Derby Public Schools is committed to providing students with technology that can augment traditional learning opportunities and provide additional opportunities by facilitating resource sharing, research, individual and cooperative learning, and communications. The use of district-provided technology and infrastructure shall be in support of education and research consistent with the district's mission and goals. Access to technology is a privilege which brings with it responsibilities. 

District Responsibilities

Derby Public Schools will provide security, filtering and monitoring systems and make reasonable efforts to monitor student access to the Internet and communication resources via the Internet. The district will make reasonable efforts to protect the privacy of students and student information. District administrators or their designee may review student files and student communications to prevent misuse and to ensure that students are using the system responsibly and in compliance with laws and district policies. 

Student Responsibilities 

Students shall be responsible for displaying appropriate behavior and maintaining a productive learning environment when using district technology and online services. Files and communications on district-provided technology shall be considered public in nature; students should not expect that files stored on the district’s resources will be private. Students who observe or identify a security issue should notify an administrator immediately. Students should show any messages that are suggestive, obscene or threatening to a teacher, who will contact appropriate district staff.

The following guidelines govern the use of Derby Public School’s technology, this includes hardware, software, network, and Internet. These rules are in effect at all times when using district technology. Violations will be handled by the school and/or district administrators.

Prohibited Activities

Derby Public Schools provides technology to staff and students for the purpose of education. The following items are prohibited while using any district technology resource.

General

• Violating any local, state (K.S.A. 21-3755), or federal statutes or board policy

• Accessing another individual's materials, information, folders or files without permission

• Violating copyright, plagiarizing or otherwise using the intellectual property of another individual or organization without permission

• Failing to follow a district policy while using the district’s technology or failing to follow any other policies or guidelines established by district administrators or their designee

• Modify passwords without prior approval/authorization

Internet 

• Transmitting obscene, abusive, sexually explicit, or threatening language

• Accessing, uploading, downloading, or distributing pornographic, obscene, or sexually explicit material

• Harassing, defined as persistently annoying of another, interfering with another’s work, insulting, or attacking others

• Giving out personal information online such as full name, home address, phone number or Social Security number or arranging to meet anyone via the Internet

• Creating mailing lists for non-school purposes with district email addresses from the district's Internet site, network, or servers

• Downloading software that has not been approved by district staff

• Downloading materials from the Internet for any use other than school-related activities

• Using credit cards with any online service; Using a district supplied email account or chat room access for non-school related activities

Hardware, Software, Network

• Giving out personal passwords

• Attempting to access or log on with another user’s account

• Vandalizing, defined as any unauthorized access and/or malicious attempt to damage computer hardware/software or networks or destroying the data of another user, including creating, uploading, or intentionally introducing viruses

• Wasting storage or other technology resources intentionally

• Using the network for commercial, advertisement or political purposes

• Gaining unauthorized access to resources or entities

• Invading the privacy of individuals

• Seeking to gain or gaining unauthorized access to information resources or other computing devices or attempting to bypass district security measures

• Altering improperly the set up of computers (e.g., desktops, icons, wallpapers, screensavers, installed software)

• Copying illegally, installing or using software that has not been approved by district staff

• Using district hardware, software, storage space or network for non-school-related activities

• Intentionally using technology in such a manner that it disrupts the learning process

Network and Internet

The district provides technology and Internet access for educational purposes. We have implemented security, filtering and monitoring systems to mitigate access to harmful and objectionable content. However, due to the nature of the Internet and constantly changing technologies, the district can not guarantee that all possible accessed content will be acceptable. It is also the responsibility of those using the technology issued by the district to use it in an acceptable manner and to follow the guidelines provided by the district teachers and administrators. The district and its personnel shall not be held liable for any activity performed by a student while using district technology.

Off Campus Use

Students are allowed to use some district technology off campus. The district-provided security, filtering and monitoring systems continue to operate on the devices at home or while connected to the Internet from any offsite location. The district-issued devices have basic filtering capabilities, but it is also expected that family members will assist in ensuring that devices are used appropriately for the delivery of education. The district provides ‘How-to’ guides to assist parents in this effort.

Personal Electronic Devices

Personal electronic devices, including but not limited to; cell phones, tablets, computers, etc. may also be used to conduct education tasks for assigned classwork, but no security, filtering or monitoring systems will apply to those devices normally.  EXCEPTION:  The content filtering and device management solution employed by the district is tied to district devices and district-owned Google Accounts.  The Google accounts issued to students are only authorized to be used on technology issued to the students. If a student logs into another device using a district account, the management software that filters the Internet and monitors Internet activity may be installed onto that device. By signing this agreement, family members are aware of this and agree to restrict student logins to district-issued devices.

Disclaimer 

The district makes no warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, for the technology access provided. The district shall not be responsible for any damages suffered, including the loss of data resulting service interruptions caused by its own negligence or user errors or omissions. Use of any information obtained via the Internet shall be at the user's risk. The district denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through its system and is not liable for any commercial transactions conducted through its system

*We reserve the right to modify this policy at any time.