Public School 105’s   INTERNET ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY

       Public School 105’s technology driven curriculum, including Internet access availability in all classrooms, exists for the primary purpose of supporting and enhancing learning, teaching and communication among all members of the school community.  PS 105, guided by its Mission Statement and its Comprehensive Education Plan (CEP) will adapt and implement the general Department of Education’s Internet Acceptable Use Policy (IAUP).  The full text of the DOE's policy can be viewed at http://www.nycenet.edu.  The DOE/PS 105 seeks to establish a secure appropriate virtual learning space that will be available for the entire community of learners embraced by the public schools of New York City.
 
 

A.  General Principles of Access
     1.   PS 105 has access to the Internet through the Department of Education of the City 
           of  New York (DOE).
     2.   Internet access and its features has a limited educational purpose that includes the 
           use of the system by students and their parents for learning activities both in 
           school and at home.  This IAUP, based upon the Department of Education’s IAUP, 
           governs all electronic activity.  No member of PS 105’s educational community 
           may engage in activities prohibited by this IAUP when these activities are 
           undertaken either in their official Department of Education Capacity as part of the 
           educational instruction, or extracurricular programs of the Department of Education.
     3.   As with other curricular offerings, parents do not have a general right to opt their 
           child out of classroom use of the Internet.  Written parental consent is required 
           with respect to certain aspects of Internet use (e.g., posting a child’s photograph or 
           posting a child’s work or personal information on a school web page –
           http://schools.nycenet.edu/Region7/ps105/.
     4.  Access to the Internet by all members of PS 105’s educational community will be 
          governed by this policy, related Department regulations, the Citywide Standards of 
          Conduct and Uniform Disciplinary Measures (the student disciplinary code).
     5.  PS 105 and the New York City Department of Education reserve the right to terminate 
          any user’s access to the Internet through the Department of Education’s system at any 
          time and for any reason.

B.  System Responsibilities
     1.  PS 105 will adopt a plan for implementation of its IAUP by September 2001.The 
          building-level coordinator for PS 105’s Internet and e-mail systems will be the 
          building technology coordinator.  The building-level coordinator will approve 
          building-level activities, ensure teachers receive proper training in the use of the 
          system and of this policy, maintain executed user agreements if applicable and be 
          responsible for interpreting the Internet Acceptable Use Policy at the building level.
     2.  The Department of Education and PS 105 reserve the right to revise this Internet
          Acceptable Use Policy, as it deems necessary and will post the current policy on its
          respective web sites as notice to users of any revisions.  Users are responsible for reading
          the  policy regularly.

C.  Limitation of Liability
     1.  Public School 105 makes no warranties of any kind, either express or implied, that 
          the functions or the services provided by or through the DOE's system will be 
          error-free or without defect.  Public School 105 and the Department of Education will not 
          be responsible for any damage users may suffer, including but not limited to, loss of 
          data or interruptions of service.  Public School 105 and the Department of Education are not
          responsible for accuracy or quality of the information obtained through or stored on the 
          system.  Public School 105 and the Department of Education will not be responsible for 
          financial obligations arising from a user’s unauthorized use of the system.
     2.  Users will indemnify and hold Public School 105, the Department of Education and its 
          respective Regions, harmless from any losses sustained by the DOE as a result of 
          intentional misuse of the system by user.

D.  Filtering
        The Department of Education has installed Internet filtering software in an attempt to block 
        user access to inappropriate and/or harmful text on the Internet.  Public School 105 
        implements the use of this filtering system.  When the software finds any objectionable words 
        or concepts predetermined by the DOE, it denies the user access to them based on the
        level of access assigned to the word or concept by the DOE.  The default level of 
        access that will be granted to students varies depending on grade level.  Generally, levels of 
        access go from the least restrictive level, to the most restrictive level, which denies users 
        access to the web site or document that contains objectionable words or concepts.

        Default filtering levels for Kindergarten through grades 5 at PS 105 is set at the most 
        restrictive setting.  PS 105’s filter restricts access to Internet sites that may contain 
        interactive chat or mail or information regarding:

• Crime 
• Intolerance
• Violence
•  Sex acts
•  Sex attire
•  Sex/nudity
•  Sex/personal
•  Basic sex education
•  Advanced sex education
•  Sexuality 
•  Sports

E.  Regulations of Access
        Internet access is a privilege, not a right.  The use of the Internet must be consistent 
        with PS 105’s Comprehensive Educational Plan, the DOE's, Region’s and School’s 
        Student Code of Conduct and the DOE ’s and School’s Internet Acceptable Use 
        Policy.

       1.  Access Privileges
            a.  PS 105 will cooperate fully in any lawful investigation concerning or relating to any 
                 illegal activity conducted through the DOE ’s system.
            b.  Internet access may be revoked.
            c.  Disciplinary action may be taken as a result of violation of the school’s IAUP.

       2.  Privacy
            a.  The Department of Education reserves the right to use “cookies” on its site.  Cookies 
                 are computer programs that allow the Department, among other things, to verify 
                 whether a visitor is an authorized user of the Department’s system and that store
                 information about a user on a computer hard drive or disk.  Except as otherwise
                 provided in this Internet Acceptable Use Policy, the Department will not use cookies
                 to gather personal identifying information about any of its users.
            b.  The Department of Education and PS 105 reserve the right to employ and review the
                 results of software searches to monitor and/or identify potential violations of the Internet
                 Acceptable Use Policy (IAUP).
            c.  As required by the Children’s Internet Protection Act (“CIPA”), the Department of 
                 Education will monitor students’ online activities.  Such monitoring may lead to 
                 discovery that the user has violated or may be violating, the Department of Education's
                 Internet Acceptable Use Policy, the disciplinary code, or the law.

       3.  Freedom of Expression
            Department of Education policies on Freedom of Expression, as set forth in the Bill of 
            Student Rights and Responsibilities will govern the use of the Internet.  Nothing in this 
            policy shall affect any existing or future policy on free speech.

       4.  Selection of Materials
            When using the Internet for class activities, teachers should select material that is 
            appropriate, preview the materials and sites, provide guidelines and assist their students in 
            use of the materials.

       5.  Parental Notification and Responsibility
            a.  PS 105 and the Department of Education will provide students and parents with 
                 guidelines and  instructions for student safety while using the Internet.
            b.  PS 105 and the Department of Education recognize that parents bear primary 
                 responsibility for transmitting their particular set of family values to their children.  They 
                 will encourage parents to specify to their child(ren) what material is and is not 
                 acceptable.  Parents are exclusively responsible for monitoring Internet access in their 
                 own homes.

       6.  Limitation on Internet Usage:

• Students will not post or transmit photographs or personal contact information about themselves or others without written parental consent from the parent of the child whose information is being posted.  This consent is presented to the school’s IAUP liaison and the principal.
• Students will not agree to meet with someone they have met online without their parent’s approval and participation.
• Students will promptly disclose to their teacher, or other school employee, any messages they receive that are inappropriate or makes them feel uncomfortable.
• Users of the Internet shall not attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Department of Education systems or any other computer system through the Department of Education system, or go beyond their authorized access.
• Users of the Internet shall not attempt to harm, modify, or destroy data, computers and computer systems, network security or computer networks.
• Users may not log on through another person’s account or attempt to access, copy or modify another user’s files.
• Users shall not use PS 105’s or the Department’s Internet access to engage in any illegal act.
• Users are responsible for the use of their individual account.  Passwords may not be shared.  Supervisors and/or teachers will require student users to provide their passwords for Departmentof Education accounts.
•  PS 105 will install and maintain anti-virus software on each workstation in the school building.  Updates will be scheduled according to manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Users will not use obscene, profane, lewd, vulgar, rude, inflammatory, threatening, abusive or disrespectful language.
• Users will not post information that could interfere with the educational process or cause a danger or disruption in the educational process.
• Users will not harass another person.  If a user is told by a person to stop sending them messages, they must stop.
• Users may not repost private messages or private information about another person.
• Users will use the system only for educational and professional activities.  Staff may engage in incidental use during duty free time.
• Users will not download files without the consent of the teacher or school liaison.
• Users will not post chain letters or engage in “spamming”.
• Users will check e-mail frequently and delete unwanted messages promptly.
• Users will not plagiarize works they find on the Internet.
• Users will respect the rights of copyright owners and not infringe on those rights.
• Users will not use the Internet system to access material that is inappropriate as defined by the IAUP of the Department of Education and PS 105.  Inadvertent access will be reported immediately.
• Users will not use the Internet for commercial purposes, except that staff may make personal purchases during duty-free time.