Pinnacle Canyon
Academy
Employee Acceptable Usage Policy
Pinnacle Canyon
Academy (PCA) is committed to providing
students and staff with access to technology and resources that provide the
most effective educational experiences possible. PCA firmly believes that the
valuable information and interactions available through computer network
communications is fundamental to these experiences and far outweigh the small
percentage of materials that are not consistent with educational goals.
As global
communication tools become available, it is imperative that individual users
understand the benefits and responsibilities of accessing a growing collection
of resources. Although PCA has taken precautions to restrict access to
controversial materials, it is impossible on a global network to control all
access.
The
Appropriate Use Policy that follows provides details regarding the appropriate
and inappropriate use of PCA’s computers. The procedures do not attempt to
articulate all required or proscribed behavior by users. Successful operation
of the school computer network requires that all users conduct themselves in a
responsible, decent, ethical, and polite manner while using the school
computers. You, the user, are ultimately responsible for your actions in accessing
and using PCA’s computers and the computer network. As a user of PCA’s
computers, you are expected to review and understand the guidelines and
procedures in this document.
Before any
user will be given access to PCA's computer resources, the employee must
present the "Acceptable Use Agreement" (AUA) form, properly signed by
the employee which AUA acknowledges that PCA is not
responsible for unauthorized or improper access or use of PCA's Computer
Network Communications services. To
maximize the benefits of these tremendous resources, and to avoid abuse or
access to inappropriate information and services, the PCA Board of Education
has adopted the following "Acceptable Use" policy.
Employee Usage Guidelines
PCA
expects everyone to exercise good judgment and use the computer equipment in a
professional manner. Your use of the equipment is expected to be related to the
school’s goals of educating students and/or conducting PCA business. PCA
recognizes, however, that some personal use is inevitable, and that incidental
and occasional personal use that is infrequent or brief in duration is
permitted so long as it occurs on personal time, does not interfere with school
business, and is not otherwise prohibited by PCA policy or procedures.
- Rights and Privileges:
·
Use of School Software
- School software is licensed
to PCA by a large number of vendors and may have specific license
restrictions regarding copying or using a particular program.
- Users of this software must
obtain permission from the IT Director prior to copying or loading PCA
software onto any computer, whether the computer is privately owned or is
a school Computer.
·
Use of Non-PCA Software
- Prior to loading non-PCA
licensed software onto school computers (including laptops and desktops), a user must receive permission from the IT
Director.
- All software must be legally
licensed by the user prior to loading onto school equipment. The
unauthorized use of and/or copying of software is illegal.
- It
is against PCA practice for staff or students to copy or reproduce any
licensed software on PCA computing equipment, except as expressly
permitted by the specific software license.
- Unauthorized
use of software is regarded as a serious matter and any such use is
without the consent of PCA and will be referred to the Board of Education
for Disciplinary Action.
·
Privacy
- District
Computers, the Internet, and use of email are not inherently secure or
private. For example, the content of an email message, including
attachments, is most analogous to a letter or official memo rather than a
telephone call, since a record of the contents of the email may be
preserved by the sender, recipient, any parties to whom the email may be
forwarded, or by the email system itself.
- It is
important to remember that once an email message is sent, the sender has
no control over where it may be forwarded and deleting a message from the
user’s computer system does not necessarily delete it from the school
computer system.
- In some
cases, emails have also been treated as public records in response to a
public records disclosure request. Likewise, files, such as Internet
"cookies" may be created and stored on a computer without the
user’s knowledge.
- Users are
urged to be caretakers of your own privacy and to not store sensitive or
personal information on PCA Computers.
- The school
may need to access, monitor, or review electronic data stored on PCA
Computers, including email and Internet usage records.
- While PCA respects the
privacy of its staff; however, PCA reserves the right to monitor or review electronic
information for
any reason.
- PCA may monitor and review
the information in order to analyze the use of systems or compliance with
policies, conduct audits, review performance or conduct, obtain
information, or for other reasons.
- PCA reserves the right to
disclose any electronic message to law enforcement officials, and under
some circumstances, may be required to disclose information to law
enforcement officials, the public, or other third parties, for example,
in response to a document production request made in a lawsuit involving PCA
or by a third party against the user or pursuant to a public records
disclosure request.
·
Care for PCA Computers
- Users of
PCA Computers are expected to respect the school’s property and be
responsible in using the equipment.
- Users
are to follow any instructions given regarding maintenance or care of the
equipment. Users may be held responsible for any damage caused by your
intentional or negligent acts in caring for school computers under your
control.
- PCA
is responsible for any routine maintenance or standard repairs to school
computers. Users are expected to timely notify the technology department
of any need for service.
- Users are
not to delete or add software to school computers without school permission.
Due to different licensing terms for different software programs, it is
not valid to assume that if it is permissible to copy one program, then
it is permissible to copy others.
·
Using Email Wisely
o
Email encourages informal communication because it is easy to use.
However, unlike a telephone call, email creates a permanent record that is
archived and often transmitted to others. Remember that even when you delete an
email from your mail box; it still may exist in the system for some period of
time.
o
Be circumspect about what you send and to whom. Do not say
anything in an email that you would not want to see republished in Internet
email or hard copy. Remember that email invites sharing; a push of the button
will re-send your message worldwide, if any recipient (or hacker) decides to do
so. What you say can be republished and stored by others.
o
Beware of the "Reply All" button. Often your message
only needs to be returned to one individual -- is the message really
appropriate for (and should it really take the time of) everyone on the address
list.
o
You can create liability for yourself and the school. For example,
within or outside the school, if you "publish" (type or re-send)
words that defame another individual or disparage another individual or institution,
if you upload or download or re-send copyrighted or pornographic material, if
you use email to harass or discriminate against someone, or if you send private
information or data about someone, you may violate applicable laws and PCA
policy. Make sure none of your activities violate any law or policy.
o
Please keep in mind that because of intermediary server problems
and other potential delays, Internet email can sometimes take anywhere from
five minutes to several days to arrive. It may not be the best means to send
time-sensitive information.
·
Using the Internet Access Wisely
o
Be circumspect about where you go and what you do. Do not visit
any site or download or share any material that might cause anyone to question
your professionalism, or Pinnacle
Canyon Academy’s.
o
Read the "License" or "Legal" contract terms
on every site. Do not purport to bind the school to any license or other
contract. If you make an agreement on your own behalf, do not violate that
agreement using the school equipment or Internet account.
o
Do not assume that just because something is on the Internet, you
may copy it. As a general rule, assume that everything is copyrighted and do
not copy it unless there is a notice on the site stating that you may do so.
For example, if you see a clever cartoon assume that you may NOT copy it.
Governmental documents are an exception (you may copy them), but you must
confirm that it is the "government" and not a government-related
entity such as the post office.
o
Be aware of the "Do you want a cookie?" messages (if you
have configured your browser to get such messages). If you answer yes, whatever
activity in which you are engaged will be logged by the site owner to help it
or its advertisers develop a profile about you or the school. It is possible
that your browser is set to accept cookies without asking you each time.
o
You can create liability for yourself and the school. For example,
if you "publish" (type or re-send) words that defame or disparage
another individual or institution, if you upload or download or re-send
copyrighted or pornographic material, if you use the Internet to harass or
discriminate against someone, or if you provide private information or data
about someone, you may violate applicable laws or PCA policy. Make sure none of
your activities violate any law or policy.
o
Do not engage in any "spamming" or other activities that
could clog or congest Internet networks.
·
Webpage: Teachers are required to create and maintain a
webpage.
o
The teacher, classroom or department webpage will be attached to
the school webpage. The purpose of the
webpage is twofold: 1) to promote and
enrich the education of children; and 2) to communicate with students, parents
and the community.
o
A teacher’s webpage will be updated weekly. Examples of weekly
updates include: calendar items or
events, homework, and messages to parents, etc.
o
Each webpage will include a contact form enabling parents and
students to contact you via email.
o
Each webpage will include a useful links page highlighting links
to enhance the curriculum students are learning.
o
Your webpage may contain pictures of groups of students, student
work, or student web pages. You must verify that permission to post
student picture or work has been granted to the school by the student’s parent
or guardian. Names should not be
posted with student pictures to protect the privacy of the students. Pictures of individual students should only
be posted as an exception, such as a contest winner with the specific
permission of the parent or guardian.
·
UEN
o
Employees will adhere to the UEN UtahLINK Usage Policy below.
o
Certified employees should maintain a MYUEN account. MYUEN is a state supported resource for
educational personnel.
·
SIS (Student
Information System)
o
Teachers are required to record attendance and grades via the use
of SIS.
o
Teachers will be issued a user login and password. This password should only be shared with the
SIS administrator.
o
Grades should be posted in a timely manner, preferably weekly;
however, grades are required to be posted every two weeks or according to the
progress report schedule.
·
SSID (State Student
Identification)
o
Employees who are given the responsibility and access to the SSID
system must adhere to the policy set forth by USOE. USOE requires an adherence signature and
background check on such employees.
- Restrictions:
·
PCA Computers may not be used for the following purposes:
o
Commercial Use: Using School Computers for personal or private
gain, personal business, or commercial advantage is prohibited.
o
Political Use: Using School Computers for political purposes in
violation of federal, state, or local law is prohibited. This prohibition
includes using school computers to assist or to advocate, directly or
indirectly, for or against a ballot proposition and/or the election of any
person to any office. The use of school computers for the expression of
personal political opinions to elected officials is prohibited. Only those
staff authorized by the CAO may express the District’s position on pending
legislation or other policy matters.
o
Illegal or Indecent Use: Using School Computers for illegal,
harassing, vandalizing, inappropriate, or indecent purposes (including
accessing, storing, or viewing pornographic, indecent, or otherwise
inappropriate material), or in support of such activities is prohibited.
Illegal activities are any violations of federal, state, or local laws (for
example, copyright infringement, publishing defamatory information, or
committing fraud). Harassment includes slurs, comments, jokes, innuendoes,
unwelcome compliments, cartoons, pranks, or verbal conduct relating to an
individual that (1) have the purpose or effect or creating and intimidating, a
hostile or offensive environment; (2) have the purpose or effect of
unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work or school performance, or
(3) interfere with school operations. Vandalism is any attempt to harm or
destroy the operating system, application software, or data. Inappropriate use
includes any violation of the purpose and goal of the network. Indecent
activities include violations of generally accepted social standards for use of
publicly-owned and operated equipment.
o
Non-School Employee Use: District Computers may only be used by
PCA staff and students, and others expressly authorized by PCA to use the
equipment. Parents and Volunteers may
only use school computers for the use of checking their student’s grades and
activities pertaining to the school as assigned by school personnel. Parents and other volunteers are not allowed
access to the administrative side of the SIS or the SSID systems.
o
Disruptive Use: Computers may not be used to interfere or disrupt
other users, services, or equipment. For example, disruptions include
distribution of unsolicited advertising (“Spam”), propagation of computer
viruses, distribution of large quantities of information that may overwhelm the
system (chain letters, network games, or broadcasting messages), and any
unauthorized access to or destruction of PCA Computers or other resources accessible
through the schools computer network ("Cracking" or
"Hacking").
- Discipline
·
The Appropriate Use Policy is applicable to all users of PCA
Computers and refers to all information resources whether individually
controlled, shared, stand alone, or networked. Disciplinary action, if any, for
students, staff, and other users shall be consistent with the school’s standard
policies and practices. Violations may constitute cause for revocation of
access privileges, suspension of access to school computers, other school disciplinary
action, and/or appropriate legal action. Specific disciplinary measures will be
determined on a case-by-case basis.
- Sanctions
·
The Appropriate Use Policy is applicable to all users of PCA
Computers and refers to all information resources whether individually
controlled, shared, stand alone, or networked. Disciplinary action, if any, for
students, staff, and other users shall be consistent with the school’s standard
policies and practices. Violations may constitute cause for revocation of
access privileges, suspension of access to school computers, other school
disciplinary action, and/or appropriate legal action. Specific disciplinary
measures will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
- Disclaimers:
o
PCA makes no warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied,
for the access being provided.
o
The staff, the school, and the Board of Education are not
responsible for any damages incurred, including, but not limited to, loss of
data resulting from delays or interruption of service, for the loss of data
stored on PCA resources, or for personal property used to access PCA resources.
o
PCA will not be responsible for the accuracy, nature, or quality
of information stored on PCA resources or gathered through school-provided
access.
o
PCA will not be responsible for unauthorized financial obligations
resulting from use of school-provided access.
o
Further, even though PCA may use technical or manual means to
regulate access and information, these methods do not provide a foolproof means
for enforcing the provisions of this policy.
Pinnacle Canyon Academy provides a wide range of computer resources to its
students and staff for the purpose of advancing the educational mission of the
school. As a user of PCA computers, you are expected to review and understand the
Acceptable Use Policy and sign an Acceptable Use Agreement.
UTAH EDUCATION NETWORK ACCEPTABLE USE
POLICY
Purpose of UtahLINK for Public Schools:
The
purpose of the use by Utah Public Education of UtahLINK, the educational
network supported by the Utah Education Network (UEN), is to advance and
promote a world-class public education in Utah. UtahLINK is intended to assist in the
collaboration and exchange of information between and among schools, school
offices, the Utah Education Network, and other State and educational entities
as well as provide access to the 'world of information' via networking
facilities like the Internet.
UtahLINK's Goal for
Public Schools:
The
goal of UtahLINK is to promote innovation and educational excellence in Utah's public schools by
facilitating resource sharing and expanded communications capabilities. To
achieve this, the Network must provide quality, equitable, and cost-effective
information and communication resources to the public education community.
UtahLINK's Mission Statements & Priority Listing for Public
Education:
o
To provide electronic mail service and electronic conferencing
capabilities to public school professional employees;
o
To provide basic services at no cost to public education end
users;
o
After first providing basic services, to provide opportunities for
wider networking (interstate and international) by promoting the addition of
full Internet services where economically feasible and deemed appropriate by
the State Board of Education and UEN;
o
To provide for both administrative and instructional file transfer
capabilities where feasible.
UtahLINK Use by the
Public Schools:
All
use of UtahLINK shall be consistent with the purpose, goal, and mission of the
Network. Successful operation of the network requires that its users regard
UtahLINK as a shared resource, and cooperate to form a community of diverse
interests in an effort to promote educational excellence and provide
world-class education throughout the state of Utah. It is therefore imperative that UtahLINK
members conduct themselves in a responsible, decent, ethical, and polite manner
while using the network. Further, they must abide by all local, state and
federal laws. To ensure the smooth and continued operation of this valuable
resource, members must accept the responsibility of adhering to high standards
of professional conduct and strict guidelines.
The
intent of the UtahLINK Public Education Acceptable Use Policy is to ensure that
all uses of UtahLINK are consistent with its stated purpose, goal, and mission.
UtahLINK is an open network in both implementation and spirit and encourages
the pursuit of higher knowledge. However, it is important to recognize that
with increased access to computers and people all over the world also comes the
availability of controversial material that may not be considered of
educational value in the context of the school setting. Further, UtahLINK
recognizes the importance of each individual's judgment regarding appropriate
conduct in maintaining a quality resource system. And while this policy does
not attempt to articulate all required or proscribed behavior by its members,
it does seek to assist in such judgment by providing the following guidelines:
I. Any use of UtahLINK for
illegal or inappropriate purposes or to access materials that are objectionable
in a public school environment, or in support of such activities, is
prohibited. Language that is deemed to be vulgar is also prohibited. Illegal
activities shall be defined as a violation of local, state, and/or federal
laws. Inappropriate use shall be defined as a violation of he intended use of
the network, and/or purpose and goal. Objectionable is defined as materials
that are identified as such by he rules and policies of the Utah State Board of
Education that relate to curriculum materials and text book adoption.
II. All use of UtahLINK
must be in support of a world class public education and educational research
in Utah and
consistent with the purposes of the network;
III. The following uses are
also prohibited:
o
Any use for commercial purposes or financial gain;
o
Any use for product advertisement or political lobbying;
o
Any use which shall serve to disrupt the use of the network by
other users;
IV. UtahLINK accounts shall
be used only by the authorized owner of the account. Account owners are
ultimately responsible for all activity under their account;
V. Unbridled and open-ended use of the network in
terms of access time cannot be accommodated due to cost. Users are cautioned to
exercise prudence in the shared use of this resource;
VI. All communications and
information accessible via UtahLINK should be assumed to be private property.
Great care is taken by the UtahLINK's administrators to ensure the right of
privacy of users. However, it is recommended that users not give out personal
information like home addresses and/or telephone numbers. Also, passwords
should be kept private and changed frequently;
VII. Neither the USOE nor
the UEN have control of the information on the Internet. Other sites accessible
via the Internet may contain material that is illegal, defamatory, and
inaccurate or potentially offensive to some people;
VIII. Under prescribed
circumstances; public school student use may be permitted, provided proper
supervision is maintained by school officials and parents;
IX. Under prescribed
circumstances*, non-educator use may be permitted, provided such individuals
provide evidence that their use furthers the purpose and goal of the network
and public education in general;
X. As necessary, the Utah State Office of
Education will determine whether specific Public Education uses of UtahLINK are
consistent with this policy. The State Office shall be the final authority on
use of the Network and the issuance of public education user accounts;
XI. Each school district
and school shall define and adopt an Acceptable Use Policy that identifies the
standards and guidelines that are appropriate to their local circumstances.
However these local policies may not permit uses that are outside of the
guidelines of this policy;
XII. All accounts for the
school professionals within a district will be issued and managed by the local
node administrator(s). The issuing of these accounts will be coordinated with
the UEN Network Operations Center;
XIII. Extensive use of the
network for private or personal business is prohibited;
XIV. This is a legally
binding document and careful consideration should be given to the principles
outlined herein;
XV. Violations of the
provisions stated in this policy may result in suspension or revocation of
network privileges.
* Such prescribed
circumstances and uses shall be defined in writing by the Utah department of Education and from time
to time are subject to change.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guidelines for Student
Accounts on Utah's
Public Education Network:
The
primary purpose of the UtahLINK is for the use of the public school
professional staff and secondary student access. The use of an individual
student account is considered to be a privilege and is permitted to the extent
that available resources allow.
Secondary
students may be granted an account for up to one academic year at a time
provided they:
o
Read and agree to follow all guidelines outlined in the Acceptable
Use Policy. This agreement is formalized through their signature on the
application form;
o
Have at least one teacher sign the application form as a sponsor;
o
Obtain the signature of a parent on the application form.
Elementary
students are not allowed individual accounts. Teachers of these grades may
apply for a class account, but are obligated to directly teach these students
in proper network use and supervise them regarding the Acceptable Use Policy. *
The teacher holding this account is ultimately responsible for use of the
account and is required to maintain confidentiality with the password (not
giving it to students) and is advised to change the password frequently.
Students
may not maintain accounts upon graduation unless they otherwise qualify under one of the other acceptable use provisions.
Generally,
students are not permitted to enter professional UtahLINK or Usenet discussion
groups. Under certain conditions, posting privileges to specific news groups
may be granted.
All
public school student accounts will be issued by the local node administrators
and will receive final approval by the State Office of Education.
The
above-mentioned use is subject to revision in policy. In all cases, use by
professional public education staff shall take precedence. The State Office of
Education reserves its right as final authority on use of the network.