Acceptable and Safe Use Procedure for Computing Technology and Cyber Safety

1.0 Purpose All users of The Durham District School Board (henceforth, referenced as DDSB) computing technology (including Internet access and use) are required to know and abide by the DDSB Acceptable and Safe Use Procedure #3101. This procedure defines use and responsibilities for the safe and acceptable use of computing technology by employees and students in the DDSB. 2.0 Definitions Cyber: a prefix meaning computer-mediated. Cyber communications occur between two or more individuals via computer-mediated formats and electronic devices. Cyber-bullying: bullying and harassment through cyber-space (i.e. mail, instant messaging, text messages, digital/video images, recordings, blogs, mobile phones, pages, and websites etc.). Harassment: communicating repeatedly with someone causing fear for his or her safety or someone else's. 3.0 Use The DDSB's computing technology is made available to students in support of their learning, research requirements and career preparation; to teachers in support of their instruction, research, and administrative activities; to staff in support of their assigned responsibilities; and to other authorized users. Use of the computing technology of the DDSB shall be governed by all relevant federal (e.g. Copyright Act, Protection of Privacy Act, the Criminal Code, Canadian Human Rights Act, Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, Human Rights Code, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act), Municipal (Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act), and Provincial (Education Act, Safe Schools Act), DDSB (e.g. Policies and Procedures, Central File 06/07-28), and local school (e.g. School Code of Behaviour) laws, regulations and procedures. Use of DDSB computing technology for illegal, political or private commercial purposes is strictly prohibited. The onus is on the user to know and to comply with these laws, regulations and procedures. Ontario School's Code of Conduct provides that all students and employees have the right to be safe in their school community. When Cyber-bullying issues are reported to schools, the DDSB will determine whether there is sufficient evidence that off-school conduct is a school matter. The DDSB will determine if on-line threat(s) or intimidation resulted in a disruption to the school community and/or the creation of a poisonous learning and/or working environment, and/or harm to the moral tone of the school, and/or affects the well being of others. Criminal and defamatory libel harassment are Criminal Code offences and will be referred to the police. 4.0 Responsibilities 4.1 All Users Users are defined as employees, students, and all other persons given authorized access to DDSB computing technology. All users are responsible for: • abiding by the Provincial Code of Conduct; • abiding by the School Code of Conduct; • using technology resources in ways that do not disrupt or harm other users or compromise the functionality of the system; Page 2 of 11 • maintaining their password and user ID confidentiality; • not publishing personal information, pictures, video and/or data, without express informed permission according to DDSB procedures; • not transmitting, displaying, distributing, or making available materials that are harassing or discriminatory; • not forging or misrepresenting their identity, or provide false or misleading information; • familiarizing themselves with the technology resources provided to them, including system maintenance and administration procedures. Additionally, all e-mail users are responsible for understanding the following information: • a user's e-mail is confidential and may not be accessed by other users; however, the system administrator may require access to a user's e-mail a) to maintain the system; b) with the supervisor's approval, in the event of a prolonged absence or under other specific circumstances. • saved or deleted e-mail creates a trail of data that may be retrieved at a later date • e-mail should not be relied upon for time sensitive, mission critical, or sensitive information. Email may be forwarded, redirected, blocked, or intercepted in transit. • e-mail containing personal information should not be copied, forwarded, or released to unauthorized persons without the individual's consent. 4.2 Board Staff and Third Party Vendors In addition to 4.1, Board Staff and others are responsible for: • familiarizing themselves with the procedures and guidelines pertaining to information systems and abide by the restrictions and expectations; • following DDSB procedures to release any information that originates from information systems to the public.; • managing the accuracy, security, and integrity of information and data within their assigned role and area(s) of responsibility. 4.3 Students In addition to 4.1, students are responsible for: • abiding by the DDSB's Acceptable and Safe User Procedure #3101 (Appendix A); • behaviour on and off school property which has a negative impact on the school environment and/or learning of students, including the professional reputations of teachers, administrators and support staff; • seeking help from principals, teachers and parents/guardians when victimized by Cyber-bullying; • reporting Cyber-bullying to principals, teachers and parents/guardians. 4.4 Superintendents and Supervisors In addition to 4.1 and 4.2, superintendents and supervisors (including managers) are responsible for: • ensuring this procedure is communicated to their staff; • assisting Principals in determining whether off-school Cyber-bullying constitutes a school matter, due to its impact on the school environment and/or learning of student(s) and/or breach of legislation and collective agreement provisions; • applying corrective and disciplinary measures to address staff violations of this procedure. Page 3 of 11 4.5 Principals In addition to 4.1 and 4.2, principals are responsible for:: • coordinating and managing computing technology throughout the school for staff and students; • ensuring the appropriate content, copyright and protection of privacy is maintained on all web pages created for the school; • using the DDSB School Safe and Acceptable Use Procedure (Appendix A) and distributing it to all staff, students and parents/guardians; • distributing the DDSB Acceptable and Safe Use Procedure Letter to Parents/Guardians or Letter to Parents/Guardians and Students (Appendix B); • determining, in consultation with the area superintendent, whether off-school Cyber-bullying constitutes a school matter, due to its impact on the school environment and/or learning of student(s) and/or breach of legislation and collective agreement provisions; • using this procedure or their school's Code of Behaviour when applying sanctions for misuse and/or illegal use of the DDSB computing technology. 4.6 Teachers In addition to 4.1 and 4.2, teachers are responsible for: • complying with the Ontario College of Teachers Professional Standards; • managing student use of computing technology within their assigned teaching areas and when acting in a supervisory role; • instructing and supervising of all students in accordance with procedure #3101; • using this procedure or their school's Code of Behaviour when applying sanctions for misuse and/or illegal use of the DDSB computing technology. 4.7 Waiver of Responsibility The DDSB (including superintendents, supervisors, principals, vice-principals and teachers) is NOT responsible for the: • appropriateness of Internet content; • accuracy or reliability of information located on the Internet; • loss, damage, or inaccessibility of information due to technical or other difficulties; • costs or losses incurred by users (with the exception of Ministry funded special equipment). Appendix: Appendix A –School Acceptable and Safe Procedure - Elementary & Secondary Appendix B – Letter to Parents/Guardians - Elementary & Secondary Students Effective Date Approved by Distribution 99-06-21 Administrative Council Elementary & Secondary Amended/Reviewed 2002-06-10 2006-08-09 2007-03-19 2008-12-03 2011-03-25 2016-11-16 Page 4 of 11 APPENDIX A ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ACCEPTABLE AND SAFE USE PROCEDURE The Durham District School Board is pleased to provide you with access to a variety of computing technology. Computing technology in Durham is provided for educational purposes, not for public access. Please review this procedure with your parent/guardian. Procedures and rules regarding the use of computing technology in Durham must be followed. Acceptable Use I will use the computing technology as instructed by my teachers. I may use the Internet when a teacher is present or I have special permission to do so. I will only use computing technology facilities for recreational purposes when I have permission from my teacher. I will never use schools computing technology for Cyber-bullying, visiting unacceptable sites, and/or illegal activity. I may quote another person's work if I acknowledge it in a reference note. I will not buy or sell materials using school computers. I will follow the school rules when using and downloading any files and software. I will keep my password secret and not misrepresent my identity. Safe Use I will never give out personal information about myself or others on the Internet without my teacher’s instruction. This includes my last name, age, sex, home addresses, telephone numbers, pictures, videos, routes taken to school, parents' hours of work, etc. I will only use my first name if I am working with a project where I communicate with other people. I will inform my teacher immediately if I find materials and sites I should not see. I will inform my teacher immediately if I am ever uncomfortable or frightened on the Internet (because another user is not using acceptable behaviour). I will seek help from principals, teachers and parents when someone tries to Cyber-bully me. I will report Cyber-bullying to principals, teachers and parents. Appropriate Use I will be polite. I will only use language that is acceptable in my school. I will send messages that contain words or information I would write on a classroom blackboard. I will not use the computing technology in any way that will harm the system or another person’s work. I will respect the privacy of others. I will not go into another person's private mail or files or post information about others on the internet without their consent. Page 5 of 11 Reliability I understand that the teachers and technicians try to ensure that the computer and technology facilities work. However, I understand that the computer and technology facilities may be unavailable sometimes. I understand that information found on the Internet may be false, and I must learn to think critically and evaluate on-line information and their source(s). Abuse/Misuse of the System I understand that I must follow the rules and procedures in Appendix A and those given by my teacher. If I do not follow these rules, I may have my computer privileges taken away and have to visit the principal to review my actions. My actions are bound by my school’s Student Code of Behaviour and the board Student Code of Conduct, which states that a student may be suspended or expelled from his or her school, expelled from attending any school in Ontario, and/or prohibited from engaging in school-related activities if the student commits an infraction of the Code of Conduct while he or she is at school, engaged in a school-related activity, or engaged in conduct that has a relationship to the school or school community. Page 6 of 11 APPENDIX A: SECONDARY SCHOOL ACCEPTABLE AND SAFE USE PROCEDURE The Durham District School Board is pleased to provide you with access to a variety of computing technology. Computing technology in Durham is provided for educational purposes, not for public access. They will help you to achieve your learning outcomes, research requirements, and assist with career preparation. Please review this procedure with your parent/guardian. Procedures and rules regarding the use of the facilities and resources must be followed. Acceptable Use Students will not engage in cyber communications that cause someone to fear for his or her safety. Students will use the computing technology as prescribed or approved by their teacher. Students will not engage in Cyber-bullying, visiting unacceptable sites, and/or illegal activity. Students will not engage in posting writing on the internet that is designed to insult or injure a person's reputation. Students will accurately cite information from the Internet. Students will not plagiarize. Students will abide by copyright laws. Students will not download and share copyrighted materials without the copyright holder’s permission. Students will abide by school procedures. Students will not share passwords or data or misrepresent their identity. Students will report all instances of hardware damage or changes to the desktop or operating system immediately. Safe Use Students will not post personal information about themselves or others. This information includes last name, age, sex, home addresses, telephone numbers, pictures, videos, routes taken to school, parents' hours of work, etc. Students will inform the teacher immediately when accidental access to inappropriate materials or with unacceptable users has been made. Students will seek help from principals, teachers and parents when victimized by Cyber-bullying. Students will report Cyber-bullying concerns to principals, teachers and parents. Appropriate Use Students will be polite. Students will not use language that is unacceptable in the classroom, including language that is racist, sexist, harassing, violent, or otherwise unacceptable. Students will not send messages containing information that would cause discomfort to themselves or others if it were written on a classroom blackboard or other public place. Students will not use the computing technology ways that will disrupt other users. Any tactics which harm or compromise the functionality of the system are forbidden. Page 7 of 11 Students will assume that all communications received are private and confidential and will not disseminate them without permission from the original author. Students will not collect or distribute personally identifiable information about others on the Internet. Reliability/Accuracy While the Durham District School Board (including your school) strives to maintain the efficient operation of the computing technology, it does not guarantee their reliability. Additionally, the Durham District School Board (including your school) does not guarantee the accuracy of information found on the Internet. Recourse for Abuse/Misuse Students who do not follow this procedure AND those rules provided by their teachers and their school Student Code of Behaviour will have their computing technology privileges suspended pending review. Students are reminded that the board Student Code of Conduct states that a student may be suspended or expelled from his or her school, expelled from attending any school in Ontario, and/or prohibited from engaging in school-related activities if the student commits an infraction of the Code of Conduct while he or she is at school, or engaged in a school-related activity, or engaged in conduct that has a relationship to the school or school community. Recourse and disciplinary measures are outlined in the school Student Code of Behaviour, Safe School Act, and Provincial Code of Conduct. Legal recourse may also be applied for criminal activities. Page 8 of 11 ACCEPTABLE AND SAFE USE PROCEDURE For Computing Technology and Cyber-Safety APPENDIX B: Letter to Parents/Guardians of Elementary Students Dear Parent/Guardian: The Durham District School Board is pleased to provide parents/guardians with information regarding computing technology available to students at school. Please read this letter and the accompanying Acceptable and Safe Use Procedure with your child. DDSB computing technology is made available to students to support their learning, research requirements, and career preparation. Computing technology includes computers and associated peripherals, the communication infrastructure and related equipment including local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs), facsimile machines, scanners, copiers, telephone, video, and other multimedia devices and forms of software. DDSB technologies allow all schools to offer Internet access to their students. The Internet is a vehicle for accessing a global network of information resources. Students may use the Internet to locate and retrieve information and communicate learning with others. Students are encouraged to report Cyber-bullying to parents/guardians, teachers, and principals. Cyber-bullying involves the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated and hostile behaviour by an individual or group that is intended to harm others. Cyber-bullying can happen through the use of e-mail, cell phone text, multi media messages, instant messaging, defamatory Web logs (Blogs), personal Web Sites, on-line personal polling sites and social media websites and applications. Internet resources may contain material that may be questionable, objectionable, or illegal, and may enable contact with persons who may exhibit unacceptable behaviour. Students re-visiting unacceptable sites will be subject to discipline according to the Schools Code of Behaviour. The DDSB utilizes internet filtering technologies. This technology blocks access to specific unacceptable sites known to contain violence, sexually explicit acts, intolerant, racist and other extreme viewpoints, cults, etc. No software is capable of blocking all unacceptable Internet sites. However, the Internet is a leading technology in the delivery of information in today's society and therefore, an integral part of our students' education. Teachers and students are instructed on the safe and acceptable use of the Internet and other DDSB computing technology. Teachers will supervise student use of the Internet as they supervise student use of all other school resources. All students are expected to abide by the DDSB Acceptable and Safe Use Procedure included with this letter. Misuse and/or abuse of the facilities and resources are subject to consequences as defined and explained in their school’s Student Code of Behaviour. Use of the Internet is governed by the Regulation 5500, the Student Code of Conduct, which states that "a student may be suspended or expelled from his or her school, expelled from attending any school in Ontario, and/or prohibited from engaging in school-related activities if the student commits an infraction of the Code of Conduct while he or she is at school, engaged in a school-related activity, or engaged in conduct that has a relationship to the school, school community, the reputation of the school or Board." In addition, use is governed by all relevant federal (e.g. Copyright Act, Freedom of Information Act, Protection of Privacy Act, the Criminal Code), provincial (e.g. Education Act, Child and Family Services Act, Safe School Act, Human Rights Code), DDSB (e.g. Policies and Procedures, Central File 06/07-28), and local school (eg. School Code of Behaviour) laws and regulations. Use of DDSB computing technology for unacceptable, illegal, political, Page 9 of 11 or private commercial purposes is strictly prohibited. The onus is on the user to know and to comply with these laws and regulations. We look forward to providing students with the opportunity to use the school’s computing technology facilities and resources in a safe and meaningful way. Please sign and return this letter.--------- I have read the Acceptable and Safe Use Procedure - Letter to Parents/Guardians and Students and the School Acceptable and Safe Use Procedure. I understand that if I do not follow the rules and procedures outlined therein, my access to computing technology or the internet may be terminated. I may face consequences in keeping with laws and regulations. Police may be contacted.