po7540.04%20STAFF%20TECHNOLOGY%20ACCEPTABLE%20USE%20AND%20SAFETY.pdf

Parent document: 2024-08-26-f67a1e507b87c30391378d9c40674865-agenda.txt

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JEFFERSON

COUNTY SCHOOLS

Book Policy Templates 10-23-23

Section 7000 Property - First Draft Marked

Title STAFF TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE AND SAFETY
Code po7540.04

Status

7540.04 - STAFF TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE AND SAFETY

Technology has fundamentally altered the ways in which information is accessed, communicated, and
transferred in society. As a result, educators are continually adapting their means and methods of
instruction, and the way they approach student learning, to incorporate the vast, diverse, and unique
resources available through the Internet. The Board of Education provides Technology and Information
Resources (as defined by Bylaw 0100) to support the educational and professional needs of its staff and
students. The Board provides staff with access to the Internet for limited educational purposes only and
utilizes online educational services/apps to enhance the instruction delivered to its students and to
facilitate the staff’s work. The District’s computer network and Internet system do not serve as a public
access service or a public forum, and the Board imposes reasonable restrictions on its use consistent with
its limited educational purpose.

The Board regulates the use of District Technology and Information Resources by principles consistent
with applicable local, State, and Federal laws, and the District’s educational mission. This policy and its
related policy and administrative guidelines, Policy 7544 and AG 7544 and any applicable employment
contracts govern the staffs’ use of the District’s Technology and Information Resources and staff’s
personal communication devices when they are connected to the District’s computer network, Internet
connection and/or online educational services/apps, or when used while the staff member is on Board-
owned property or at a Board-sponsored activity (see Policy 7530.02).

Users are required to refrain from actions that are illegal (such as libel, slander, vandalism, harassment,
theft, plagiarism, inappropriate access, and the like) or unkind (such as personal attacks, invasion of
privacy, injurious comment, and the like). Because its Technology Resources are not unlimited, the Board
has also instituted restrictions aimed at preserving these resources, such as placing limits on use of
bandwidth, storage space, and printers.

Users have no right or expectation to privacy when using District Technology and Information Resources
(including, but not limited to, privacy in the content of their personal files, e-mails, and records of their
online activity when using the District's computer network and/or Internet connection).

Staff members are expected to utilize District Technology and Information Resources to promote
educational excellence in our schools by providing students with the opportunity to develop the resource
sharing, innovation, and communication skills and tools that are essential to both life and work. The
Board encourages the faculty to develop the appropriate skills necessary to effectively access, analyze,

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evaluate, and utilize these resources in enriching educational activities. The instructional use of the
Internet and online educational services will be guided by Board Policy 2520 - Selection of Instructional
Materials and Equipment.

The use of the electronic resources, technologies, and the Internet must be in support of education and
consistent with the educational objectives and priorities of the West Virginia State Board of Education.
Use of other networks or computing resources must comply with the rules appropriate for that network
and copyright compliance. Users must also be in compliance with the rules and regulations of the network
provider(s) serving the County and its schools.

The Internet is a global information and communication network that brings incredible education and
information resources to our students. The Internet connects computers and users in the District with
computers and users worldwide. Through the Internet, students and staff can access relevant information
that will enhance their learning and the education process. Further, District Technology Resources provide
students and staff with the opportunity to communicate with other people from throughout the world.
Access to such an incredible quantity of information and resources brings with it, however, certain unique
challenges and responsibilities.

The Board may not be able to technologically limit access, through its Technology Resources, to only
those services and resources that have been authorized for the purpose of instruction, study, and
research related to the curriculum. Unlike in the past when educators and community members had the
opportunity to review and screen materials to assess their appropriateness for supporting and enriching
the curriculum according to adopted guidelines and reasonable selection criteria (taking into account the
varied instructional needs, learning styles, abilities, and developmental levels of the students who would
be exposed to them), access to the Internet, because it serves as a gateway to any publicly available file
server in the world, opens classrooms and students to electronic information resources that may not have
been screened by educators for use by students of various ages.

The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE), approved service provider, and other State agencies
operate the State-wide infrastructure to provide Internet access for all Pre-k-12 public schools. Pursuant
to Federal law, the State has implemented technology protection measures, that protect against (e.g.,
filter or block) access to visual displays/depictions/materials that are obscene, constitute child
pornography, and/or are harmful to minors, as defined by the Children’s Internet Protection Act.
Electronic filtering will be installed by the WVDE at the two (2) points of presence (POPs) for Internet
access. This will provide filtering for all public schools in a cost-effective manner and with efficient
management. This service enables the County/schools to meet the Children's Internet Protection Act
(CIPA) and E-Rate guideline requirements for filtering.

The Board will use technical protection measures to protect against (i.e., filter or block) access to other
material considered inappropriate for students to access. The Board also utilizes software and/or
hardware to monitor online activity of staff members to restrict access to child pornography and other
material that is obscene, objectionable, inappropriate and/or harmful to minors.

The technology protection measures may not be disabled at any time that students may be using the
District Technology Resources if such disabling will cease to protect against access to materials that are
prohibited under the Children’s Internet Protection Act. Any staff member who attempts to disable the
technology protection measures without express written consent of an appropriate administrator will be
subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

The Superintendent or designee may temporarily or permanently unblock access to websites or online
educational services/apps containing appropriate material if access to such sites has been inappropriately
blocked by the technology protection measures. The determination of whether material is appropriate or
inappropriate shall be based on the content of the material and the intended use of the material, not on
the protection actions of the technology protection measures.

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Staff members will participate in professional development programs in accordance with the provisions of
law and this policy. Training shall include:

A. the safety and security of students while using e-mail, chat rooms, social media, and other forms
of direct electronic communications;

B. the inherent danger of students disclosing personally identifiable information online;

C. the consequences of unauthorized access (e.g., "hacking", "harvesting", "digital piracy", "data
mining", etc.), cyberbullying and other unlawful or inappropriate activities by students or staff
online; and

D. unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personally identifiable information regarding
minors.

Furthermore, staff members shall provide instruction for their students regarding the appropriate use of
technology and online safety and security as specified above and staff members will monitor students’
online activities while at school.

Monitoring may include, but is not necessarily limited to, visual observations of online activities during
class sessions; or use of specific monitoring tools to review browser history and network, server, and
computer logs.

The disclosure of personally identifiable information about students online is prohibited.

Building principals are responsible for providing training so that Internet users under their supervision are
knowledgeable about this policy and its accompanying guidelines. The Board expects that staff members
will provide guidance and instruction to students in the appropriate use of the District Technology
Resources. Such training shall include, but not be limited to, education concerning appropriate online
behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social media, including in chat rooms and
cyberbullying awareness and response. All users of District Technology Resources are required to signa
written agreement to abide by the terms and conditions of this policy and its accompanying guidelines.

With prior approval from the Superintendent or designee, staff may direct students who have been issued
school-assigned electronic accounts to use those accounts when signing-up/registering for access to
various online educational services, including mobile applications/apps that will be utilized by the students
for educational purposes under the teacher’s supervision.

Staff members are responsible for good behavior when using District Technology and Information
Resources - i.e., behavior comparable to that expected when they are in classrooms, school hallways, and
other school premises and school-sponsored events. Communications on the Internet are often public in
nature. The Board does not approve any use of its Technology and Information Resources that is not
authorized by or conducted strictly in compliance with this policy and its accompanying guidelines and
Policy 7544 and its accompanying guideline

Staff members may only use District Technology Resources to access or use social media if it is done for
educational or business-related purposes.

Staff members use of District technology resources to access or use social media is to be consistent with
Policy 7544 and its accompanying guideline.

An employee's personal or private use of social media may have unintended consequences. While the
Board respects its employees’ First Amendment rights, those rights do not include permission to post
inflammatory comments that could compromise the District's mission, undermine staff relationships, or
cause a substantial disruption to the school environment. This warning includes staff members’ online

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conduct that occurs off school property, including from the employee's private computer. Postings to
social media should be done in a manner sensitive to the staff member's professional responsibilities and
in compliance with State Board Policy 5902. Inappropriate online behavior may be cause for discipline
pursuant to the provisions of West Virginia Code 18A-2-8.

General school rules for behavior and communication apply.

Users who disregard this policy and its accompanying guidelines may have their use privileges suspended
or revoked, and disciplinary action taken against them. Users are personally responsible and liable, both
civilly and criminally, for uses of District Technology and Information Resources that are not authorized by
this policy and its accompanying guidelines.

The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) and approved service provider(s) can only monitor
those e-mail accounts issued to the "k12.wv.us" server, which is administered by WVDE and approved
providers. The responsibility for any "k12.wv.us" e-mail accounts lies with the administrator(s) and/or
educator(s) identified as responsible for those students using alternative e-mail accounts or the
administrator(s) and/or educator(s) identified as responsible for the e-mail server being used.

The WVDE reserves the right to monitor, inspect, investigate, copy, review and store, without prior notice,
information about the content and usage of any network and system files, user files, disk space
utilization, applications, bandwidth utilization, document files, folders, electronic communications, e-mail,
Internet access, and any and all information transmitted or received in connection with networks, e-mail
use and web-based tools.

The WVDE's administrative information system (WVEIS) is to be used exclusively for the business of the
organization. All information system data are records of the organization. The WVDE has reserved the
right to access and disclose all data sent over its information systems for any purposes. All staff must
maintain the confidentiality of student data in accordance with The Family Educational Rights and Privacy
Act (FERPA).

For reasons of privacy, employees may not attempt to gain access to another employee's personal file of
messages in the WVDE's information systems. However, the WVDE has reserved the right to enter an
employee's information system files whenever there is a business need to do so.

Based on the acceptable use and safety guidelines outlined in West Virginia State Board of Education
policy 2460, the State Superintendent, the WVDE and provider(s) system administrators will determine
what is appropriate use, and their decision is final. Also, the system administrator and/or local teachers
may deny user access at any time.

The Board designates the Superintendent and designee as the administrators responsible for initiating,
implementing, and enforcing this policy and its accompanying guidelines as they apply to staff members’
use of District Technology and Information Resources.

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Students and parents will provide written consent to receive 1|ODLC messages by filling out the
appropriate forms during school registration. This consent will be documented and securely stored in
compliance with district policies. Information collected will be used for the sole purpose of
communication between Jefferson County Schools employees and parents/students and will not be
shared with nor sold to any 3rd party or affiliates. JCS has implemented the following measures to
protect the privacy and security of data transmitted via the 1ODLC system: Only authorized teachers,
counselors, and administrators will have access to the 1ODLC system. Access will be granted based on
role-specific permissions and responsibilities. Jefferson County Schools is committed to maintaining
compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Children's Online
Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Our policies and procedures are designed to protect the privacy of
students' educational records and personal information. JCS reserves the right to update this privacy
policy as necessary to reflect changes in legal requirements, technology, and district practices. Any
changes will be communicated to students, parents, and staff in a timely manner.

For questions or concerns about this privacy policy or the 1ODLC messaging system, please contact the
Jefferson County Schools administration office at 304-725-9741.

Data Sharing with Third-Party Applications
Jefferson County Schools (JCS) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of our students’,
parents’, and staff Personally Identifiable Information. This addendum serves to inform parents,
guardians, and employees about the Jefferson County Schools (JCS) practices regarding data
sharing with third-party applications through platforms such as Google, Microsoft, and other
Federated Identity Providers. Our commitment to student privacy and data security remains a top
priority, and we aim to provide transparency about how student information may be utilized. JCS
utilizes various educational tools and applications to enhance learning experiences and support
student achievement. These third-party applications may require access to certain student data in
order to function effectively. The data shared is typically limited to what is necessary for the
application to provide its intended services. The types of student data that may be shared with third-
party applications include, but are not limited to:

¢ files in user’s JCS Google Drive

e user’s JCS Google Account email address

e any personal information made publicly available

JCS may share student data with third-party applications that are accessed through Federated
Identity Providers, including but not limited to:
e Google Workspace for Education
¢ Microsoft 365 Education
e Other educational software providers that have been vetted and approved by the
district

© Neola 2049 2024

Legal West Virginia State Board of Education policy 2460 - Educational
Purpose and Acceptable Use of Electronic Resources, Technologies and
the Internet

P.L. 106-554, Children's Internet Protection Act of 2000

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47 U.S.C. 254(h), (1), Communications Act of 1934, as amended
(2003)

20 U.S.C. 6801 et seq., Part F, Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965, as amended (2003)

18 U.S.C. 1460

18 U.S.C. 2246

18 U.S.C. 2256

20 U.S.C. 6777, 9134 (2003)
47 C.F.R. 54.500 - 54.523

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