Acceptable Use Policy - Policy Statement

A school might want to think about the following concerns when creating a policy for Internet use.

• The kinds of access that students/staff will be allowed.
• How the school will restrict access to non-educational materials.
• How the Internet will be used in the classroom.
• That the school will take reasonable precautions to protect students against risks associated with accessing the Internet and how the school will reduce those risks.
  • Instructing students about online personal safety.
  • A strict enforcement policy on downloading non-educational  materials.
  • Monitoring student use of the Internet.
  • Provide teacher training on the potential dangers of online usage.
  • Providing information to parents/guardians about the dangers of online usage.
• That Internet access is monitored and students email  messages or computer storage areas are not guaranteed to be private.
  • Network storage areas may be treated like school lockers.
  • Network storage space is a limited resource that must be managed.
• What online etiquette (Netiquette) is expected.
• A liability disclaimer statement.
  • The school is not liable for any information that may be lost, damaged, or unavailable due to technical difficulties. 
  • Students/staff should be advised to make personal back-ups of all their files contained on the district system.
    • loss of data
    • system failure
    • interruption of services
  • The school can not vouch for the accuracy of information on the school system or accessed through the school system. 
  • The school is not liable if a student/staff causes harm to another person or organization through the use of the school system.
    • Defamation 
    • Harassment
    • Invasion of privacy; 
    • Copyright Infringement
    • Security violations (hacking, viruses)
  • The school will not be responsible for any unauthorized  purchase of products or services.
    • Parents need to be informed that if this  happens the school will assume no financial responsibility for these purchases.
• A reminder that accessing the Internet through the schools network resources is a privilege, not a right.
• A statement about protecting the intellectual property rights (copyrights) of others.
• That parents/guardians have the right to request to see the contents of their children's email and files in the students storage space.
• The school needs to explain the consequences of violating the policy.
• How the school addresses online privacy issues?

This is an incomplete list at best and is intended as a resource only.

Next Section - Acceptable Use Policy - Copyright