EPISD Technology Acceptable Use Agreement
The Internet is an electronic highway connecting thousands of computers all over the world with millions of individual subscribers. Internet access is available to students, teachers, and administrators of El Paso Independent School District. Since it is a constantly changing, fluid environment, school library media specialists and teachers have a professional responsibility to work together to help students develop the intellectual skills needed to discriminate among information sources, to identify information appropriate to their age and developmental levels, and to evaluate and use information to meet their educational goals. One of our goals is to promote educational excellence in the El Paso Independent School District by facilitating resource sharing, innovation, and electronic communication.
Access to the District's electronic communications system, including the Internet, shall be made available to students, parents and employees exclusively, for instructional and administrative purposes and in accordance with administrative regulations. Access to the District's electronic communications system is a privilege, not a right. Students need to be aware that the District computers are shared equipment and time limits may be imposed when people are waiting to use them.
Any person using these resources through a District connection must accept and abide by the following policies:
1. Students may not allow anyone else to use their personal password.
2. Students must respect the rights of other individuals and not use language that is abusive (harshly or coarsely insulting, containing cursing in any language or ethnic or racial slurs), profane (vulgar, irreverent toward God or sacred things, Satanic), sexually offensive (sexual in nature, repugnant to the moral sense or good taste, sexual harassment), or threatening.
3. No one may access text or visual depictions (any picture, image, graphic image file, or other visual depiction) that are obscene and/or harmful to minors (appeals to a prurient interest; an actual or simulated sexual act or contact; and lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value).
4. Students may not access or participate in chat rooms at any time. If the curriculum mandates the use of a supervised chat room, chat rooms may be allowed if the chat room is monitored on-line by a third party and if the students are under close supervision of the instructor.
5. Students may access only those games approved by a teacher or librarian.
6. Students must respect the privacy of others and not intentionally obtain copies of or modify files, passwords, or data that belong to anyone else. No one should represent him/herself as someone else by using another’s account. No one should forward personal material without prior consent of the originator.
7. Electronic mail transmissions and other use of the electronic communication system are not considered to be private and may be monitored at any time by designated District staff to ensure appropriate use. Transmitting obscene messages or pictures is prohibited. Messages dealing with illegal activities may be reported to the appropriate authority.
8. For the safety and privacy of the student, no student information in any form except directory information will be posted on the Internet without express parental permission.
9. Students must respect the integrity of computing systems and abide by existing Federal and State laws regarding electronic communication. This includes accessing secure and/or confidential information without authorization, divulging passwords, causing system malfunction, developing programs that harass other users or attempting to infiltrate a computer or computing system, maliciously harming or destroying District equipment, materials, or data and deliberately degrading or disrupting system performance. These actions may be viewed as violations of District policy and administrative regulations and, possibly, as criminal activity under applicable state and federal laws. This includes, but is not limited to, the uploading or creation of computer viruses and accessing indecent information. These laws can carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison.
10. Students must respect the legal protection provided by copyright laws to computer programs, articles, graphics and data. (See Board Policies on copyright.) Students shall not copy anything that belongs to someone else without rewriting it in their own words and are reminded to give credit to the owner of the information.
11. Any expense incurred as a result of Internet use is the responsibility of the student/parents.
12. Access to the Internet is considered a privilege. Users should not waste school resources through improper use of the computer system. Anyone found using access in a way deemed inappropriate will be denied privileges. Noncompliance with applicable regulations may result in suspension or termination of privileges and other disciplinary action consistent with Board policy and the student code of conduct.
Access to the District's electronic communications system, including the Internet, shall be made available to students, parents and employees exclusively, for instructional and administrative purposes and in accordance with administrative regulations. Access to the District's electronic communications system is a privilege, not a right. Students need to be aware that the District computers are shared equipment and time limits may be imposed when people are waiting to use them.
Any person using these resources through a District connection must accept and abide by the following policies:
1. Students may not allow anyone else to use their personal password.
2. Students must respect the rights of other individuals and not use language that is abusive (harshly or coarsely insulting, containing cursing in any language or ethnic or racial slurs), profane (vulgar, irreverent toward God or sacred things, Satanic), sexually offensive (sexual in nature, repugnant to the moral sense or good taste, sexual harassment), or threatening.
3. No one may access text or visual depictions (any picture, image, graphic image file, or other visual depiction) that are obscene and/or harmful to minors (appeals to a prurient interest; an actual or simulated sexual act or contact; and lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value).
4. Students may not access or participate in chat rooms at any time. If the curriculum mandates the use of a supervised chat room, chat rooms may be allowed if the chat room is monitored on-line by a third party and if the students are under close supervision of the instructor.
5. Students may access only those games approved by a teacher or librarian.
6. Students must respect the privacy of others and not intentionally obtain copies of or modify files, passwords, or data that belong to anyone else. No one should represent him/herself as someone else by using another’s account. No one should forward personal material without prior consent of the originator.
7. Electronic mail transmissions and other use of the electronic communication system are not considered to be private and may be monitored at any time by designated District staff to ensure appropriate use. Transmitting obscene messages or pictures is prohibited. Messages dealing with illegal activities may be reported to the appropriate authority.
8. For the safety and privacy of the student, no student information in any form except directory information will be posted on the Internet without express parental permission.
9. Students must respect the integrity of computing systems and abide by existing Federal and State laws regarding electronic communication. This includes accessing secure and/or confidential information without authorization, divulging passwords, causing system malfunction, developing programs that harass other users or attempting to infiltrate a computer or computing system, maliciously harming or destroying District equipment, materials, or data and deliberately degrading or disrupting system performance. These actions may be viewed as violations of District policy and administrative regulations and, possibly, as criminal activity under applicable state and federal laws. This includes, but is not limited to, the uploading or creation of computer viruses and accessing indecent information. These laws can carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison.
10. Students must respect the legal protection provided by copyright laws to computer programs, articles, graphics and data. (See Board Policies on copyright.) Students shall not copy anything that belongs to someone else without rewriting it in their own words and are reminded to give credit to the owner of the information.
11. Any expense incurred as a result of Internet use is the responsibility of the student/parents.
12. Access to the Internet is considered a privilege. Users should not waste school resources through improper use of the computer system. Anyone found using access in a way deemed inappropriate will be denied privileges. Noncompliance with applicable regulations may result in suspension or termination of privileges and other disciplinary action consistent with Board policy and the student code of conduct.