Policy Details Page

Regulation. 2022R
Instruction

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 Overview

These procedures are written to support the Electronic Resources and Internet Safety Policy 2022 of the Board of Directors and to protect and promote the digital rights and students and staff in a positive and effective digital environment. Digital rights include the norms of respectful, responsible, safe, and healthy behavior related to current technology use. Successful, technologically-fluent students and staff recognize and value the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of living, learning, and working in an interconnected digital world. Students and staff cultivate and manage their digital identity and reputation and are aware of the permanence of their actions in the digital world. Expectations for student and staff behavior online are no different from face-to-face interactions.

 

Scope

The following regulation applies to all District staff and students and covers all aspects of the District network. The District network includes wired and wireless computers/devices and peripheral equipment, files and storage (cloud-based, server-based, etc.), e-mail, Internet content, and all computer software, applications, or resources licensed to the District.

 

One-to-One Device District

Every student K-12 will be assigned a District laptop or suitable electronic device.  Students will engage in standards-based learning designed by educators that leverages students’ District assigned devices and instructional materials.

Students (or their parent/guardian) shall check-out either (1) an assigned laptop, charger, headphones or (2) a tablet and charger from the students’ assigned school.

Students are expected to bring their device home at night, charge the device, and return to school with the device.  Students are required to follow rules regarding acceptance and liability for the device and the Acceptable Use for Digital Resources Policy 6973 and Regulation 6973R.

 

Responsibility for Loss or Damage

The District expects students and their families to use their best efforts to protect their District-assigned device.  It is helpful to wrap, cover or place the device in a backpack or bag when transporting to and from school.

Devices are assigned to the student for the usable lifetime of that device or until the student leaves the District or graduates.  Devices are currently scheduled to be replaced every four years.  If a student moves from elementary to middle or middle to high school, they will keep the same device and bring it to their new school.  Failure to return a device or damage to a device may result in actions outlined in Regulation 3520R, Student Fees, Fines Charges.

 

Use of District Device

The District provides devices for students with the expectation students will use the device for learning purposes. There are several reasons why a District device is required and a personal device is not a suitable substitute in the classroom.  For example, with every K-12 student having a standard device, the District can maintain equity for all students and continuity of the educational and classroom environment for teachers.  The District can maintain a safe and secure environment for all of our students and our network by ensuring security software is in place and up-to-date.  District devices offer filtered Internet access whether the student is in the classroom or anywhere in the world.  This offers protection from students accessing inappropriate materials or websites.  The District provides technical support and maintenance for District devices on a year-round basis including the ability to remotely connect to the device from anywhere in the world when needed.  The District can push updates and any necessary educational software to the device remotely or make it accessible to whomever needs it.  The District cannot do the same for personal devices because of licensing restrictions.  The District can provide a secure testing environment for student assessments and update it as the vendor requires.  The District can restrict software installations on devices that are unrelated to the educational environment.

 

Use of Personal Electronic Devices

Because a personal device cannot be managed or supported on the District network the District does not allow students to opt-out of receiving a District device or to substitute their personal electronic device for their District-assigned device.  District laptops have applications that are subject to licensing agreements, which do not permit installation on personal devices.  Personally-owned devices may not provide the same safeguards to help prevent inappropriate online conduct.

 In accordance with all District policies and procedures, students and staff may use personally owned electronic devices (e.g. laptops, mobile devices, and e-readers) as a supplement to further the educational and research mission of the District in addition to District-assigned electronic devices. School staff will retain the final authority in deciding when and how students may use personal electronic devices on school grounds and during the school day. Absent a specific and articulated need (e.g. assistive technology), students do not have an absolute right to possess or use personal electronic devices at school. Students using personally-owned devices must make the device available to the District in the event of an investigation involving inappropriate behavior (e.g. bullying, harassment, discrimination). The District will not provide technology support for personal electronic devices. 

 

Network

The District network includes wired and wireless devices and peripheral equipment, files and storage, e-mail, and Internet content (blogs, websites, collaboration software, social networking sites, applications, etc.). The District reserves the right to prioritize the use of, and access to, the network.  Personal devices are not allowed on the regular District network for security reasons.  Personally-owned electronic devices are allowed to connect to the limited TPS guest wireless network.  The guest network may not support participation in learning activities.

 

Acceptable Network Use

All use of the network must support education and research and be consistent with the mission of the District. Acceptable network use by District students and staff include:

A. Participation and use of the District approved learning management system for classroom teaching and learning;

B. Creation of files, digital projects, videos, web pages, and podcasts using approved digital resources in support of education and research;

C. Participation in approved social networking sites and groups, and the creation of content for podcasts, e-mail, and webpages that support education and research;

D. With parental permission, the online publication of original educational material, curriculum-related materials, and student work. Sources outside the classroom or school must be cited appropriately;

E. Staff use of the network for incidental personal use in accordance with all District policies and procedures; or

F. The connection of any personal electronic device is subject to all procedures in this document and District policy.

 

Unacceptable Network Use

Tacoma Public Schools staff and students are prohibited from engaging in any activity that would be considered unethical under local, state, federal, or international law while utilizing Tacoma Public Schools-owned resources. Unacceptable network use by District students and staff includes but is not limited to:

A. Personal gain, commercial solicitation, and compensation of any kind;

B. Actions that result in liability or cost incurred by the District;

C. Downloading, installing and use of games, audio files, video files, games, or other applications (including shareware or freeware) without permission or approval;

D. Support for or opposition to ballot measures, candidates, and any other political activity;

E. Hacking, cracking, vandalizing, the introduction of malware, including viruses, worms, Trojan horses, time bombs, etc., and changes to hardware, software, and monitoring tools;

F. Unauthorized access to other District computers, networks, and information systems;

G. Action constituting harassment, intimidation, or bullying, including cyberbullying, hate mail, defamation, discriminatory jokes, and remarks. This may also include the manufacture, distribution, or possession of inappropriate digital images;

H. Information posted, sent, or stored online that could endanger others (e.g., bomb construction, drug manufacturing);

I. Accessing, uploading, downloading, storage and distribution of obscene, pornographic, or sexually explicit material

J. Attaching unauthorized devices to the District network. Any such device will be confiscated and additional disciplinary action may be taken; or

K. Any unlawful use of the District network, including but not limited to stalking, blackmail, violation of copyright laws, and fraud.

The District will not be responsible for any damages suffered by any user, including but not limited to, loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, misdeliveries, or service interruptions caused by his/her own negligence or any other errors or omissions. The District will not be responsible for unauthorized financial obligations resulting from the use of, or access to, the District’s computer network or the Internet.

 

Internet Safety

All students will be educated about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms, and cyberbullying awareness and response:

A. Age-appropriate materials will be made available for use across grade levels; and

B. Training on online safety issues and materials implementation will be made available for administration, staff, and families.

Unacceptable use of personal information and inappropriate content by District students and staff includes but is not limited to:

A. Students and staff should not reveal personal information, including a home address and phone number on web sites, blogs, podcasts, videos, social networking sites, e-mail, or as content on any other electronic medium;

B. Students and staff should not reveal personal information about another individual on any electronic medium without first obtaining permission; including recording video conference sessions or posting sound, video, or images (such as screenshots) of faculty, students, or others on web sites, blogs, podcasts, videos, social networking sites, e-mail, or as content on any other electronic medium;

C. No student pictures or names can be published on any public class, school or District website unless the appropriate permission has been obtained according to District policy

D. If students encounter dangerous or inappropriate information or messages, they should notify the appropriate school authority; and

E. Students should be aware of the persistence of their digital information, including images and social media activity, which may remain on the Internet indefinitely.

 

Filtering and Monitoring

Filtering software is used to block or filter access to visual depictions that are obscene and all child pornography in accordance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Other objectionable material could be filtered. The determination of what constitutes “other objectionable” material is a local decision.

A. Filtering software is not 100 percent effective. While filters make it more difficult for objectionable material to be received or accessed, filters are not a solution in themselves. Every user must take responsibility for his/her use of the network and Internet and avoid objectionable sites;

B. Any attempts to defeat or bypass the District’s Internet filter or conceal Internet activity are prohibited (e.g., proxies, https, special ports, modifications to District browser settings, and any other techniques designed to evade filtering or enable the publication of inappropriate content);

C. E-mail inconsistent with the educational and research mission of the District will be considered SPAM and blocked from entering District e-mail boxes;

D. Staff members who supervise students, control electronic equipment, or have occasion to observe student use of said equipment online, must make a reasonable effort to monitor the use of this equipment to assure that student use conforms to the mission and goals of the District;

E. Staff must make a reasonable effort to become familiar with the Internet and to monitor, instruct, and assist effectively;

G. The District may monitor student use of the District network, including when accessed on students’ personal electronic devices and devices provided by the District, such as laptops, netbooks, and tablets; and

H. The District will provide a procedure for students and staff members to anonymously request access to Internet websites blocked by the District’s filtering software. The procedure will indicate a timeframe for a designated school official to respond to the request. The requirements of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) will be considered in the evaluation of the request. The District will provide an appeal process for requests that are denied.

 

Copyright

Downloading, copying, duplicating, and distributing software, music, sound files, movies, images, or other copyrighted materials without the specific written permission of the copyright owner is generally prohibited. However, the duplication and distribution of materials for educational purposes is permitted when such duplication and distribution falls within the Fair Use Doctrine of the United States Copyright Law (Title 17, USC) and content is cited appropriately.

 

Ownership of Work

All work completed by employees as part of their employment will be considered the property of the District. The District will own any and all rights to such work including any and all derivative works unless there is a written agreement to the contrary. All work completed by students as part of the regular instructional program is owned by the student as soon as it is created unless such work is created while the student is acting as an employee of the school system or unless such work has been paid for under a written agreement with the school system. If under an agreement with the District, the work will be considered the property of the District. Staff members must obtain a students’ permission prior to distributing his/her work to parties outside the school.

 

Network Security and Privacy

Staff, students, or other users of district-owned devices should not expect privacy when using the District’s network. The District reserves the right to disclose any electronic messages to law enforcement officials or third-parties as appropriate. All documents are subject to the public records disclosure laws of the State of Washington.

Passwords are the first level of security for a user account. System logins and accounts are to be used only by the authorized owner of the account for authorized District purposes. Students and staff are responsible for all activity on their account and must not share their account password.

The following procedures are designed to safeguard network user accounts:

A. Change passwords according to District policy;

B. Do not use another user’s account;

C. Do not insert passwords into an e-mail or other communications;

D. If you write down your user account password, keep it in a secure location;

E. Do not store passwords in a file without encryption;

F. Do not use the “remember password” feature of Internet browsers; and

G. Lock the screen or log off if leaving the computer.

Further guidance on network security and privacy can be found in Board Regulation 6973R.

 

Student Data is Confidential

District staff must maintain the confidentiality of student data in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). 

 

No Expectation of Privacy

The District provides the network system, e-mail, and Internet access as a tool for education and research in support of the District’s mission. The District reserves the right to monitor, inspect, copy, review, and store, without prior notice, information about the content and usage of:

A. The District network, including when accessed on students’ personally-owned electronic devices and District-owned devices District, such as laptops, netbooks, and tablets;

B. User files and disk space utilization;

C. User applications and bandwidth utilization;

D. User document files, folders, and electronic communications;

E. E-mail;

F. Internet access; and

G. Any and all information transmitted or received in connection with network and e-mail use.

No student or staff user should have any expectation of privacy when using the District’s network. The District reserves the right to disclose any electronic messages to law enforcement officials or third-parties as appropriate. All documents are subject to the public records disclosure laws of the State of Washington.

 

Educational Applications and Programs

District staff may request students to download or sign up for applications or programs on the students’ personally-owned electronic devices. Such applications and programs are designed to help facilitate lectures, student assessment, communication, and teacher-student feedback, among other things.

Prior to staff requesting students to download or sign up for educational applications or programs, the District will review “terms of use,” “terms of service,” and/or “privacy policy” of each application or program to ensure that it will not compromise students’ or staffs’ personally identifiable information, safety, and privacy. All education applications and programs must be approved for use prior to any student or staff use.

 

Archive and Backup

Backup is made of all District e-mail correspondence for purposes of public disclosure and disaster recovery. Barring power outage or intermittent technical issues, staff and student files are backed up on District servers regularly. Refer to the District retention policy for specific records retention requirements.

 

Disciplinary Action

All users of the District’s electronic resources are required to comply with the District’s policy and procedures. Violation of any of the conditions of use could be cause for disciplinary action, including suspension or expulsion from school and suspension or revocation of network and computer access privileges.

 

Accessibility of Electronic Resources

Federal law prohibits people, on the basis of disability (such as seeing and hearing impairments), from being excluded from participation in, being denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination by the District. To ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to District programs, activities, and services, the content and functionality of websites associated with the District shall be accessible. Such websites may include but are not limited to, the District’s public website, the District’s Learning Management System, District-operated social media pages, and online class lectures.

District staff with the authority to create or modify website content or functionality associated with the District will take reasonable measures to ensure that such content or functionality is accessible to individuals with disabilities.

 

Cross References:

Board Policy 2020 Curriculum Development & Adoption of Instructional Materials

2023 Digital Rights and Media Literacy

2025 Copyright Compliance

3207 Prohibition of Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying

3210 Nondiscrimination of Students

3230 Student Privacy

3240 Student Conduct

3241 Student Discipline

4040 Public Access to District Records 4400 Election Activities

6300 Data Security

6973R Acceptable Use Policy for Digital Resources

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Approval Date: 8/11/2020

Revised Date: 4/20/2021