Policies

Employee & Student Acceptable Use Policies

Employee Acceptable Use Policy

The Catahoula Parish School board shall authorize the Superintendent and staff to establish appropriate guidelines for exploring and using Internet resources within the school district to enhance learning and teaching activities. Acceptable use of these resources shall be consistent with the philosophy, goals, and objectives of the Catahoula Parish School Board. Any employee, who wishes to use school district computers, including the Internet and/or email services, must sign the Catahoula Parish Employee Computer and Internet Use Agreement agreeing to abide by all district regulations. Any usage of computers not in accordance with district regulations and procedures shall subject the user to appropriate disciplinary action up to and including termination.

The Board shall incorporate the use of computer-related technology or the use of Internet service provider technology designed to block access or exposure to any harmful materials or information, such as sites that contain obscene, pornographic, pervasively vulgar, excessively violent, or sexually harassing information or material. Sites which contain information on the manufacturing of bombs or other incendiary devices shall also be prohibited. However, the School Board does not prohibit authorized employees or students from having unfiltered or unrestricted access to Internet or online services, including online services of newspapers with daily circulation of at least 1000, for legitimate scientific or educational purposes approved by the Board.

INTERNET USAGE

Any use of the Internet that adversely affects its operation in pursuit of teaching and learning or jeopardizes its use or performance for other community members is prohibited and may result in loss of Internet privileges, suspension or other appropriate disciplinary action. The provisions of this policy shall also apply to the use of private email accounts when access is attained using School Board equi0pment or networks and to access attained through any authorized personal digital device while on School Board property. The Catahoula Parish School Board does not condone the use of the Internet for any illegal or inappropriate activities and shall not be responsible for any such use by staff or students.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Faculty and staff use of school computers or the Internet shall be reserved for academic purposes and the conducting of business aspects of the school system. All personnel using schools computer or a computers network located on school property, or computers accessing the Internet shall be accountable for their use. Teacher or class files on the network shall be treated as district property subject to control and inspection by School Board personnel. Access codes or passwords shall be kept on file in a secured location by the principal or his/her designee in case an inspection is warranted. Use of the Internet and/or any computers shall be considered a privilege and any inappropriate use may result in appropriate disciplinary action and loss of privileges to use district computers of the Internet.

UNAUTHORIZED AND ILLEGAL USE

Faculty and staff shall not be under direct supervision by must abide by Board policy. Tampering with selection menus, procedures, or icons for the purpose of misleading or confusing other users shall be prohibited. Any use by any person of the district's internal network that incurs expenses to the school other than the monthly user fees and rates shall be strictly prohibited. Furthermore, the computer system shall not be used for commercial, political or religious purposes.

Use of software on school district computers shall only be run through legally licensed software and only after such installation has been sanctioned in writing by appropriate school system personnel. All software contained on school district computers shall not be copied for personal or commercial use, not for any other use outside the school district without appropriate approval of school sys tem personnel.

Use of the network for any illegal activities shall also be prohibited. Illegal activities include (a) tampering with computer hardware or software, (b) unauthorized entry into computers and files (hacking), (c) knowledgeable vandalism or destruction of equipment, and (d) deletion of computer files. Such activity is considered a crime under state and federal law.

SECURITY

Teachers and personnel who have computers in their charge shall be responsible for their security. Computers must be secured such that students acting without the consent or supervision of a teacher or administrator cannot enter the system or the Internet.

REGULATIONS FOR COMPUTER USE

The following acceptable use practices are not all-inclusive, but are only representative and illustrative. A user who commits an act of misconduct which is not listed, may also be subject to disciplinary action or termination.

  • The user shall abide by such laws, policies, regulations, and procedures concerning technology use in the Catahoula Parish School System.
  • In general, employees are expected to communicate in a professional manner consistent with state laws governing the behavior of school employees and with federal laws governing copyright. Electronic mail and telecommunications are not to be utilized for unauthorized disclosure, use and dissemination of personal identification or confidential information regarding and student or employee.
    • Employees shall not post any email or other messages or materials on school or district networks or the Internet that are indecent, vulgar, lewd, slanderous, abusive, threatening, sexually harassing, or terrorizing
    • Employees shall not abuse or waste network resources through frivolous and non-educational use or send chain letters or annoying unnecessary letters to large numbers of people.
  • The Catahoula Parish School Board reserves the right to review any stored record files or programs to which users have access and will edit or remove any material is in violation of its policies and procedures. As a user of the School Board's technology and networks, including but not limited to the Internet, the user shall consent to the monitoring, access and review by the School Board's Superintendent or designee of any stored electronic communications, including but not limited to Email transmission.
  • Any software not created by the user is copyrighted. A user shall not copy or distribute copyrighted or proprietary material without the written consent of the copyright holder nor violate copyright or patent laws or the license concerning computer software, documentation or other tangible assets.
  • The user shall not install any software without consent from the appropriate supervisor.
  • Inconsideration for the privilege of using the system, the user shall release the Catahoula Parish School Board from any and all claims arising from the use/inability to use the technology systems and networks.
  • The user shall agree to indemnify the Catahoula Parish School Board for any loss suffered to the Board by reason of improper use of the system, and to compensate anyone harmed by the improper use of the system.
  • The information provided through the technology systems and networks shall be offered as a service and shall not be a substitute for individual professional consultation.
  • The proper use of any user ID/password which may be assigned is the ultimate responsibility of the individual whose name it has been assigned. User ID's and passwords are not to be shared under any circumstances.
  • The use of technology is a privilege which may be revoked any time for any violation of laws, policies and procedures. The Superintendent for the Catahoula Parish School Board shall decide what is inappropriate use and such decision shall be final. Such violations would include, but not be limited to:
    • Participation in network activities that place a strain on computer resources
    • The placing of unlawful information on the system
    • Commercial use of the system
    • Political lobbying
    • The use of obscene, abusive, harassing or otherwise objectionable language in either public or private messages
    • Vandalism
    • Theft
    • Email, chat rooms, and sites involving or which access visual depictions that are obscene, pornographic, or harmful to minors
    • Information regarding the manufacture of bombs or other incendiary devices are expressly forbidden
    • Willful introduction of a computer virus, worm, or other harmful program to any computer or network
    • Downloading non-work related files or accessing or downloading files from sites delivering streaming audio or video
  • No personal or student information which is protected by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act shall be disseminated on or through the School Boards' technology systems and networks, including but not limited to the Internet.

Student Acceptable Use Policy

The Catahoula Parish School Board believes it is necessary for all persons to become aware of acceptable use of computers. Any person using computers or other electronic information resources shall be required to use such equipment and resources in a responsible, legal manner. The School Board retains the right to monitor all computer usage and files for compliance to all regulations and/or procedures.

INTERNET SAFETY

The Internet is a vast global computer network that provides access to major universities around the world, governmental agencies, other school systems, and commercial providers of data banks. The School Board shall establish appropriate guidelines for exploring and using Internet resources within the school district to enhance learning and teaching activities. The Board shall incorporate the use of computer-related technology or the use of Internet service provider technology designed to block access or exposure to any harmful materials or information, such as sites that contain obscene, pornographic, pervasively vulgar, excessively violent, or sexually harassing information or material. Sites which contain information on the manufacturing of bombs or other incendiary devices shall also be prohibited. However, the School Board does not prohibit authorized employees or students from having unfiltered or unrestricted access to Internet or online services, including online services of newspapers with daily circulation of at least 1000 or legitimate scientific or educational purposes approved by the Board.

In addition to filtering requirements, the Board shall maintain regulations which:

  • Prohibit access by minors to inappropriate matter on the Internet and WWW
  • Address the safety and security of minors when using electronic mail, chat rooms, and other forms of direct electronic communications, such as Instant Messaging
  • Prohibit unauthorized access, including what is now known as hacking, and other unlawful online activities by minors online
  • Prohibit authorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal information regarding minors; and
  • Institute measures designed to restrict minors' access to materials harmful to minors

ACCOUNTABILITY

Students; use of school computers shall be reserved for academic purposes only. Any student using a school computer or a computer network located on property, or any computer accessing the Internet shall be accountable for its use. No student shall be allowed to use school computers and/or access the Internet unless a properly signed Student Acceptable Use Agreement is on file with the Superintendent's designee.

Student or class files on the network are analogous to school lockers, that is, these accounts shall be treated as district property subject to control and inspection, rather than private property which cannot be searched without just cause. Access codes or passwords shall be assigned by the teacher if and/or when it is needed. The teacher shall keep a record of these accounts in case an inspection is warranted. Use of school computers and/or the Internet is considered a privilege and any inappropriate use may result in a disciplinary action and loss of privileges to use school computers and/or access the Internet.

UNAUTHORIZED AND ILLEGAL USE

Students must be under the supervision of a teacher, monitor, principal, librarian, or supervisor while using any school computer. Tampering with selection menus, procedures, or icons for the purpose of misleading or confusing other users shall be prohibited. Any use by any person of any school computer that incurs expenses to the school other than the monthly user fees and rates shall be strictly prohibited. The computer system shall not be used for commercial, political, or religious purposes.

Use of the network for any illegal activities shall also be prohibited. Illegal activities include: (a) tampering with computer hardware or software, (b) unauthorized entry into computers and files, (c) use of unauthorized, illegal, or pirated software, (d) knowledgeable vandalism or destruction of equipment, and (e) deletion of computer files. Such activities are considered a crime under state and federal law.

PRIVACY AND COPYRIGHTS

All students must adhere to the Copyright Laws of the United States (P.L. 94-533) and the Congressional Guidelines that delineate it regarding software, authorship, and copying information. The unauthorized copying or transfer of copyrighted materials may result in the loss of network privileges. Reposting personal communications without the original author's prior consent shall be prohibited. To do this is a violation of the author's privacy. All persons who willfully violate copyright laws do so without the sanction of the Board and at their own risk and shall assume all liability and responsibility. However, all messages posted in a public forum such as news groups or list serves may be copied in subsequent communications, so long as proper attribution is given.

The School Board directs that:

  • Unlawful copies of copyrighted materials shall not be produced on Board-owned equipment or within Board-owned facilities.
  • Unlawful copies of copyrighted materials shall not be used on Board-owned equipment, within Board-owned facilities, or at Board sponsored functions.
  • Information about copyright law and guidelines shall be made available.

INSTALLING PRANK SOFTWARE

Students should avoid the knowing or inadvertent spread of computer viruses. Computer viruses are programs that have been developed as pranks, and can destroy valuable programs and data. To reduce the risk of spreading a computer virus, students shall not import files or programs from unknown or disreputable sources. If a student obtains software or files from remote sources, proper procedures shall followed to check for viruses before use. Deliberate attempts to degrade or disrupt the system or the performance of the network or spreading of computer viruses shall be considered criminal activity under state and federal law. No software shall be loaded except by certified personnel or designee.

OBJECTIONABLE MATERIALS

Profanity or obscenity shall not be tolerated on the network. No sites shall be accessed that provide information on the manufacture of bombs or other incendiary devices. All persons should use language appropriate for school situations as indicated by school codes of conduct. Offensive or inflammatory speech should be avoided. The rights of others must be respected both in the local network and the Internet at large. Personal attacks are an unacceptable use of the network. If a user is the victim of a flame, a harsh, critical or abusive statement, the user should bring the incident to the attention of the teacher or system administrator. Furthermore, retrieving and/or viewing pornographic or obscene materials shall not be allowed.

All school computers shall be used for academic purposes only. Conduct that is in conflict with the responsibilities outlined in Board policy or pertinent regulations or procedures shall be subject to loss of network privileges.

Special restrictions by the school or district may be implemented in order to meet special needs provided that School Board policy is not violated.

USE OF THE INTERNET REGULATIONS

Any person using computers or other electronic information resources shall be required to use such equipment and resources in a responsible, legal manner and must have a consent form on file. The Board retains the right to monitor all computer usage and files for compliance to all regulations and/or procedures. Accordingly, regulations for participation by anyone on the Internet shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

  • Appropriate language and manners which demonstrate honesty, ethics, and respect for others shall be required.
  • Individual students shall not be permitted to have email accounts. Only classes as a whole or teachers and administrators may be permitted to have an email account. Only appropriate teacher or class messages shall be allowed.
  • No photographs, personal addresses, personal phone numbers, or last names will be permitted on the Internet. Pseudonyms, impersonations, and anonymity are not permitted.
  • Illegal activities, including copyright or contact violations, shall not be permitted on the Internet.
  • The Internet shall not be used for commercial, political, illegal, financial, or religious purposes. Violations shall be reported to a teacher or administrator immediately.
  • Threatening, profane, harassing, or abusive language shall be forbidden.
  • No user is permitted to knowingly or inadvertently load or create a computer virus or load any software that destroys files and programs, confuses users, or disrupts the performance of the system. No third party software shall be installed except by certified personnel or designee.
  • A student may not attempt to access any Internet resources without the prior consent of the teacher.
  • Invading the privacy of another user, using another's account, posting personal messages without the author's consent, and sending or posting anonymous messages shall be forbidden.
  • Accessing pornographic or obscene materials or using sending profanity in messages shall be forbidden.
  • Perusing or otherwise accessing information on manufacturing bombs or other incendiary devices shall be forbidden.
  • Any subscription to list serves, bulletin boards, or online services shall be approved by the Superintendent or his/her designee prior to any such usage.

Use of the Internet is a privilege, and any inappropriate use may result in disciplinary action and loss of privileges to use the Internet. Disciplinary action for students may include, but is not limited to, loss of computer use, monetary reimbursement, suspension, detention, or expulsion, and/or assignment to an alternative school setting