/or INTERNET resources.

Parents/Guardian Notification:

1. that their children will be using Corporation resources and accounts to access the INTERNET
2. that the child and the parents must sign a document agreeing to follow the policies and procedures of the Corporation for the child to be allowed to use Corporation resources
3. that parents/guardians are financially responsible for their students’ improper and/or unauthorized use of the Corporation resources and accounts
4. that it is possible for students to purchases goods and services via the INTERNET and that these purchases could potentially result in unwanted financial obligations
5. that even though the Corporation may use technical means to limit students INTERNET access, these means do not provide a foolproof means for enforcing the provisions of local acceptable use policies
6. that all provisions of this policy are subordinate to local, State, and Federal statute
7. that parent may request alternative activities not requiring INTERNET access
8. that the educational use of student INTERNET access is the joint responsibility of students, parents, and employees of the Corporation
9. that the INTERNET policies and procedures are available for review by all parents, guardians, staff members, and the members of the community
10. that all passwords by students using the INTERNET via accounts made available through Shelbyville Central Schools, be on file in the principal’s office or the office of his/her designee.  All passwords must be kept updated and current.  Failure to update the file of passwords is grounds for cancellation of the student’s individual account.
11. that under no circumstances are students to pass on proper names and/or addresses of themselves, other students, teachers, or staff of the Shelbyville Central Schools.  When information is requested it is the student’s obligation to notify the school supervisor immediately.

Guidelines must be provided for students/faculty members who may use INTERNET for:

1. responding to unsolicited online contact;
2. safe-guarding personal information, such as name, address, telephone number, etc

Student Use of Computers

The Shelbyville Central Schools provide computers and related technology for the use of students to enhance their educational opportunities.  The use of these technologies is a privilege.  The Shelbyville Central Schools reserve the right to revoke a student’s privilege of using technology within the school setting at any time.

Any misuse of Corporation technology may result in suspension or expulsion from schools as well as financial restitution for damage to school hardware or software.  Misuse may include, but not be limited to the following:

1. intentionally seeking information on the hard disk other than that authorized by the teacher, obtaining copies of other files, modifying files, modifying programs, other data or passwords belonging to others
2. misrepresenting other students through the use of technology
3. disrupting the operation of the computer through abuse of the hardware or software available
4. malicious use of the computer to transmit mail, harassment, obscene, profane, vulgar, abusive, or sexually explicit statements, or discriminatory remarks through network or any means
5. interfering with others using technology
6. using disks not purchased from or provided by the school
7. taking school disks out of the room
8. using computers without a teacher, an administrator, a staff member or a lay volunteer (approved by the principal) in the room supervising
9. illegal installation, copying, or the use of copyrighted software
10. using another person’s password or allowing another person to use your password
11. violation of any local, State, or Federal law
12. vandalizing, damaging, or disabling school owned equipment or software
13. accessing another person’s material, information or files without the direct permission of the student and the teacher
14. any altering of the hardware or software
15. failure to use virus protection program before opening their file
16. games may be played only when they are assigned by the teacher as a part of the grade or course curriculum

Adopted  12/19/95

Revised 6/10/97