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The following changes/additions were made to the district's policy manual to accommodate the issues of technology. A student/parent contract was developed to reflect the changes in technology and policy: Prairie Hill School Dist 133 Computer Network And Internet User Agreement Student Agreement and Parent Permission Form See Appendix D It shall be the responsibility of the Tech Coordinator to seek community input vis-à-vis the Technology Committee, parent surveys, and administrators of the district. He / she shall then advise administration as to possible policy changes keeping in mind trends and developments in technology. It shall be for administration to suggest policy for board approval. See Appendix J

A. Acceptable Use.

The use of computers and related services and media at Prairie Hill Community Consolidated District No. 133 must at all times be consistent with the educational objectives of the District. Users of the computer network services (the "computer network system" or "system") at the District must comply with these guidelines. District Administration may revise these guidelines from time to time as needed for or useful to sound operations and management of the system.

B. Privileges

Access to the computer network system is a privilege, not a right, and may be denied or revoked at any time . Inappropriate use of the system may result in discipline, including loss of computer privileges.

C. Security of System and Responsibilities of System Users.

Security in the system must be a high priority for all users. Do not disclose your log-in ID or password to anyone, or attempt to log-in to the system as another person. If you become aware of any improper use of the system, or violation of security rules, you must notify a teacher or the computer network system administrator immediately.

Users should not expect that files stored on school-based computers will be private. 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 the integrity of the system and ensure that users are acting responsibly.

D. Prohibited Uses.

The above rules apply to the Prairie Hill Internet Connection as well as the Prairie Hill Computer Network. The following rules pertain to the usage of the Prairie Hill Computer Network.

• trespassing in another person's folders, work or files.
• violating copyright laws.
• logging in under the login name of another student, teacher or administrator without permission from a teacher or the system administrator.
• attempting to gain unauthorized access.
• use of the computer network for commercial purposes.
• using unauthorized non-district software.
• using the network in such a way as to disrupt the use by others.
• sending, deliberately accessing, or displaying offensive messages or pictures.
• posting or revealing any person's personal information including but not limited to passwords.
• erasing, moving or otherwise altering Windows system files, dos files, program groups, network system files, installed programs and their support files, or any other file that is not in the student's home directory.
• attempting or actually downloading/uploading unauthorized files or software.
• intentionally wasting limited system resources (file space).
• damaging computers, computer systems or computer networks.

E. Sanctions

If a student intentionally engages in any of the prohibited acts listed above, the student shall be disciplined in accordance with the Prairie Hill Community Consolidated School District No. 133 Student Code of Conduct and may be subject to the following disciplinary actions:

1. Suspension of information network access;
2. Revocation of information access;
3. Suspension of network privileges;
4. Revocation of network privileges;
5. Suspension of computer access;
6. Revocation of computer access;
7. School suspension;
8. School expulsion;
9. Referral to legal authorities for prosecution.
   F. DisclaimerThe Prairie Hill School District makes no warranties of any kind, whether express or implied for the service of providing access to the Internet nor for the computer network system it is providing to students of the District. Use of any information obtained via the Internet is at your own risk. Prairie Hill School will not be responsible for any damages you suffer. This include loss of data resulting from delays, nondeliveries, mis-deliveries or service interruptions caused by its own negligence or your errors or omissions. The Prairie Hill School District specifically denies responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through its Internet connection.
   
10. Legal Ref:
11. Cross Ref: 6.50 (Computer Network and Internet Use Policy)
12. Cross Ref: Acceptable Use Contract
13. Adopted: October 28, 1997
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The computer network at Prairie Hill School is provided for students to conduct curriculum related research and to enhance classroom learning. Independent access to network services is provided to students who agree to act in a considerate and responsible manner. Access is a privilege, not a right. Access entails responsibility.

Students are responsible for good behavior on school computer networks just as they are in classrooms or school hallways. Network storage areas will be treated like school lockers. Network administrators may review files and communications to maintain system integrity and insure that users are using the system responsibly. User should not expect that files stored on district servers or local drives will be private.

The Internet is available to the student at Prairie Hill School. The Internet, an electronic highway, connects computers from all over the world and millions of individual users. Our goal in providing the Internet to our students and teachers is to promote educational excellence in our school by facilitating resource sharing, innovation and communication.

Using the Internet, students and teachers have access to such diverse resources as:

1. Email with people all over the world,
2. Information and news at NASA as well as opportunities to correspond with the scientists at NASA and other research institutions,
3. Public domain software and shareware.
4. Discussion groups on a plethora of subjects ranging from culture to the environment to music to politics.
5. Access to the libraries of many Universities, museums, the Library of Congress and ERIC.
   With access to computers and people all over the world also comes the availability of material that may not be considered to be of educational value in the context of the school setting. The Prairie Hill School District has taken precautions to restrict access to controversial material. However on a world wide system it is impossible to control all information and the industrious user may discover controversial information. The educational philosophy of Prairie Hill School's Mission Statement firmly supports that the value of the information and interaction available on the worldwide network far outweighs the possibility that users may procure material that is not consistent with the educational goal of District 133.

Although access to the Internet is coordinated through a complex relationship of government and private agencies (NSFNET - the backbone of the Internet) as well as regional and state networks, the smooth operation of the Internet relies upon the proper conduct of the user. The board, administration and staff of Prairie Hill therefore have established guidelines to ensure that Prairie Hill students be respected members of the 'net community' and that behavior on the Internet reflects pride, respect, courtesy and consideration.

The use of the Internet and The Prairie Hill Computer System is a privilege not a right. If a Prairie Hill User violates any of the following provisions, his or her access to the Internet and / or the computer system of Prairie Hill School will be terminated. Signatures (Acceptable Use Contract) indicate that the parties signing have read the terms and conditions carefully and understand their significance. The parent/guardian signature does not indicate agreement or disagreement with District policy. Lack of a signature will not restrict student participation in curriculum specific activities. Internet usage, without proper signature, will be limited and under direct supervision.

Internet Terms and Conditions

1. Acceptable Use: Use of the Internet through the Prairie Hill Computer System (PHCS) should be in support of education and research consistent with the educational objectives of the Prairie Hill School District. Transmission of material in violation of any U.S. or state regulation is prohibited. This includes but is not limited to: copyrighted material, threatening or obscene material, or material protected by trade secret. Use for commercial purposes and product advertisement is not acceptable. Use for political lobbying is generally not acceptable.
2. Privileges: The use of the Internet is a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use will result in cancellation of those privileges. The system administrator and school administration will deem what is inappropriate in line with District guidelines of general student behavior. The system administrator may cancel privileges at any time as required. The administration, faculty and staff of Prairie Hill School may request the system administrator to deny, revoke or suspend Internet access privileges for specific users
3. Network Etiquette: Users are expected to abide by generally accepted rules of network etiquette. These include (but are not limited to) the following:
   • Be polite. Do not get abusive in your messages to others.
   • Use appropriate language. Do not swear, use vulgarities or any other inappropriate language.
   • Do not reveal your personal address or phone number, nor the personal address and phone numbers of other students, staff and faculty at Prairie Hill School.
   • Note that electronic mail (e-mail) is not guaranteed to be private. People who operate the system do have access to all mail. Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities may be reported to the proper authorities.
   • Do not use the network in such a way that you would disrupt the use of the network by others.
4. Vandalism: Vandalism will result in cancellation of privileges. Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy data of another user or the hardware/software of the Prairie Hill Computer Network, Internet, or any agency or other networks that are connected to the NSFNET Internet backbone. This includes the creation and/or uploading of computer viruses.
5. Security: Security on any computer system is high priority. If you feel that you can identify a security problem you must notify the System Administrator for the Prairie Hill School District. Do not demonstrate the problem to others. Any user identified as a security risk or having a history of problems with other computer systems may be denied access to the Internet.
   The Prairie Hill School District makes no warranties of any kind, whether express or implied for the service of providing access to the Internet nor for the computer network system it is providing to students of the District. Use of any information obtained via the Internet is at your own risk. Prairie Hill School will not be responsible for any damages you suffer. This include loss of data resulting from delays, nondeliveries, mis-deliveries or service interruptions caused by its own negligence or your errors or omissions. The Prairie Hill School District specifically denies responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through its Internet connection.

Legal Ref:Cross Ref: 7.20 (Guidelines for Acceptable Use of Computer Systems)Cross Ref: Acceptable Use ContractAdopted: October 28, 1997

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