Acceptable Use Policy

Introduction 
Oxford Public Schools USD 358 recognizes that access to technology in school gives students greater opportunities to learn, engage, communicate, and develop skills that will prepare them for work, life, and citizenship. We are committed to helping students develop 21st-century technology and communication skills. To that end, we provide access to technologies for student and staff use. This Acceptable Use Policy outlines the guidelines and behaviors that all users are expected to follow when using school technologies or when using personally-owned devices on the school campus.

Technologies Covered
Oxford Public Schools USD 358 may provide Internet access, desktop computers, mobile computers or devices, videoconferencing capabilities, online collaboration capabilities, message boards, email, and more. As new technologies emerge, Oxford Public Schools USD 358 will attempt to provide access to them. The policies outlined in this document are intended to cover all available technologies, not just those specifically listed.

Usage Policies
All technologies provided by the district are intended for education purposes. All users are expected to use good judgment and to follow the specifics of this document as well as the spirit of it: be safe, appropriate, careful and kind; don’t try to get around technological protection measures; use good common sense; and ask if you don’t know.

Web Access
Oxford Public Schools USD 358 provides its users with access to the Internet, including web sites, resources, content, and online tools. That access will be restricted in compliance with CIPA regulations and school policies. Web browsing may be monitored and web activity records may be retained indefinitely. Users are expected to respect that the web filter is a safety precaution, and should not try to circumvent it when browsing the Web. If a site is blocked and a user believes it shouldn’t be, the user should follow district protocol to alert an IT staff member or submit the site for review.

Email
Oxford Public Schools USD 358 may provide users with email accounts for the purpose of school-related communication. Availability and use may be restricted based on school policies. If users are provided with email accounts, they should be used with care. Users should not send personal information; should not attempt to open files or follow links from unknown or untrusted origin; should use appropriate language; and should only communicate with other people as allowed by the district policy or the teacher. Users are expected to communicate with the same appropriate, safe, mindful, courteous conduct online as offline. Email usage may be monitored and archived.

Social / Web 2.0 / Collaborative Content
Recognizing the benefits collaboration brings to education, Oxford Public Schools USD 358 may provide users with access to web sites or tools that allow communication, collaboration, sharing, and messaging among users. Users are expected to communicate with the same appropriate, safe, mindful, courteous conduct online as offline. Posts, chats, sharing, and messaging may be monitored. Users should be careful not to share personally-identifying information online.

Mobile Devices Policy
Oxford Public Schools USD 358 may provide users with mobile computers or other devices to promote learning outside of the classroom. Users should abide by the same acceptable use policies when using school devices off the school network as on the school network. Users are expected to treat these devices with extreme care and caution; these are expensive devices that the school is entrusting to your care. Users should report any loss, damage, or malfunction to IT staff immediately. Users may be financially accountable for any damage resulting from negligence or misuse. Use of school-issued mobile devices off the school network may be monitored.

Personally-Owned Devices Policy
Students should keep personally-owned electronic devices turned off and put away during school hours—unless in the event of an emergency or as instructed by a teacher or staff for educational purposes. When using a personal device, students must comply with policies and regulations that govern the use of devices on school grounds, in district vehicles and during any activity or trip. Because of security concerns, when personally-owned mobile devices are used on campus, they should not be used over the school network without express permission from IT staff. Personal laptops are not permissible except with administrative approval. In some cases, a separate network may be provided for personally-owned devices. When students are at school, classroom assignments must be completed on the school issued device. Students are welcome to complete homework on their own devices when at home. Misuse of devices, school issued or personal, may result in disciplinary action (see Student Handbook, Personal Electronic Devices; Cell Phones).

Security
Users are expected to take reasonable safeguards against the transmission of security threats over the school network. This includes not opening or distributing infected files or programs and not opening files or programs of unknown or untrusted origin. If you believe a device you are using might be infected with a virus, please alert IT. Do not attempt to remove the virus yourself or download any programs to help remove the virus.

Downloads
Users should not download or attempt to download or run .exe or .app programs over the school network or onto school resources without express permission from IT staff. You may be able to download other file types, such as images of videos. For the security of our network, download such files only from reputable sites, and only for education purposes.

Netiquette
Users should always use the Internet, network resources, and online sites in a courteous and respectful manner. Users should also recognize that among the valuable content online is unverified, incorrect, or inappropriate content. Users should use trusted sources when conducting research via the Internet. Users should also remember not to post anything online that they wouldn’t want parents, teachers, or future colleges or employers to see. Once something is online, it’s out there—and can sometimes be shared and spread in ways you never intended.

Plagiarism
Users should not plagiarize (or use as their own, without citing the original creator) content, including words or images, from the Internet. Users should not take credit for things they didn’t create themselves, or misrepresent themselves as an author or creator of something found online. Research conducted via the Internet should be appropriately cited, giving credit to the original author.

Personal Safety
Users should never share personal information, including phone number, address, social security number, birthday, or financial information, over the Internet without adult permission. Users should recognize that communicating over the Internet brings anonymity and associated risks, and should carefully safeguard the personal information of themselves and others. Users should never agree to meet someone they meet online in real life without parental permission. If you see a message, comment, image, or anything else online that makes you concerned for your personal safety, bring it to the attention of an adult (teacher or staff if you’re at school; parent if you’re using the device at home) immediately.

Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying will not be tolerated. Harassing, dissing, flaming, denigrating, impersonating, outing, tricking, excluding, and cyberstalking are all examples of cyberbullying. Don’t be mean. Don’t send emails or post comments with the intent of scaring, hurting, or intimidating someone else. Engaging in these behaviors, or any online activities intended to harm (physically or emotionally) another person, will result in severe disciplinary action and loss of privileges. In some cases, cyberbullying can be a crime. Remember that your activities are monitored and retained.

Examples of Acceptable Use
I will:

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Users should use their own good judgment when using school technologies.

Examples of Unacceptable Use
I will not:

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Users should use their own good judgment when using school technologies.

Limitation of Liability
Oxford Public Schools USD 358 will not be responsible for damage or harm to persons, files, data, or hardware. While Oxford Public Schools USD 358 employs filtering and other safety and security mechanisms, and attempts to ensure their proper function, it makes no guarantees as to their effectiveness. Oxford Public Schools USD 358 will not be responsible, financially or otherwise, for unauthorized transactions conducted over the school network.

Violations of this Acceptable Use Policy
Violations of this policy may have disciplinary repercussions, including:

Legal action and/or prosecution

Approved: June 11th 2012