Middle School Technology

[Please check the website, www.dublinschools.net, for any possible revisions to this policy made during the school year.]

Technology has fundamentally altered the ways in which information is accessed, communicated, and transferred in society.  As a result, educators are continually adapting their means and methods of instruction, and the way they approach student learning, to incorporate the vast, diverse, and unique resources available through the Internet.  The Board provides Education Technology so that students can acquire the skills and knowledge to learn effectively and live productively in a digital world.  The Board of Education provides students with access to the Internet for limited educational purposes only and utilizes online educational services to enhance the instruction delivered to its students.  The District’s Internet system does not serve as a public access service or a public forum, and the Board imposes reasonable restrictions on its use consistent with its limited educational purpose.  

This and its related administrative guidelines and the Student Code of Conduct govern students’ use of the District’s personal communication devices (that is, according to Policy 5136, computers, laptops, tablets, e-readers, cellular/mobile telephones, smartphones, and any other web-enabled device), network, and Internet connection and online educational services (“Education Technology” or “Ed-Tech”).

This policy and its related administrative guidelines and the Student Code of Conduct also govern students’ use of the their personal communication devices (that is, according to Policy 5136, computers, laptops, tablets, e-readers, cellular/mobile telephones, smartphones, and any other web-enabled device), when connected to the District’s network, the District’s Internet connection, and online educational services (“Education Technology” or “Ed-Tech”).

The due process rights of all users will be respected in the event there is a suspicion of inappropriate use of the Education Technology.  Users have no right or expectation to privacy when using the Ed-Tech (including, but not limited to, privacy in the content of their personal files, e-mails, and records of their online activity while on the network and Internet).

First, and foremost, the Board may not be able to technologically limit access, through its Education Technology, to only those services and resources that have been authorized for the purpose of instruction, study and research related to the curriculum.  Unlike in the past when educators and community members had the opportunity to review and screen materials to assess their appropriateness for supporting and enriching the curriculum according to adopted guidelines and reasonable selection criteria (taking into account the varied instructional needs, learning styles, abilities, and developmental levels of the students who would be exposed to them), access to the Internet, because it serves as a gateway to any publicly available file server in the world,  opens classrooms and students to electronic information resources that may not have been screened by educators for use by students of various ages.

Pursuant to Federal law, the Board has implemented technology protection measures, which protect against (e.g., filter or block) access to visual displays/depictions/materials that are obscene, constitute child pornography, and/or are harmful to minors, as defined by the Children’s Internet Protection Act.  At the discretion of the Board or the Superintendent, the technology protection measures may be configured to protect against access to other material considered inappropriate for students to access.  The Board also utilizes software and/or hardware to monitor online activity of students to restrict access to child pornography and other material that is obscene, objectionable, inappropriate and/or harmful to minors.  The technology protection measures may not be disabled at any time that students may be using the Education Technology, if such disabling will cease to protect against access to materials that are prohibited under the Children’s Internet Protection Act.  Any student who attempts to disable the technology protection measures will be subject to discipline.

The Superintendent or Chief Academic Officer may temporarily or permanently unblock access to websites or online educational services containing appropriate material, if access to such sites has been inappropriately blocked by the technology protection measures.  The determination of whether material is appropriate or inappropriate shall be based on the content of the material and the intended use of the material, not on the protection actions of the technology protection measures.

Parents are advised that a determined user may be able to gain access to services and/or resources on the Internet that the Board has not authorized for educational purposes.  In fact, it is impossible to guarantee students will not gain access through the Internet to information and communications that they and/or their parents may find inappropriate, offensive, objectionable or controversial.  Parents of minors are responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their children should follow when using the Internet.  

Pursuant to Federal law, students shall receive education about the following:

1. safety and security while using e-mail, chat rooms, social media, and other forms of direct electronic communications

2. the dangers inherent with the online disclosure of personally identifiable information

3. the consequences of unauthorized access (e.g. “hacking”, “harvesting”, “digital piracy”, etc.), cyberbullying and other unlawful or inappropriate activities by students online, and

4. unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal information regarding minors

Staff members shall provide instruction for their students regarding the appropriate use of technology and online safety and security as specified above.  Furthermore, staff members will monitor the online activities of students while at school.

Monitoring may include, but is not necessarily limited to, visual observations of online activities during class sessions; or use of specific monitoring tools to review browser history and network, server, and computer logs.

Building principals are responsible for providing training so that Internet users under their supervision are knowledgeable about this policy and its accompanying guidelines.  The Board expects that staff members will provide guidance and instruction to students in the appropriate use of the Education Technology.  Such training shall include, but not be limited to, education concerning appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness and response.  All Internet users (and their parents if they are minors) are required to sign a written agreement to abide by the terms and conditions of this policy and its accompanying guidelines.

Students will be assigned a school email account that they are required to utilize for all school-related electronic communications, including those to staff members and individuals and/or organizations outside the District with whom they are communicating for school-related projects and assignments.  Further, as directed and authorized by their teachers, they shall use their school-assigned email account when signing-up/registering for access to various online educational services, including mobile applications/apps that will be utilized by the student for educational purposes. 

Students and staff members are responsible for good behavior on the Board's computers/network and the Internet just as they are in classrooms, school hallways, and other school premises and school sponsored events.  Communications on the Internet are often public in nature.  General school rules for behavior and communication apply.  The Board does not sanction any use of the Education Technology that is not authorized by or conducted strictly in compliance with this policy and its accompanying guidelines.  

Users who disregard this policy and its accompanying guidelines may have their use privileges suspended or revoked, and disciplinary action taken against them.  Users of the Board's Education Technology are personally responsible and liable, both civilly and criminally, for uses of the Ed-Tech not authorized by this Board policy and its accompanying guidelines.

The Board designates the Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer as the administrators responsible for initiating, implementing, and enforcing this policy and its accompanying guidelines as they apply to students’ use of the District’s Education Technology.

(End of Policy 7540.03)

Technology Fee

• All 1:1 participants are required to make a payment in full established by the assigned distribution day of the school. 

• If the technology fee is not received, the Parent/Guardian will be responsible for the market cost of replacement of the Chromebook, or cost for repairs.

• The $50 annual technology fees include: 1 full replacement on the Chromebook and 2 break-fix issues.

  • Break-Fix Includes: broken screens, keyboard replacement, broken hinges and internal ports for power and headphones.

  • Charging cords are not covered under the tech fee, lost cords must be replaced by the Parent/Guardian.

• Damage caused by deliberate action of the student is not covered by the Fee/Protection Fund. If a Chromebook is lost or damaged due to neglect, the Parent/Guardian/Student may be liable for the full purchase price of the device. 

Taking Care of Your Chromebook

Students should treat the Chromebook as a valuable piece of equipment. The Chromebook is school property. All users will follow these expectations, the Code of Conduct, and all acceptable use policies.

General Precautions and Care

• The Chromebook must remain free of any writing, drawing, stickers, or labels that are not the property of the District.

• Chromebooks should never be left unsupervised.

• Students are responsible for charging Chromebooks prior to each school day.  

Student Google: Personal Information

Google will not share personal information with companies, organizations and individuals outside of Google unless one of the following circumstances applies:

• With parental or guardian consent. Google will share personal information with companies, organizations or individuals outside of Google when it has parents’ consent (for users below the age of consent), which may be obtained through G Suite for Education schools.

• With Dublin Schools G Suite for Education accounts, because they are school-managed accounts, give administrators access to information stored in them.

• For external processing. Google may provide personal information to affiliates or other trusted businesses or persons to process it for Google, based on Google’s instructions and in compliance with the G Suite for Education privacy notice and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures.

• For legal reasons. Google will share personal information with companies, organizations or individuals outside of Google if it has a good-faith belief that access, use, preservation or disclosure of the information is reasonably necessary to:

• meet any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental request.

• enforce applicable Terms of Service, including investigation of potential violations.

• detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues.

• protect against harm to the rights, property or safety of Google, Google users or the public as required or permitted by law.

Google also shares non-personal information, such as trends about the use of its services, publicly and with its partners.

[Please check the website, www.dublinschools.net, for any possible revisions to this guideline made during the school year.]

Possession and/or use of a personal communication device (PCD) by a student while at school during the school day is a privilege that may be forfeited by any student who fails to abide by the terms of Policy 5136 or this guideline, or otherwise engages in abuse of this privilege. Strict adherence to Policy 5136 and this guideline is required.

 "Personal communication device" includes computers, tablets (e.g., iPads and similar devices), electronic readers ("e-readers"; e.g., Kindles and similar devices), cell phones (e.g. mobile/cellular telephones, smartphones [e.g., BlackBerry, iPhone, Android devices, Windows Mobile devices, etc.], telephone paging devices [e.g., beepers or pagers]), and/or other web-enabled devices of any type.

Unless approved by a supervising teacher, an administrator or an IEP team, students are prohibited from using PCDs or having them "On" (i.e., the device must be powered completely off and not just placed into vibrate or silent mode; a device will be considered "On" if it is ready to receive, send, capture or record any communication, visual image, sound, text message or other information) during the regularly scheduled school day (i.e. from the moment the individual student arrives on school grounds during a day that students are in attendance for instructional purposes, until the last class of the day has ended for all students). This includes lunch periods, passing periods, as well as on school-sponsored trips and "behind-the-wheel" driver education classes or in school vehicles. High school students may use PCDs before and after school, during their lunch break and in between classes, as long as they do not create a distraction, disruption or otherwise interfere with the educational environment. "Using" refers to, not only the making and/or receiving of calls, but also using the PCD for any other purpose (e.g., sending e-mails, text messages or instant messages, taking pictures, making recordings/videos, etc.). Students also may not use PCDs on school property or at a school-sponsored activity to access and/or view Internet Web sites that are otherwise blocked to students at school. Students may use PCDs while riding to and from school on a school bus or other Board-provided vehicle or on a school bus or Board-provided vehicle during school-sponsored activities, at the discretion of the bus driver, classroom teacher sponsor/advisor/coach. Distracting behavior that creates an unsafe environment will not be tolerated.

PCDs, including but not limited to devices with cameras, may not be activated or utilized at any time in any school situation where a reasonable expectation of personal privacy exists. These locations and circumstances include but are not limited to gymnasiums, locker rooms, shower facilities, rest/bathrooms, swimming pool, and any other areas where students or others may change clothes or be in any stage or degree of disrobing or changing clothes, whether here or at another school district where a school activity or athletic event is occurring. The building principal has authority to make determinations as to other specific locations and situations where use of a PCD is absolutely prohibited.

Students participating in extra-curricular activities and athletics must contact their coach, advisor, or sponsor for his/her rules involving the use of PCDs after school hours or on after-school bus trips. Coaches and sponsors will set their rules and enforce consequences involving the use and/or misuse of these devices.

The Board assumes no responsibility for theft, loss, or damage to, or misuse or unauthorized use of, PCDs brought onto its property. Students and parents are strongly encouraged to take appropriate precautions, if students possess PCDs at school, to make sure the devices are not left unattended or unsecured.

Using a PCD in an unauthorized manner or in violation of Policy 5136 or this guideline may result in loss of this privilege, additional disciplinary action (e.g., warnings, parental notification and conferences, suspension, expulsion), confiscation of the PCD (in which case, the device will only be released/returned to the student's parent/guardian after the student complies with any other disciplinary consequences that are imposed, unless the violation involves potentially illegal activity in which case the PCD may be turned-over to law enforcement), and/or referral to law enforcement if the violation involves an illegal activity (e.g. child pornography).

If a school teacher or administrator observes a violation of this guideline, s/he is required to confiscate the device and bring it to the building principal's office and provide the name of the student from whom the PCD was taken. Any confiscated device will be held in a secure location in the building's central office until the item is retrieved by the student's parent/guardian or turned-over to law enforcement. Students whose PCDs are confiscated may be required to contact their parents/guardians to inform them that the item was confiscated and that it will only be returned to the parents/guardians.

(End of Administrative Guideline 5136)

The possessing, taking, disseminating, transferring, or sharing of nude, obscene, pornographic, lewd, or otherwise illegal images or photographs, whether by electronic data transfer or otherwise (commonly called texting, emailing, or sexting, etc.) may constitute a crime under state and/or federal law.  Any person possessing, taking, disseminating, or sharing nude, obscene, pornographic, lewd or otherwise illegal images or photographs may be punished under this Code of Conduct and may be reported to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.

While in some instances the possession and use of electronic equipment or devices by a student at school may be appropriate, often the possession and use of such equipment or devices by students at school can have the effect of distracting, disrupting and/or intimidating others in the school environment and leading to opportunities for academic dishonesty and other disruptions of the educational process.  Consequently, the Board of Education will supply any electronic equipment or devices necessary for participation in the educational program.  Students shall not use or possess any electronic equipment or devices on school property or at any school-sponsored activity without the permission of the principal, the classroom teacher, or advisor/coach.

Examples of prohibited devices include but are not limited to:

1. lasers,

2. laser pens or pointers,

3. electronic games/toys.

Students may use the following electronic equipment/devices on school property for an educational or instructional purpose (e.g., taking notes, recording a class lecture, writing papers) with the teacher’s permission and supervision:

1. cameras (photographic and/or video),

2. laptops, (with Up-to-Date Anti-Virus/Anti-Spyware Installed)

3. mobile phones,

Students may use the following electronic equipment/devices while riding to and from school on a school bus or other vehicle provided by the Board at the discretion of the bus driver, classroom teachers, sponsor/advisor/coach, or building principal:

1. cameras (photographic and/or video),

2. mobile phones.

Distracting behavior that creates an unsafe environment will not be tolerated.

Students are prohibited from using electronic equipment or devices in a manner that may be physically harmful to another person (e.g., shining a laser in the eyes of another student).  Further, at no time may a camera or other electronic equipment/device be utilized by a student in a way that might reasonably create in the mind of another person an impression of being threatened, humiliated, harassed, embarrassed, or intimidated.  See Policy 5517.01 – Bullying and Other Forms of Aggressive Behavior.

In order to protect Board property, promote security and protect the health, welfare and safety of students, staff and visitors, the Board of Education authorizes the use of video surveillance and electronic monitoring equipment on school property, in school buildings and school buses.  Information obtained through video surveillance/electronic monitoring may be used to identify intruders and persons breaking the law, Board policy, or the Student Code of Conduct.

If information is not viewed for law enforcement, school or public safety purpose – it should be routinely erased according to a standard schedule (i.e., they will be maintained for a period of ten (10) calendar days). If information is viewed for law enforcement, school or public safety purposes, it must be retained for a minimum of one (1) year. Prior to destruction of it, the Chief Operating Officer should contact the Superintendent and/or Board Counsel.

For additional information please reference Board of Education Policy #7440.01 and Administrative Guideline #7440.01 – Video Surveillance and Electronic Monitoring.

Personal Property at School

The school is not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen items that are brought from home.

Care of Property

The Board of Education believes that the schools should help students learn to respect property and develop feelings of pride in community institutions.

The Board charges each student with responsibility for the proper care of school property and the school supplies and equipment entrusted to his/her use.

Students who cause damage to school property shall be subject to disciplinary measures, and their parents shall be financially liable for such damage to the extent of the law, except that students over eighteen (18) years of age shall also be liable for damage they cause.

The Board authorizes the imposition of fines for the loss, damage or destruction of school equipment, apparatus, musical instruments, library material, textbooks, and for damage to school buildings.

The Board may report to the appropriate juvenile authorities any student whose damage of school property has been serious or chronic in nature.

A reward may be offered by the Board for the apprehension of any person who vandalizes school property.

The Board will assume no responsibility for any personal property that students bring on to District premises.

Search and Seizure

Search of a student and his/her possessions, including lockers, may be conducted at any time the student is under the jurisdiction of the Board of Education, if there is reasonable suspicion that the student is in violation of law or school rules.  A search may also be conducted to protect the safety of others.  All searches may be conducted with or without the student’s consent.

Students are provided lockers, desks, and other equipment in which to store materials.  It is clearly understood that this equipment is the property of the school and may be searched at any time if there is reasonable suspicion that a student has violated the law or school rules.  Locks are provided to the student to prevent theft, not to prevent searches.  Anything that is found in the course of a search that may be evidence of a violation of school rules or law may be taken and held or turned over to the police.  The school reserves the right not to return items which have been confiscated.