The District encourages the appropriate use of technology-based tools and information resources by students. These resources include District-provided computers, productivity software tools, instructional software, networks, electronic media and telecommunications tools, such as access to internet resources. These District-provided resources and tools are provided solely for the advancement and promotion of learning and teaching. The use of these resources will be consistent with the District’s educational mission and policies, as well as state and federal laws and regulations.

Access to District networks and electronic information resources is a privilege and not a right and will be provided for the student as is appropriate to the school building and grade level.

Students may be given access to internet resources external to the District without specific parent/guardian permission. Access to telecommunications resources external to the District enables students to explore libraries, databases and references throughout the world. Access to the instructional software and productivity tools allows students to integrate the use of technology into their learning processes. These internet research activities provide the capability to access publicly available file repositories throughout the world, which opens classrooms to electronic information resources that have not necessarily been screened by educators for use by students of various ages. Parents and guardians have an important role
in setting and conveying the standards that their student should follow when using media and information resources. Questions from parents/guardians concerning technology use by students should be directed to the building administrator.

The following guidelines will be followed when students use District telecommunication tools, networks, software, computers and other technology resources.

1. Students will use the technology equipment and resources under the supervision of District staff during school hours.
2. The use of these resources will be consistent with the District educational mission and policies, as well as state and federal laws and regulations.
3. Use of these resources is a privilege that requires a high level of personal responsibility to act in a considerate and responsible manner.
4. Students will not violate copyright laws or otherwise use the intellectual property of another individual or organization without permission.
5. Students will not access, upload, download, transmit or distribute obscene, profane, abusive, threatening or sexually explicit material, or material encouraging the toleration or promotion of discrimination towards individuals or groups of individuals based upon age, race, creed, color, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion disability, marital status, or socio economic status.
6. Students will not use District technology resources to harass, insult, attack or threaten harm or embarrassment to others.
7. Students will respect the property and privacy of others, including their electronic storage areas.
8. Students will not access or attempt to access another individual’s materials, information or files without permission.
9. Students will keep their network account access privileges private and secured with appropriate passwords as appropriate for the student’s age and school guidelines. Students will not engage in the unauthorized use of another’s individual password. Any violation or attempted violation of security systems will be treated as a serious disciplinary offense.
10. Students will make every effort to protect District equipment from physical and electronic damage. Users will not vandalize technology equipment. Vandalizing, in this context, is any unauthorized access and/or malicious attempt to damage computer hardware/software or networks or destroying the data of another user, including creating, uploading or intentionally introducing or transmitting viruses and other destructive programs.
11. Students will not intentionally waste limited resources, including unauthorized uploading or downloading of material from the internet.
12. Student users may be given access to a District -provided e-mail account under the supervision of a teacher or designated staff member/supervisor. Appropriate and respectful language will be used inelectronic mail and other electronic communications.
13. Student users should protect themselves by not revealing personal information such as full name, phone numbers and home addresses to internet sites.
14. District resources will not be used for personal or commercial purposes without prior approval of the building administrator.
15. Personal network devices may, in some situations, be allowed to connect to the District network and devices. All requests for connecting personally owned devices of any nature to District equipment and networks need the prior approval of the building administrator and the directors of curriculum and technology. The contents of these personal devices may be inspected by District personnel on request and in accordance with this policy.
16. Users will not seek to gain unauthorized access to information resources or other computing devices or entities.
17. Users will not use the system to communicate, submit, publish or display inaccurate information, rumors, disparaging portrayals or any other information that is known to be false or misleading.

The District makes no warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, for the access it is providing. The District is not responsible for any damages suffered by students or by third parties. This includes loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, mis-deliveries, or service interruptions caused by the District or user errors or omissions. Use of any information obtained via the internet is at the user’s risk. The District can not be responsible for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through the internet.

Students and their parents or guardians will hold the District harmless from student violations of copyright laws, software licensing requirements, student access of inappropriate materials, violations by the student of others’ rights to confidentiality, free speech and privacy, and damage to systems accessed by the student.

If a student accesses, whether accidentally or intentionally, any fee-based telecommunications service or if a student incurs other types of costs, the student will be responsible for paying those costs. The individual in whose name a system account is issued is responsible at all times for its proper use and payment of all charges incurred for use of telecommunications and internet reference services that impose fees or other charges for their use. Transmission of material, information, or software in violation of any law, board policy, or regulations is prohibited. The District reserves the right, as further outlined below, to inspect all files on District owned computers, media and servers and on personal devices that the user has asked to attach to District owned equipment or networks.

Any statement of personal belief found on the computer network or internet or other telecommunications system is implicitly understood to be representative of the author’s individual point of view, and not that of the Ankeny Community School District, its administrators, teachers or staff.

System Monitoring

The District unconditionally reserves the right to monitor and examine all files and activity on District computer and network systems. The District technology directors or their designee may monitor or examine all system activities as deemed appropriate to ensure proper use of the system. In addition, the directors/designee may inspect the contents of electronic mail sent by a student to an identified address and may disclose the contents to others when required to do so by law or policies of the District, or to investigate complaints regarding electronic mail that is alleged to contain defamatory, abusive, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, offensive or illegal material. The building administrator will determine what is inappropriate use according to the guidelines listed and age and grade of the student. The determination may be appealed to the Superintendent/designee. The directors/designee may close an account at any time as required to protect District systems or as a proportional consequence of inappropriate activity. The administration, faculty and staff of the Ankeny Community School District may ask the Board of Education to deny, revoke or suspend specific user accounts.

Sanctions

Communication over networks should not be considered to be private or secure. Messages may be diverted accidentally to another or unintentional destination. In the event of student misuse of District equipment or resources, whether accidentally or intentionally, the District may suspend or revoke a system user’s privilege of access to the District’s computers and network. Failure to abide by District policy and applicable laws governing use of these resources may result in the suspension and/or revocation of access to these resources. A student is expected to provide full cooperation to District administration and staff, or other agencies, associated with any investigation concerning or relating to misuse of the District’s technology resources.

The District reserves the right to charge a student for physical damages or for electronic damages incurred from purposeful introduction of viruses or other programs that have the intent of damaging or altering computer programs or files. Fees, fines or other charges may also be imposed as a result of misuse or damage to these technology resources by the student.

Prior to disciplinary action or as soon as practical, the building administrator/designee will inform the student of the suspected violation and give the student an opportunity to present an explanation. The District may take disciplinary action up to and including expulsion and/or appropriate legal action upon any violation of District policy, administrative regulation and/or state or federal law. When applicable, law enforcement or other agencies may be involved. The District will cooperate with any investigation conducted by any official or agency concerning or related to misuse of the District’s technology resources.

The District Director of Technology, with the assistance of District administrators, is responsible for disseminating and interpreting District policy and administrative regulations governing the use of the District’s systems, establishing storage allocations and restrictions and file retention policies.

Approved:
June 3, 1996

Reviewed:
January 13, 2010
July 21, 2014
July 15, 2019

Revised:
March 22, 2010
July 21, 2014
July 15, 2019