Office of Kelly F. Blanton
Kern County Superintendent of Schools
Statement of Internet Access Policy
Introduction
The Internet is an electronic community. From your computer you can travel all over the world to gather information. As more people visit this community, maps to find information and rules to keep traveling safe become vital to successfully completing the journey.
The Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) Internet Services Platform (ISP) introduces powerful educational resources which allow you to find information anywhere in the world. You can connect to businesses, major universities, national libraries, other schools and other students around the world. In using the KCSOS-ISP, however, there are important procedures and rules you must follow that govern acceptable behavior when using these resources. If you do not follow these guidelines, you will lose your privilege to access the KCSOS-ISP.
Before you are issued an account for Internet access, you must read the Internet Access Policy form. An optional Internet Access Orientation meeting, which is scheduled at a minimal cost to educators and partners, will fully detail the KCSOS policies for Internet access. After you complete the orientation, you will be asked to sign a statement acknowledging that you are aware of, and agree to, the proper procedures for using the KCSOS-ISP. This signed statement becomes your permission for Internet access through the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office.| Back to Index |
Information Networks
Through the established Kern County Superintendent of Schools wide-area network (WAN), the superintendent's office, Kern County school districts, various education agencies, government offices, and school business partners are interconnected for access to many educational resources, including the Internet. This makes conducting school business, and sharing information and communications with a broad Kern County community, and region, possible. The WAN supports activities which have educational value for administration, teachers and students.
The Internet is a collection of many worldwide networks that support the open exchange of information. The KCSOS-ISP is one of the thousands of networks that make up the Internet. Through this network you can review, study, and print out useful articles, documents, and graphics. You can access current facts about news, weather and sports.| Back to Index |
First Steps
It is important to understand the many consequences of the new computer connections that you wish to make using the KCSOS network. Using this powerful educational tool is a privilege. If used properly, it can provide numerous information resources and countless hours of exploration. You can lose this privilege if you break any of the network access rules.
Since the Internet is a world-wide network, some of the networks on the Internet may contain material not suited for employees, students or their families. The intent of the KCSOS is to use connections on the Internet only for purposes consistent with approved curriculum and information resources. Anyone who uses the network illegally or improperly will lose their user privileges. The rules defined in this document describe the proper way to use this research and learning tool.| Back to Index |
Who's On the Internet?
The Internet networks are "public places." You must always remember that you are sharing this space with many other users. Millions of individuals may be interacting across the network at the same time. Your actions can be "seen" by others on the network. If you use a particular service on the network, it is likely that someone knows the connections that you are making, knows about the computer software that you are using and knows what you looked at while you were in the system. Because these connections are granted to you as part of the larger scope of the curriculum, the KCSOS has the right to monitor network usage to make sure the network continues to function properly for all users.| Back to Index |
Your Behavior
You are expected to use the network to pursue intellectual activities, seek information resources, access libraries and other types of educational, learning, or school business activities. We want you to explore and discover what is available for teaching and learning, and what is available for conducting school business.
When you are using the computer network and communicating with other users, keep the following in mind: (1) You cannot see other users; (2) You cannot tell how old they are or even what sex they are; (3) Other users can tell you anything, and you cannot always be sure what they are telling you is true; and (4) Absolute privacy cannot be guaranteed in a network environment. So, you need to think carefully about what you write and say, and how you write it and say it.
For your own safety and for the safety of others, remember to exercise caution when you are communicating with people anywhere. For example, do not give out your home phone number or your address to anyone. If you feel there is a problem or if you feel uncomfortable with the information someone is giving you, tell your principal, teacher, computer lab operator or your administrator immediately.
On the other hand, you may not harass other users. You do not want to run the risk of breaking the law by bothering other people. If a user on the network asks that you no longer send them mail or in any other way contact them, you must stop all contact immediately. You may feel you have the right of freedom of expression, but others have the right to be free from harassment.
These rules apply to harassing others by using abusive or obscene language on the network. You may not use the network to annoy, harass, or otherwise offend other people.
Because the KCSOS wide-area network is used as part of educational and school business activities, your school or agency code of conduct applies to network activities as well. Therefore, the KCSOS Acceptable Use Policy is an extension of your school or agency behavior code. These rules apply to vandalism of computer equipment, unauthorized access to information, computer piracy, hacking, or any tampering with hardware or software.
The rules also apply to other types of damage or information loss on the networks that might be caused by destructive devices such as computer viruses. If you are responsible for causing a computer to become infected with viruses, worms, or any other type of destructive device, you will be held liable.| Back to Index |
Moral and Ethical Issues
The KCSOS wants to provide a stimulating educational environment. At the same time, the KCSOS wants to protect you from information that is not appropriate for you to use.
While the KCSOS wants you to use this valuable educational and information tool, the KCSOS does not condone the use of inappropriate information on the Internet. The KCSOS acknowledges that some materials exist that are inappropriate to the instructional and school business mission and we will do everything we reasonably can to prevent them from being accessed. You must clearly understand that access to such material in any form is strictly forbidden. The WAN is designed to achieve and support instructional and school business goals. You should avoid any information that does not support the education mission.
Although the actual percentage of unacceptable materials is small, it can cause concern for teachers, students and parents, staff and administrators if these materials are accessed. If you have a question or concern regarding any materials you find, contact your teacher, computer lab operator, principal, supervisor or administrator.| Back to Index |
Electronic Libraries and Schools
Guidelines for access to information have already been established in the Library Bill of Rights of 1980. These principles can be applied to the Internet as well. This document states that "attempts to restrict access to library materials violate the basic tenets of the Library Bill of Rights"; however, school librarians are required to devise collections that are"consistent with the philosophy, goals, and objectives of the school district." This means that students have the right to information, but the school, district, or the KCSOS has the right to restrict any information that does not apply to the approved curriculum.
Materials on the Internet can be considered part of a vast digital library. Electronic database and information search tools to access the Internet are becoming part of school media centers and libraries, and many public libraries offer some type of Internet access as part of their services.| Back to Index |
A Note to Students and Other Users on Using Resources
Information networks have limited capacities. The more users there are on the network, the more congested the network becomes and access to information will take longer. The following guidelines will help ease the congestion:
Do not tie up the network with idle activities.
Do not play games with others on the network or on the Internet. Networks are not designed for computer games.
Do not download huge information files unless directed to do so by your teacher, instructor, principal, or administrator.
Download only the information you need.
Use your access time efficiently. Remember, there are many other users who need to use the network.| Back to Index |
A Note to Students on Virtual Field Trips
The Internet community offers many opportunities for "virtual field trips" to distant locations. The KCSOS considers all connections to remote locations as field trips. The rules that apply to student conduct on field trips apply to these virtual electronic field trips as well. It is important to realize that you represent your school and the school district when you use the information network. You must be on your best behavior.| Back to Index |
Legal Issues: A Note to All Users
A. The Law (* see note at end)
The state of California passed a computer crime bill in December of 1979. The bill added section 502 to the Penal Code making it a felony to intentionally access any computer system or network for the purpose of:
1. devising or executing any scheme or artifice to defraud or extort, or
2. obtaining money, property, or services with false or fraudulent intent, representations, or promises.
It is also a felony to maliciously access, alter, delete, damage or destroy any computer system, computer network, computer program, or data. Penalties include fines up to $5000 and/or imprisonment in the state prison for up to three years or the county jail for up to one year. Anyone committing acts of this kind will face disciplinary action by the school and legal action by the authorities. The person will be punished to the full extent of the law.
Some examples of offenses are changing or deleting another user's account, changing the password of another user, using an unauthorized account, damaging any files, altering the system, or using the system to make money illegally. You cannot intentionally cause damage to any school or district property. This includes network hardware and software.
B. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is t"aking ideas or writings from another person and offering them as your own." Credit should always be given to the person who created the article or the idea. The user who leads readers to believe that what they are reading is the user's original work when it is not is guilty of plagiarism.
Be careful when you are using the network. Cutting and pasting ideas into your own document is very easy to do. When using someone else's work, be sure that you give credit to the author. When you do this, particularly for those in a school setting, your teacher will know which ideas are yours, and you won't be guilty of plagiarism.
C. Copyright
According to the Copyright Act of 1976, "Fair Use" means that you may freely use any information that you legally find on the information networks as long as you do so only for scholarly purposes. You may not plagiarize or sell what you find.| Back to Index |
*Other sources for Acceptable Use Policies:
Grossmont Union High School District, (1995). A Guide to Network Ethics and Computer Technology Usage [online]. Available: http://www.grossmont.k12.ca.us/ethics.html.
Newport-Mesa Unified School District, (1995). Information Network Access Ethics [online]. Available: http://www.nmusd.k12.ca.us/Resources/nm_policy.html.
Other sources for Acceptable Use Policies research: The Texas Studies Gopher. Armadillo's WWW Server. Acceptable Use Policies. http://www.rice.edu/armadillo/Rice/Resources/acceptable.html