Procedure

Procedure 5780.1 - Parameters For Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Access And Use

RATIONALE

School District #36 (Surrey) recognizes the value of education and productivity provided by the use of technology. The district’s Wide Area Network connects students and staff to a variety of local electronic resources and provides access to the internet and e-mail. The district’s technology tools and networks are intended only for educational purposes, as well as for business and administrative functions directly in support of the school district’s operation. The district will ensure that staff, students, parents, and other users are aware of and abide by the guidelines and expectations related to technology as stated below.

1. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DISTRICT

The district will:

1.1.

Establish fair and open access to district services while maintaining integrity and security of the services offered.

1.2.

Establish and maintain service offerings which include:

a)	Hardware, software and configuration standards,
b)	Operational strategies for hardware and software (examples include: computer installation, user accounts administration and virus protection strategies).

1.3.

Provide access to district services (web, e-mail, etc.) to users outside of the district; however, connecting to these resources in a secure manner is a requirement and the responsibility of the individual.

1.4.

Monitor activity on the district network and follow established processes and procedures when necessary to protect the integrity of the network. Actions may include revoking individual privileges or entire site privileges where it is deemed that temporary exclusion from the network is necessary to maintain the health of the network.

1.5.

Adhere to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

1.6.

Provide resources to help site administrators instruct users in the appropriate use of technology.

1.7.

Ensure that parents/guardians are aware of the individual student’s responsibility to use internet resources in an ethical and educational manner.

1.8.

Take measures to screen objectionable and illegal information access. Internet access carries with it the potential to encounter information that some have identified as controversial and inappropriate for students. The district reserves the right to block any material on the Internet.

1.9.

Endeavour, to the best of its ability, to ensure that the functions or the services provided by or through district technology will be error-free and without defect.

1.10.

Not be responsible for any damage suffered including, but not limited to, loss of data or interruptions of service. The school district will not be responsible for financial obligations arising through the use of the system.

2. RESPONSIBILITES OF SCHOOLS/SITES

Schools/sites, under the supervision of the principal or manager, will:

2.1.	Ensure that current information packages regarding the appropriate use of technologies are made available to staff, students and parents.
2.2.	Through an approved process with the principal, ensure adequate supervision of students using district technology.
2.3.	Ensure school-based technology activities adhere to district policies, procedures and standards.
2.4.	Approve site technology activities.

3. RESPONSIBILITES OF STUDENTS AND PARENTS/GUARDIANS

3.1.	Students will review and comply with Policy #5780 - SD36 ICT Access and Use and Regulations #’s 5780.1, 5780.2 and 5780.3.

4.

Employees will:

4.1.	Review and comply with board Policy #5780 and Regulation #5780.1 – Parameters for Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Access and Use as well as Regulation #5780.3 – School, Staff and Student Website Parameters.
4.2.	Report incidences of technology misuse to the site principal or manager and the district’s Information Management Services Department.

5. ETHICAL GUIDELINES: ALL USERS

The use of district technology is a privilege, not a right, which may be revoked at any time for inappropriate conduct. Violating Policy #5780 – Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Access and Use, or its accompanying regulations, may lead to suspension of privileges and lead to disciplinary action as per district policy and possible legal action as per district policy.

All users of district ICT will:

5.1.	Protect user log-on information from others and will not use other users’ passwords or accounts.
5.2.	Exercise good judgement and use technology for educational or district related administrative purposes only.
5.3.	Respect district property and be responsible for its use.
5.4.	Be courteous and communicate online with the same level of respect as in face to face situations.
5.5.	Respect copyright and software licensing laws.
5.6.	Check e-mail frequently, delete unwanted messages and files promptly, and stay within disk quota limits.

All users of district ICT will not:

5.7.	Attempt to gain unauthorized access to data, servers, or external servers, or go beyond their authorized access.
5.8.	Share their district accounts with anyone as they are responsible for all activity that occurs within their account.
5.9.	Reveal their password to anyone.
5.10.	Use inappropriate language in electronic correspondence.
5.11.	Engage in prejudicial or discriminatory activity.
5.12.	Post information that could cause damage or a dangerous situation.
5.13.	Post false or defamatory information.
5.14.	Harass another person.
5.15.	Publish a message that was sent to them privately without permission of the author.
5.16.	Solicit information with the intent of using such information to cause harm to others.
5.17.	Access, transmit or duplicate materials in violation of Canadian laws.
5.18.	Use district ICT for commercial or illegal purposes as defined by Canadian law.
5.19.	Post chain letters or engage in “spamming”.

6. SECURITY

6.1.	Users are responsible for the use of their individual account and will take all reasonable precautions to prevent others from being able to use their account. Under no conditions should a user provide his/her password to another person.
6.2.	Users will immediately notify the district’s Information Management Services department if they have identified a possible security problem. The Information Management Services department will publish information on known security issues that may impact the daily operation of computers within the district.
6.3.	Users must not download computer utilities or information relating to security threats. This type of activity will be considered a violation of board Policy #5780 – Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Access and Use.
6.4.	Users will avoid the inadvertent spread of computer viruses by following the district virus detection and prevention procedures when downloading attachments of any kind.
6.5.	Any user identified as a security risk may be denied access to district ICT until further adjudication is performed.
6.6.	Vandalism or attempts to harm or destroy district data is strictly prohibited. Where appropriate the district will seek reimbursement for costs incurred. All incidences of vandalism must be reported to the district’s Information Management Services Helpdesk.
6.7.	The district has limitations in the amount of data and bandwidth that can be provisioned for any particular site. As a result, it may be necessary for the district to establish and enforce download and/or file size limitations. Wherever possible these limitations and guidelines will be monitored and communicated to all sites.
6.8.	The district reserves the right to monitor all user activity of district technology.
6.9.	Users have limited privacy in regards to the contents of files stored on district technology. A search and investigation of any user’s district computer account will be conducted if there is reasonable suspicion that the terms of this policy have been violated. This process will be managed by the district Human Resources department.

7. LICENSING AND USE OF DISTRICT COMPUTER SOFTWARE

7.1.	The district believes in licensing and utilizing computer software that is directly linked to educational and administrative requirements. Educational requirements are further defined by ministry prescribed student learning outcomes.
7.2.	The district will work with schools to aggregate and establish district level software standards and licensing, which meet the educational requirements of schools. Schools will commit to comply with district standards as part of accessing district technical support and software licenses.
7.3.	The district will establish strategies, server systems, process and procedures for management, deployment and support of standard computer software. District support technicians and certified site technology facilitators, within licensing guidelines, will be approved to install software onto computers.
7.4.	The school/site will, at all times, be responsible for ensuring all computer software loaded on district computers is properly covered by software licenses.
7.5.	Where necessary for schools to acquire, implement and use non-standard computer software the school principal will work with the Director of Instruction and Director of Information Management Services to establish the circumstances and necessary process, procedures and support expectations.

8. WEBSITE MANAGEMENT

8.1.	The district has established a website http://www.surreyschools.ca and has developed web pages that present information about the district. The Information Management Services department is the designated webmaster, responsible for maintaining the school district website.
8.2.	Schools may establish websites and present information about the school. The building principal may delegate authority for posting and managing the school website to another user. Refer to Regulation #5780.3 – School, Staff and Student Website Parameters for more information.

Revised:	2016-06-03 2004-10-26 1998-04-09
XRef:	Policy #5700 Policy #5780 Policy #7200 Policy #7212 Policy #7213 Policy #8801 Policy #9410