Online Internet Usage Policy

Please Print, Distribute & Post Each of the following:

1. New York City Department of Education Internet Usage Policy
2. Student Rules & Responsibilities for On-line Safety
3. Student Acceptance Card (Required)
4. Guidelines for Parents
5. Guidelines for Educators
6. Online Class Internet Registration Form

1. Internet Usage Policy

The purpose of access to or use of the Internet through Board connections or equipment is solely educational; therefore, anyone who utilizes the Board's connection must foster that purpose by using Internet resources only for educational purposes and in an appropriate and legal manner.

All persons accessing or using the internet through board connections or equipment, whether from a Board location or from a remote location using Board hardware, software and/or accounts, are prohibited from using such connections or equipment for other than educational purposes and are specifically prohibited from:

• Sending or receiving personal messages
• Using the Internet for commercial purposes, advertising or similar objectives
• Utilizing copyrighted materials without permission
• Lobbying for political purposes or soliciting votes
• Accessing pornographic or obscene materials
• Sending or receiving messages that are racist, sexist, inflammatory, hateful or obscene
• Vandalizing data, software or equipment
• Sending or receiving another person's messages without authorization

The Board and/or chancellor reserve the right to revoke the internet access or use of any person who uses the Board connections or equipment in an inappropriate, abusive or illegal manner, or in violation of the Board's policy on access to and use of the Internet or of Local, State, or Federal Law.

2. Student Rules & Responsibilities for On-line Safety

• I will always ask my teacher for permission before I give out personal information such as my address/telephone number, my parents' work address/telephone numbers, or the name and location of my school.
• I will only send messages over the Internet that are free of racist, sexist, inflammatory, hateful, obscene, advertising or commercial content. I will refrain from sending messages for partisan political lobbying purposes.
• I will tell my teacher right away if I come across any information that is racist, sexist, inflammatory, hateful, obscene, or anything else that makes me uncomfortable.
• I will always check first with my teacher and/or parents before sending a person my picture or anything else.
• I will always seek permission to use copyrighted material.
• I will talk with my teacher so that we can set up rules for going on-line. We will decide upon the time of day that I can be on-line, the length of time I can be on-line, and appropriate areas for me to visit. I will not access other areas without permission.
• I will be polite and use proper language while on-line.
• I will always respect and take care of software, equipment, and data.

Adapted from "Guidelines for Parents" and "My Rules for On-line Safety" from Child Safety on the Information Highway: by Lawrence J. Magid.

They are reprinted with permission of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Copyright © 1994 NCMEC. All rights reserved.

3. Student Internet Usage Acceptance Card

4. Guidelines for Parents

The electronic resources available to children today offer exciting opportunities for educational growth. When used properly, learning tools such as the Internet can help children become more informed students and prepare them for successful lives. However, as with all tools, parents must regulate their use and establish safety rules about on-line systems. The following suggestions are offered to assist parents with this responsibility.

Make it a family to rule to:

• Never give out identifying information – home address, school name, or telephone number – in a public message such as a chat or bulletin boards – and be sure you are dealing with someone that both you and your child know and trust before giving it out via E-mail.
• Get to know the services your child uses. Find out what types of information they offer.
• Never allow a child to arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they meet on-line without permission.
• Never respond to messages or bulletin board items that are suggestive, obscene, belligerent, threatening, or make you feel uncomfortable. Encourage your children to tell you if they encounter such messages. If you or your child receive a message that is harassing, of a sexual nature or threatening, forward a copy of the message to your service provider for assistance.
• Should you become aware of the transmission, use, or viewing of child pornography on-line, immediately report this to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-843-5678. You should also notify your on-line service.
• Remember that people on-line may not be who they seem.
• Remember that everything you read on-line may not be true.
• Set reasonable rules and guidelines for computer use by your children. (See "Student Rules & Responsibilities for On-line Safety.") Discuss these rules and post them near your computer as a reminder. Remember to monitor your child’s compliance with these rules, especially when it comes to the amount of time spent on the computer. A child’s excessive use of on-line services or bulletin boards, especially late at night, may be a clue that there is a potential problem. Remember that personal computers and on-line services should not be used as electronic baby-sitters.
• Be sure to make on-line services a family activity. Consider keeping the computer in a family room rather than your child’s bedroom. Get to know "on-line friends" just as you get to know all your child’s other friends.

Adapted with permission from: A Safety Net for the Internet, The New York Public Library, 1996.

5. Guidelines for Educators

On-line resources offer teachers and their supervisors the opportunity to engage students in exciting learning experiences. As with all tools, teachers must supervise their use and establish procedures to ensure student safety and responsibility. By keeping the Internet Usage Policy in mind while planning and implementing lessons that involve the Internet, it will be easier to assure that students are provided with safe, educationally sound activities. The following are offered to assist educators with this responsibility.

• Read and familiarize yourself with the Department of Education’s "Student Rules & Responsibilities for On-line Safety" and "internet Usage Policy."
• Post both the Board’s "Student Rules & Responsibilities for On-line Safety" and " Internet usage Policy" prominently in areas where students will access the Internet.
• Distribute a copy of the Board’s "Student Rules & Responsibilities for On-line Safety" to every student who will have access to the Internet and a copy of "Guidelines for Parents" to the parents of such youngsters. Both students and parents should be provided with a copy of The Board’s "Internet Usage Policy."
• Review these documents with students who will use the Internet and communicate with their parents to assure understanding.
• Actively supervise students as they access the Internet.
• Continue to preview sites and materials that students will access on the Internet.
• Establish rules and procedures for student on-line activities that will assure that students comply with the "Student Rules & Responsibilities for On-line Safety."
• Establish a climate in which students are encouraged to ask for the permissions mentioned in the "Student Rules & Responsibilities for On-line Safety" (giving out personal and school information, meeting with individuals met on-line, sending pictures or other items, and accessing of unfamiliar Internet areas). Encourage students to report racist, sexist, inflammatory, hateful, obscene, and disturbing material encountered on-line.