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ACCEPTABLE USE OF TECHNOLOGY/INTERNET

Adopted:	June 28, 1995
Revised:	August 22, 2001

1. Purpose
All use of technology and the Internet must be in support of education and research and consistent with the purposes of the McKeesport Area School District.

Technology and the Internet will be used to support the district's curriculum, the educational community, projects between schools, communications and research for district students, teachers and administrators.

2. Authority
Use of Technology/Internet within the district shall be


	Use of Technology/Internet to

	Use of the Technology/Internet for commercial or for-profit purposes is prohibited.

	Use of the Technology/Internet for product advertisement or political lobbying is prohibited.

	Gang-related language, profanity, hate mail, harassment, discriminatory remarks, and other offensive antisocial communications on the network is prohibited.

	The illegal installation, distribution, reproduction or use of copyrighted software on district computers is prohibited.

	Use of the Technology/Internet to access obscene or pornographic material is prohibited.

	Modifying or using any passwords without district authorization is prohibited.

	No one may deliberately modify or sabotage programs or computer setups. This includes security, screen savers, icons, background, data, and printer or network settings.

	Users will immediately notify the technology coordinator if they have identified a possible security problem. Users may not search for security problems; "browsing" will be construed as an illegal attempt to gain access.

	Users will avoid the inadvertent spread of computer viruses by following the district virus protection procedures.

	Use of school technology or the network for fraudulent copying, communications or modification of materials in violation of law is prohibited and will be referred to appropriate authorities.

	Installation or use of unauthorized games, programs, files by disk or by downloading from the Internet or other electronic media is prohibited.

	Use of CD-ROMs for playing audio music is prohibited except when following curriculum guidelines.

	Any attempt to modify, damage, disassemble, misuse, abuse of equipment, software, or the network is prohibited.

Consequences For Inappropriate Use - The user shall be responsible for damages to the equipment, system, and software resulting from deliberate or willful acts.

Illegal use of the network; intentional deletion or damage to files belonging to others; copyright violations; and theft of services will be reported to the appropriate legal authorities for possible prosecution.

General rules for behavior and communications apply when using the Internet, in addition to the stipulations of this policy. Loss of access and other disciplinary actions shall be consequences for inappropriate use.

Vandalism will result in cancellation of access privileges. Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy data of another user, Internet or other networks; this includes but is not limited to uploading or crating computer viruses.

Offenders may also be subject to criminal prosecution. Under Pennsylvania law it is a felony punishable by a fine of up to $15,000 and imprisonment of up to seven (7) years for any person to access, alter or damage any computer system, networking, software or database, or any part thereof, with the intent to interrupt the normal functioning of an organization. Knowingly and without authorization, disclosing a password to a computer system, network, etc., is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and imprisonment of up to five (5) years, as is intentional and unauthorized access to a computer, or alteration of computer software.


Search and Seizure -
	System users have a limited privacy expectation in the contents of their personal files on the district system.

	Routine maintenance and monitoring of the system may lead to discovery that the user has or is violating the district Acceptable Use Policy, the discipline policy, or the law.

	An individual search may be conducted if there is reasonable suspicion that a user has violated the law or the district policies. The nature of the investigation will be reasonable and in the context of the nature of the alleged violation.

	District employees should be aware that their personal files are discoverable under state public records laws.

Internet Filtering Safety Policy -
The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) statue requires schools to use filtering and blocking technology and to implement a set of substantive policy decisions related to Internet access, calling both requirements an "Internet safety policy." With regard to the policy elements of the Internet safety policy, CIPA requires that schools address all of the following specific elements:
	Access by minors to inappropriate material on the Internet and world wide web;

	The safety and security of minors when using electronic mail, chat rooms, and other forms of direct electronic communications (e.g., Instant Message services);

	Unauthorized access, including so-called "hacking" and other unlawful activities by minors online;

	Unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal identification information regarding minors;

	Measures designed to restrict minors' access to materials deemed "harmful to minors;" and

	A plan to monitor minors' use of the Internet in school.

The Internet safety policy must require the use of filtering software or services on all computers with access to the Internet. When minors are using the Internet, access to visual depictions must be blocked or filtered if they are: (1) obscene, (2) child pornography, or (3) "harmful to minors."

When adults are using the Internet, only material that is obscene or child pornography must be filtered or blocked.

Selecting and disabling the "technology protection measures" -

Under CIPA, a "technology protection measure" is narrowly defined as follows:

The term "technology protection measure" means a specific technology that blocks or filters Internet access to visual depictions that are (a) obscene, as that term is defined in section 1460 of title 18, United States Code; (b) child pornography, as that term is defined in 2256 of title 18, United States Code; or (c) harmful to minors."

Schools receiving covered e-rate support cannot disable the filters when minors are using them, even with parental or teacher permission and supervision.

Appropriate school staff may disable filters only for adults who are using school computers for "bona fide research purposes." The FCC also declined to further define bona fide research, noting: "We leave such determinations to the local communities, whom we believe to be most knowledgeable about the varying circumstances of schools and libraries in those communities."

Penalties for noncompliance and failure to certify -

Schools that knowingly fail to comply and certify compliance with CIPA lose eligibility for federal support and are responsible for paying the full price of applicable e-rate eligible services. Billed Entities that knowingly fail to certify also will render the entire consortium ineligible. Most importantly, the e-rate recipients must return any funds spent during a period of noncompliance. Entities reestablishing compliance will become eligible for discounts only when they certify compliance.

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