FILE:  IFBGAA

Cf:  IFBGA

 

ACCEPTABLE USE LAPTOP COMPUTERS

 

 

In addition to the existing policy IFBGA, Student Technology Acceptable Use and Internet Safety, the following expectations must be adhered to by all students participating in the St. Martin Parish School Board’s Laptop Initiative.  A signed copy of the Student User Agreement, bearing signatures of both the student and a parent or guardian, must be on file with the Supervisor of Technology.

 

1)

Each sixth grade student participating in the study shall be provided with a School Board-owned Macbook computer.  This computer is to be used for school purposes and, while at school, is not for the personal and private use of students beyond schoolwork.

 

a)

Schoolwork is work assigned by teachers or work that students undertake beyond the curriculum under the guidance and supervision of the teachers.

 

b)

Private and personal use may include, but is not limited to, such activities as listening to music, watching movies unrelated to school work, playing games, using chat or instant messaging programs, using peer-to-peer file sharing networks, etc.

 

2)

Students may not deface, tamper with, or willfully damage any School Board-owned computer.  This includes computers assigned to other students or faculty members.  For example:

 

a)

No stickers or other items may be attached or affixed to the computer.

 

b)

No markings may be made on the computer.

 

c)

No software of any kind may be installed, as doing so shall require circumventing security procedures which the School Board has put in place to keep the computers safe from unwanted intrusion. (If a student wants something installed, a request should be made to the Supervisor of Technology).

 

d)

Students must not attempt to damage any computer, nor handle it in a careless or reckless manner.

 

e)

Students should not handle any computer other than the one assigned to them without the direct and clear permission of an instructor.

 

3)

The school's wireless network is provided for the educational mission of the school and may not be misused, tampered with, or otherwise willfully harmed.  Deliberate violation of this policy shall result in severe consequences, as it could harm the entire school community.  With this in mind, any violation of this policy shall result in an immediate intervention involving the teacher, principal, the Supervisor of Technology, and the student's family.

 

Violations include:

 

a)

Deliberate "hacking" of the network, regardless of intent

 

b)

Intentional placement of any malware (viruses, worms, root-kits, etc.) anywhere on the network

 

c)

Physical damage or tampering with any network devices

 

4)

Students must bring a fully-charged computer to school each day.  Failure to do so means that the student is unprepared, and this could result in grading penalties, disciplinary action, some loss of privilege, or any combination of these. 

 

5)

It is expected that students shall follow established backup and saving policies to insure that all school work is properly saved.  This shall allow us to help recover items should there be a problem with an individual student computer.  Failure to save or back up data properly could result in a loss of important work, and the school assumes no responsibility for any lost data not correctly archived.

 

6)

Use of School Board-owned computers at home for purposes other than school work is entirely at the discretion of students' parents or guardians.  The St. Martin Parish School Board urges families to be proactive in the online lives of students, engaging in frank and frequent discussions about computer usage.  It is advised that families construct a home version of an acceptable use policy, with the following suggestions:

 

a)

Decide with the student how much online time is acceptable, and set clear "when and where" boundaries.

 

b)

Beyond online time, decide when the computer must be turned off each day.  Setting up a place to charge the computer outside of the student's room (perhaps in the parents' room) is suggested, as this will ensure both a full charge each day and afford peace of mind that the student is offline and done working.

 

c)

Know what types of sites students visit.  Talk about the risks and the rewards associated with different kinds of web communities.  A candid discussion about balancing privacy and safety is difficult, but is also rewarding.  Parents should mutually decide what websites are not acceptable, which ones are, and what the student should do when there is a question. It is suggested that students give parents their passwords to help keep students safe, but parents should assure them of some relative degree of privacy and trust. 

 

7)

Incidental and accidental damage to School Board-owned computers can be avoided with careful and thoughtful use.  If damage does occur, students should report the damage to a teacher, parent, or principal immediately.  If the damage cannot be fixed quickly, a "loaner" computer shall be assigned to the student, if available, with all Student User Agreements still applicable.  When the damaged computer is repaired, the "loaner" must be returned in the same condition in which it was assigned.  An incident report shall be filed describing the extent of damage and the cause. 

 

8)

If a student is consistently careless with a computer, resulting in the need for more than two (2) extensive repairs in a school year, families shall be called for a conference with the principal and the Supervisor of Technology to discuss possible penalties for continued breakage.

 

9)

The computers are warranted for damage, but not for loss.  However, if it is lost or stolen, this must be reported immediately.  In the case of loss, the student's family shall be liable for the cost of replacing the computer.  In the case of theft, the Board shall require a police report and the matter will be turned over to the business office to be handled as an insurance matter.  In either case, immediate dialog is essential to ensure the possible recovery of any missing computer.

 

a)

If the loss of a computer is due to theft, the matter should be discussed in full and in a timely manner with the principal and Supervisor of Technology.

 

b)

If a computer is damaged, the matter should be discussed in full and in a timely manner with the principal and Supervisor of Technology.

 

c)

If a computer is lost due to student negligence, the family shall be held liable for replacement costs, and the matter must be discussed with the Supervisor of Technology and the Director of Curriculum and Instruction I as soon as it has been determined that the computer is missing and unrecoverable.

 

d)

Damage to the keyboard will typically be dealt with as intentional and could result in a fee for any damage done.  Spills should be dealt with by immediately tipping the keyboard to get the liquid to run off, and the computer should then be brought to the Supervisor of Technology for supplemental clean up and/or repairs.

 

10)

Peripheral devices (printers, cameras, any number of USB "gadgets") may be used with School Board-owned computers, but devices not provided by the school are used at the student's own risk.  While the technology support staff will help as much as possible with such devices, such help and support is secondary to the essential functions of the school technology program and will prioritized as such.

 

11)

St. Martin Parish School Board technology support staff is not meant to be "tech support" for the student’s home needs.  Technology support staff will offer help and advice ONLY to aid in ensuring the best possible education for the students.

 

12)

Use of School Board-owned computers for any illegal activity is strictly forbidden.  This includes the unauthorized downloading of copyrighted material.  If a student is unsure about the legality of a particular use, the matter should be discussed first with the classroom teacher for clarification.

 

13)

Use of School Board-owned computers (or any digital means) to engage in bullying, defamation, threatening, terrorizing, or other behavior that is potentially harmful to any member of the school community (or beyond) is a serious matter and could lead to serious sanctions.  The School Board’s desire is for students to be models of exceptional Internet behavior, not examples of poorly made choices.  Any student who chooses to bully, harass, threaten, terrorize, defame, or otherwise comment in a negative light in a manner that is harmful to the character or well-being of any student or other individual shall receive appropriate consequences as outlined in the St. Martin Parish Discipline Handbook.

 

In addition to the above, policy IFBGA, Student Technology Acceptable Use and Internet Safety applies to all computer users in St. Martin Parish.  This policy is supplemental and is intended to address issues unique to the one-to-one program being implemented at the elementary school level at select schools.  Ultimately, if a student, parent, or guardian is in doubt about any use or possible misuse of a School Board-owned computer or the School Board-operated network, it is advisable to ask questions first of the teacher, then the Supervisor of Technology for clarification.  Students will receive fuller instruction on the day-to-day functions of this program, and individual teachers will have specific needs for each class which must also be adhered to.  If any substantial addition or change to this policy should be necessary, written notification (requiring parent and student signatures) shall be sent home.

 

Failure to abide by this policy may result in a loss of computer privileges, disciplinary consequences, and in some cases, monetary charges.

 

USER AGREEMENTS

 

Each student issued a School Board-owned laptop computer and each such student’s parent/legal guardian shall sign the Student User Agreements which acknowledge receipt of the acceptable use policies and consequences for abuse/misuse of the laptop computer assigned for his/her use.

 

New policy:  March, 2008

 

 

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:100.7

Board minutes, 12-5-07

 

St. Martin Parish School Board