I.      Responsibility for Selection of Instructional Materials

 

        A.    The board is responsible for matters relating to the operation of the Red Oak Community School District.

        B.   The responsibility for the selection of instructional materials is delegated to the professionally trained and licensed employees of the school system.  For the purpose of this rule the term “instructional materials” includes printed and audiovisual materials (not equipment), whether considered text materials or media center materials.  The board retains the final authority for the approval of textbooks.

        C.   While selection of materials may involve many people including principals, teachers, students, parents/guardians, community members and media specialists, the responsibility for coordinating the selection of most instructional materials and making the recommendation for the purchase rests with licensed employees.  For the purpose of this rule the term “media specialist” includes librarians, school media specialists or other appropriately licensed persons responsible for the selection of media equipment and materials.

        D.   Responsibility for coordinating the selection of text materials for distribution to classes will rest with the licensed employees, principal and superintendent. For the purpose of this rule the term ‘text materials’ includes textbooks and other printed and non-printed material provided in multiple copies for use of a total class or major segment of a class.

II.    Material selected for use in media centers and classrooms will meet the following guidelines:

        A.  Religion - Material will represent the major religions in a factual, unbiased manner.  The primary source material of the major religions is considered. appropriate, but material which advocates rather than informs, or is designed to sway reader judgment regarding religion, will not be included in the school libraries or classrooms.  Required material will comply with all applicable laws. 

        B.   Racism - Material will present a diversity of race, custom, culture, and belief as a positive aspect of the nation’s heritage and give candid treatment to unresolved intercultural problems, including those which involve prejudice, discrimination, and the undesirable consequences of withholding rights, freedom, or respect of an individual. Required material will comply with all applicable laws. 

        C.   Sexism - Material will reflect a sensitivity to the needs, rights, traits and aspirations of individuals without preference or bias.

        D.   Age - Material will recognize the diverse contributions of various age groups and portray the continuing contributions of maturing members of society.

        E.   Ideology - Material will present basic primary and factual information on an ideology or philosophy of government which exerts or has exerted a strong force, either favorably or unfavorably, over civilization or society, past or present.  This material will not be selected with the intention to sway reader judgment and is related to the maturity level of the intended audience.

        F.    Profanity and Sex - Material is subjected to a test of literary merit and reality by the media specialists and licensed staff who will take into consideration their reading of public and community standards of morality.

        G.   Controversial issues materials will be directed toward maintaining a balanced collection representing various views.The selection decision should be made on the basis of whether the material presents an accurate representation of society and culture, whether the circumstances depicted are realistically portrayed, or whether the material has literary or social value when the material is viewed as a whole.

              The selection decision should be made on the basis of whether the material presents an accurate representation of society and culture, whether the circumstances depicted are realistically portrayed, or whether the material has literary or social value when the material is viewed as a whole.

              These guidelines will not be construed in such a manner as to preclude materials which accurately represent the customs, morals, manners, culture, or society of a different time or a different place.

III.   Procedure for Selection

        A.  Material purchased for media centers and classrooms is recommended for purchase by licensed employees, in consultation with administrative staff, media center staff, students or an ad hoc committee as appointed by the board.  The material recommended for purchase is approved by the appropriate building administrator.

                  1.  The materials selected will support stated objectives and goals of the school district.  Specifically, the goals are:

                            a. To acquire materials and provide service consistent with the demands of the curriculum;

                            b. To develop students’ skills and resourcefulness in the use of libraries and learning resources;

                            c. To effectively guide and counsel students in the selection and use of materials and libraries;

                            d. To foster in students a wide range of significant interests;

                            e. To provide opportunities for aesthetic experiences and development of an appreciation of the fine arts;

                            f.  To provide materials to motivate students to examine their own attitudes and behaviors and to comprehend their own duties and responsibilities as citizens in a pluralistic democracy;

                            g. To encourage life-long education through the use of the library; and,

                            h. To work cooperatively and constructively with the instructional and administrative staff in the school.

                  2.   Materials selected are consistent with stated principles of selection.  These principles are:

                            a. To select material, within established standards, which will meet the goals and objectives of the school district;

                            b. To consider the educational characteristics of the community in the selection of materials within a given category;

                            c. To present the sexual, racial, religious, and ethnic groups in the community by:

                                      1. Portraying people, both men and women, adults and children, whatever their ethnic, religious or social class identity, as human and recognizable, displaying a familiar range of emotions, both negative and positive.

                                      2. Placing no constraints on individual aspirations and opportunity.

                                      3. Giving comprehensive, accurate, and balanced representation to minority groups and women - in art and science, history and literature, and in all other fields of life and culture.

                                      4. Providing abundant recognition of minority groups and women by showing them frequently in positions of leadership and authority.

                            d. To intelligently, quickly, and effectively anticipate and meet needs through awareness of subjects of local, national and international interest and significance; and,

                            e. To strive for impartiality in the selection process.

                  3.       The materials selected will meet stated selection criteria.  These criteria are:

                            a. Authority-Author’s qualifications - education, experience, and previously published works;

                            b. Reliability:

                                    1. Accuracy-meaningful organization and emphasis on content, meets the material’s goals and objectives, and presents authoritative and realistic factual material.

                                    2. Current-presentation of content which is consistent with the finding of recent and authoritative research.

                            c. Treatment of subject-shows an objective reflection for the multi-ethnic character and cultural diversity of society.

                            d. Language:

                                    1. Vocabulary:

                                            a. Does not indicate bias by the use of words which may result in negative value judgments about groups of people;

                                            b. Does not use “man” or similar limiting word usage in generalization or ambiguities which may cause women to feel excluded or dehumanized.

                                      2. Compatible to the reading level of the student for whom it is intended.

                            e. Format:

                                      1. Book

                                            a. Adequate and accurate index;

                                            b. Paper of good quality and color;

                                            c. Print adequate and well spaced;

                                            d. Adequate margins;

                                            e. Firmly bound; and,

                                            f.  Cost.

                                      2. Nonbook, including software and electronically available materials

                                            a. Flexibility, adaptability;

                                            b. Curricular orientation of significant interest to students;

                                            c. Appropriate for audience;

                                            d. Accurate authoritative presentation;

                                            e. Good production qualities (fidelity, aesthetically adequate);

                                            f.  Durability; and,

                                            g. Cost.

                                      3. Illustrations of book and nonbook materials should:

                                            a. Depict instances of fully integrated grouping and settings to indicate equal status and non-segregated social relationships.

                                            b. Make clearly apparent the identity of minorities;

                                            c. Contain pertinent and effective illustrations;

                                      4. Flexible to enable the teacher to use parts at a time and not follow a comprehensive instructional program on a rigid frame of reference.

                            f.        Special Features:

                                      1. Bibliographies.

                                      2. Glossary.

                                      3. Current charts, maps, etc.

                                      4. Visual aids.

                                      5. Index.

                                      6. Special activities to stimulate and challenge students.

                                      7. Provide a variety of learning skills.

                  g.       Potential use:

                                       1. Will it meet the requirement of reference work?

                                       2. Will it help students with personal problems and adjustments?

                                       3. Will it serve as a source of information for teachers and librarians?

                                       4. Does it offer an understanding of cultures other than the student’s own and is it free of racial, religious, age, disability, ethnic, and sexual stereotypes?

                                      5.  Will it expand students’ sphere of understanding and help them to understand the ideas and beliefs of others?

                                       6. Will it help students and teachers keep abreast of and understand current events?

                                       7. Will it foster and develop hobbies and special interest?

                                       8. Will it help develop aesthetic tastes and appreciation?

                                       9. Will it serve the needs of students with special needs?

                                      10. Does it inspire learning?

                                      11. Is it relevant to the subject?

                                      12. Will it stimulate a student’s interest?

                  4.  Gifts of library or instructional materials may be accepted if the gift meets existing criteria for library and instructional materials.  The acceptance and placement of such gifts is within the discretion of the board.

 

                  5.    In order to provide a current, highly usable collection of materials, teacher librarians will provide for constant and continuing renewal of the collection, not only the addition of up-to-date materials, but by the judicious elimination of materials which no longer meet school district needs or find use.  The process of weeding instructional materials will be done according to established and accepted standards for determining the relevance and value of materials in a given context.

 

A.    A member of the school district community may raise an objection to instructional materials used in the school district’s education program despite the fact that the individuals selecting such material were duly qualified to make the selection and followed the proper procedure and observed the criteria for selecting such material.

        1.   The school official or employee receiving a complaint regarding instructional materials will try to resolve the issue informally or at the lowest organizational level. The materials generally will remain in use pending the outcome of the reconsideration procedure.

                  a.  The school official or employee initially receiving a complaint will explain to the individual the board’s selection procedure, criteria to be met by the instructional materials, and qualifications of those persons selecting the material.

                  b.  The school official or employee initially receiving a complaint will explain to the individual the role of the objected material in the education program, its intended educational purpose, and additional information regarding its use.  In the alternative, the employee may refer the individual to the media specialist who can identify and explain the use of the material.

        2.   The employee receiving the initial complaint will advise the building principal of the initial contact no later than the end of the school day following the discussion with the individual, whether or not the individual has been satisfied by the initial contact.  A written record of the contact is maintained by the principal in charge of the attendance center.  Each building principal shall inform employees of their obligation to report complaints.

        3.    In the event the individual making an objection to instructional materials is not satisfied with the initial explanation, the individual is referred to the principal or to the media specialist of the attendance center.  If, after consultation with the principal or media specialist, the individual desires to file a formal complaint, the principal or media specialist will assist in filling out a Reconsideration Request Form in full and filing it with the superintendent. If a complainant refuses to complete the form, the complaint will be deemed invalid and no further action taken.

B.    Request for Reconsideration

        1.    A member of the school district community may formally challenge instructional materials on the basis of appropriateness used in the school district’s education program.  This procedure is for the purpose of considering the opinions of those persons in the school district and the community who are not directly involved in the selection process.

        2.    Each attendance center and the school district’s central administrative office will keep on hand and make available Reconsideration Request Forms. Formal objections to instructional materials must be made on this form.

        3.    The individual will state the specific reason the instructional material is being challenged.  The Reconsideration Request Form is signed by the individual and filed with the building level principal.

        4.   The building level principal will promptly file the objection with the Superintendent for re-evaluation.

 5.    The Superintendent will convene a reconsideration committee within two weeks of receipt of the Reconsideration Form.

 6.    The committee will make their recommendation to the Superintendent within five school days of meeting.

 7.    The Superintendent will issue a decision related to the Reconsideration Request Form within 5 school days of receipt of the committee’s recommendation.  A copy of the Superintendent’s decision will be provided to the complainant.

   8.    An appeal of the Superintendent’s decision may be filed with the board secretary within five days of the Superintendent’s decision.  The board will determine whether to hear the appeal at the next regular meeting or within 30 days of the Superintendent’s decision, whichever is later.  If the board elects to hear the appeal, the board will act to affirm, modify or reverse the decision of the Superintendent.  The board’s decision will be communicated to the complainant. The board’s decision will be deemed final.

        9.   Generally, access to challenged instructional material will not be restricted during the reconsideration process.  However, in unusual circumstances, the instructional material may be removed temporarily by following the provisions of Section B.6.C. of this rule.

       10.  The Reconsideration Committee

                  a.  The reconsideration committee is made up of eight members.

                            (1) One licensed employee designated annually by the superintendent.

                            (2) One teacher librarian designated annually by the superintendent.

                            (3) One member of the administrative team designated annually by the superintendent.

                            (4) Three members of the community appointed annually or as needed by the board.

                            (5) Two high school students, selected annually by the high school principal.

                  b.  The committee will meet at the request of the superintendent.

                  c.  Special meetings may be called by the board to consider temporary removal of materials in unusual circumstances.  A recommendation for temporary removal will require a two-thirds vote of the committee.

                  d.  Notice of committee meetings is made public through appropriate publications and other communications methods.

                  e. The committee will receive the completed Reconsideration Request Form from the superintendent.

                  f.  The committee will determine its agenda for the first meeting which may include the following:

                            (1) Distribution of copies of the completed Reconsideration Request Form.

                            (2) An opportunity for the individual or a group spokesperson to talk about or expand on the Reconsideration Request Form.

                            (3) Distribution of reputable, professionally prepared reviews of the challenged instructional material if available.

                            (4) Distribution of copies of the challenged instructional material as available.

                  g.  The Committee will determine whether interested persons, including the individual filing the challenge, may have the opportunity to share their views.  The committee may request that individuals with special knowledge be present to give information to the committee

                  h.  The individual filing the challenge is kept informed by the Superintendent on the status of the reconsideration request throughout the reconsideration process.  The individual filing the challenge and known interested parties is given appropriate notice of meetings.

                  i.   At the second or a subsequent meeting the committee will make its final recommendation.  The committee’s final recommendation may be to take no removal action, to remove the challenged material from the school environment, or to limit the educational use of the challenged material.  The sole criterion for the final recommendation is the appropriateness of the material for its intended educational use.  The written final recommendation and its justification are forwarded to the board, the individual and the appropriate attendance centers.  The superintendent my also make a recommendation but if so, it should be independent from the committee’s.

   j.   Following the superintendent’s decision with respect to the committee’s recommendation, the individual or the chairperson of the reconsideration committee may appeal the decision to the board for review.  Such appeal must be presented to the superintendent in writing within five days following the announcement of the superintendent’s decision.  The board will promptly determine whether to hear the appeal.

                  k.  A recommendation to sustain a challenge will not be interpreted as a judgment of irresponsibility on the part of the individuals involved in the original selection or use of the material.

                  l.   Requests to reconsider materials which have previously been reconsidered by the committee must receive approval of two-thirds of the committee members before the materials will again be reconsidered.  Completed and filed Reconsideration Request Forms are acted upon by the committee.

                  m. If necessary or appropriate in the judgment of the committee, the committee may appoint a subcommittee of members or nonmembers to consolidate challenges and to make recommendations to the full committee.  The composition of this subcommittee will approximate the representation of the full committee.

                  n.  Committee members directly associated with the selection, use, or challenger of the challenged material are excused from the committee during the deliberation of the challenged instructional materials.  The Superintendent may appoint a temporary replacement for the excused committee member, but the replacement is of the same general qualifications as the member excused.

o.      Persons dissatisfied with the decision of the board may appeal to the Iowa Board of Education pursuant to state law.

 

The policy of this school district related to selection of learning materials states that any member of the school district community may formally challenge instructional materials used in the district’s education program.  This policy allows those persons in the school and the community who are not directly involved in the selection of materials to make their own opinions known.  The task of the reconsideration committee is to provide an open forum for discussion of challenged materials and to make an informed recommendation on the challenge.  The meetings of the committee may be subject to the open meetings law.

The most critical component of the reconsideration process is the establishment and maintenance of the committee’s credibility in the community.  For this purpose, the committee is composed of community members.  The community should not, therefore, infer that the Committee is biased or is obligated to uphold prior professional decisions.  For this same reason, a community member will be selected to chair the committee.

The reconsideration process, the task of this committee, is just one part of the selection continuum.  Material is purchased to meet a need.  It is reviewed and examined, if possible, prior to purchase.  It is periodically re-evaluated through updating, discarding, or re-examination.  The committee must be ready to acknowledge that an error in selection may have been made despite this process.  Librarians and school employees regularly read great numbers of reviews in the selection process, and occasional errors are possible.

In reconsidering challenged materials, the role of the committee, and particularly the chairperson, is to produce a climate for disagreement.  However, the committee should begin by finding items of agreement, keeping in mind that the larger the group participating, the greater the amount of information available and, therefore, the greater the number of possible approaches to the problem.

If the complainant chooses, the complainant may make an oral presentation to the committee to expand and elaborate on the complaint.  The committee will listen to the Complainant, to those with special knowledge, and any other interested persons.  In these discussions, the committee should be aware of relevant social pressures which are affecting the situation.  Individuals who may try to dominate or impose a decision must not be allowed to do so.  Minority viewpoints expressed by groups or individuals must be heard, and observers must be made to feel welcome.  It is important that the committee create a calm, nonvolatile environment in which to deal with a potentially volatile situation.  To this end, the complainant will be kept informed of the progress of the complaint.

The committee will listen to the views of all interested persons before making recommendations.  In deliberating its recommendation, the committee should remember that the school system must be responsive to the needs, tastes, and opinions of the community it serves.  Therefore, the committee must distinguish between broad community sentiment and attempts to impose personal standards.  The deliberations should concentrate on the appropriateness of the material.  The question to be answered by the committee is, “Is the material appropriate for its designated audience at this time?”

The committee’s final recommendation will be (1) to remove the challenged material from the total school environment, (2) to take no removal action, or (3) to agree on a limitation of the educational use of the materials.

The committee chairperson will instruct the secretary to convey the committee’s recommendation to the office of the superintendent.  The recommendation should detail the rationale on which it was based.  A letter will be sent to the complainant outlining the outcome

 

Request for re-evaluation of instructional material to be submitted to the Superintendent.

REVIEW INITIATED BY:                                                    DATE: _________________

Name   __________________________________________________________________

Address  ________________________________________________________________

City/State  _______________________  Zip Code  ___________ Telephone __________

School(s) in which item is used ______________________________________________

Relationship to school (parent/guardian, student, citizen, etc.)  ___________________________

BOOK OR OTHER PRINTED MATERIAL IF APPLICABLE:

Author _______________________  Hardcover _____  Paperback ______ Other ______

Title  ___________________________________________________________________

Publisher (if known) ________________________________________________________________________

Date of Publication ________________________________________________________________________

MULTIMEDIA MATERIAL IF APPLICABLE:

Title  ___________________________________________________________________

Producer (if known) _______________________________________________________

Type of material (filmstrip, motion picture, etc.) ________________________________

PERSON MAKING THE REQUEST REPRESENTS:

           Self­­ ­­­­____________­­­­­­­­­­­­___           Group or Organization _______________________

Name of Group or Organization _______________________________________

Address of Group or Organization ______________________________________

1.         What brought this item to your attention?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

2.         To what in the item do you object?  (please be specific; cite pages, or frames, etc.)

_________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

3.         In your opinion, what harmful effects upon students might result from use of this item?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

4.         Do you perceive any instructional value in the use of this item?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

 5.         Did you review the entire item?  If not, what sections did you review?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

6.         Should the opinion of any additional experts in the field be considered?

Yes _______________                       No ______________

If yes, please list specific suggestions: __________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

7.         To replace this item, do you recommend other material which you consider to be of equal or superior quality for the purpose intended?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

8.         Do you wish to make an oral presentation to the Review Committee?

Yes _______________           (a) Please contact the Superintendent

(b) Please be prepared at this time to indicate the approximate length of time your presentation will require.  Although this is no guarantee that you'll be allowed to present to the committee, or that you will get your requested amount of time.

Minutes. __________________________

No _______________

 

__________________________________________            ________________________
Signature                                                                                 Dated

 

Dear:

We recognize your concern about the use of                                                      in our school district.  The school district has developed procedures for selection of instructional materials but realizes that not everyone will agree with every selection made.

To help you understand the selection process, we are sending copies of the following school district materials:

      1.   Instructional goals and objectives,

      2.   Instructional Materials Selection policy statement, and

      3.   Procedure for reconsideration of instructional materials.

If you are still concerned after you review this material, please complete the Reconsideration Request Form and return it to me.  You may be assured of prompt attention to your request.  If I have not heard from you within one week, we will assume you no longer wish to file a formal complaint.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

I. Responsibility for Internet Appropriate Use.

            A.  The authority for appropriate use of electronic internet resources is delegated to the licensed employees. 

            B.  Instruction in the proper use of the internet will be available to employees who will then provide similar instruction to their students.

            C.  Employees are expected to practice appropriate use of the internet, and violations may result in discipline up to, and including, discharge.  Violations relating to or supporting of illegal activities will be reported to law enforcement agencies.

 

   II.     Internet Access.

            A.  Access to the internet is available to teachers and students as a source of information and a vehicle of communication.

            B.  Students will be able to access the internet while at school under the supervision of a staff member.  Individual student accounts and electronic mail addresses may be issued to students at this time.

                  1.   Making internet access available to students carries with it the potential that some students might encounter information that may not be appropriate for students.  However, on a global network, it is impossible to control all materials.  Because information on the internet appears, disappears and changes, it is not possible to predict or control what students may locate.

                  2.   It is a goal to allow teachers and students access to the rich opportunities on the internet, while we protect the rights of students and parents/guardians who choose not to risk exposure to questionable material.

                  3.   The smooth operation of the network relies upon the proper conduct of the end users who must adhere to strict guidelines which require efficient, ethical and legal utilization of network resources.

                  4.   To reduce unnecessary system traffic, users may use real-time conference features such as talk/chat/internet relay chat only as approved by the supervising teacher.

                  5.   Transmission of material, information or software in violation of any board policy or regulation is prohibited.

                  6.   Users will be allowed to download and upload files that pass the requirements of the virus protection and/or content filter technologies that are in place.

                  7.   The school district makes no guarantees as to the accuracy of information received on the internet.

     

  III.     Permission to Use Internet

1. Annually, parents/guardians of students under the age of 18 will grant permission for their student to use the internet using the prescribed form. 

2. All employees will sign the “District Employee Technology Usage Agreement” and return it to the Central Office.
    
3. People using the guest wireless network to access the internet will be required to agree to the terms of use before they are granted access.

 

  IV.     Student Use of Internet.

1. Equal Opportunity - The internet is available to all students who have permission to use the internet within the school district under the supervision of a staff member.  The amount of time available for each student may be limited by the number of available terminals and the demands for each terminal.

1. It is possible that students in grades 6-12 who have a school-issued device as part of the 1:1 program will access the internet without direct supervision of a staff member during the school day.
2. Students in grades 6-12 who have a school-issued device as part of the 1:1 program will be able to access the internet while away from school.  Because they will be accessing the internet via the school’s internet service and content filtering technology, the same rules apply.
3. The internet is available to all staff that has a District Employee Technology Usage Agreement on file with Central Office.

            B.  Digital Citizenship

                  1.   The use of the network is a privilege and may be taken away for violation of board policy or regulations.  As a user of the internet, employees and students may be allowed access to other networks.  Each network may have its own set of policies and procedures.  It is the user’s responsibility to abide by the policies and procedures of these other networks.

                  2.   Internet Safety

a.   Users shall not post personal contact information on the internet with district-owned devices.  This includes name, age, gender, home address, or telephone number.  This does not include posts made on the school’s learning management system.

b.   Users should not share personal photos, personal videos, or photos/videos of others that do not support the curriculum or that are inappropriate.

c.   Students shall not engage in instant messaging or social networking sites at any time during the school day except when such has been approved for classroom use.

d.   Students should inform district personnel of any threatening, derogatory, or obscene communication immediately.

                  3.   Cyberbullying— The Board Policy forbids cyberbullying. For the purposes of this policy, “cyberbullying” shall mean using digital communication capabilities on any electronic device to bully others by:                                                                
a.  Sending or posting cruel messages or images
b.  Threatening others
c.  Excluding or attempting to exclude others from activities or organizations.
d.  Starting or passing on rumors about others or the school system.
e.  Harassing or intimidating others.
f.  Sending angry, rude, or vulgar messages directed at a person or persons privately or to an online group.
g.  Sending or posting harmful, untrue or cruel statements about a person to others.
h.  Pretending to be someone else and sending or posting material that makes that person look bad or places that person in potential danger.
i.  Sending or posting material about a person that contains sensitive, private, or embarrassing information, including forwarding private messages or images.
j.  Engaging in tricks to solicit embarrassing information that is then made public.
 

4. Employees and students should adhere to on-line protocol:

                        a.   Respect all copyright and license agreements.

                        b.   Cite all quotes, references and sources.

                        c.   Remain on the system long enough to get needed information, then exit the system.

                        d.   Apply the same privacy, ethical and educational considerations utilized in other forms of communication.

                        e.   Copyright—The Red Oak School District views copyright as a critical issue in regards to 21st Century learning. Copyright, and the related areas of trademark and licensing, are one of the most important issues to be addressed and taught to students. Copyright protects the rights of creators and users of information. Students and employees of the Red Oak Community School District are expected to follow copyright law.

1)   Plagiarism—The dictionary defines plagiarism as “taking ideas or writings from another person and offering them as your own.” The person who leads readers to believe that they are reading original work when it is copied, is guilty of plagiarism. The person who created a piece of work, should always be given credit. With the amount of cutting and pasting that is done via the internet, it is important that the guidelines of plagiarism are followed and credit is always given to the author of any piece of work.

2)  Fair Use—Fair use is part of the copyright law, and can be used when completing school work. If copying is not specifically prohibited in the copyright law, then it may be allowed under fair use. Users need to make good decisions about the specific circumstances in which they are using others’ work. Students and employees of the Red Oak School District are expected to follow the fair use guidelines that are provided in the Board Policy Manual.

3)   Public Domain—Users may upload creative works that are in the public domain for their own use. Users are responsible for determining whether a program is in the public domain.

4)   File Sharing—The installation and/or use of any internet-based file-sharing tools is prohibited. File-sharing programs and protocols like BitTorrent, Limewire, Kazaa, Acquisition and others may not be used to facilitate the illegal sharing of copyrighted material (music, video, and images).

                  5.   Email—Employees and Students should use only district-assigned email accounts or other approved forms of digital communication while at school.  Employees and students are expected to adhere to the following guidelines:

1. 1. School-issued email accounts will be accessed using the district supported and approved client software.
   2. Users are responsible for their passwords and accounts. At no time should one share his or her passwords with other users.  Users are not to use, or allow others to use their email or other accounts.  Any inappropriate use can result in the loss of the account as specified in the Acceptable Use Policy.
   3. Information transported using district email and other district owned accounts is not to be considered private, secure, or confidential. All electronic communication generated on district-owned hardware is considered the property of the school district and may be reviewed and deleted as needed to ensure network integrity and confidentiality.
   4. Email and other electronic communication should reflect professional standards at all time. School accounts should only be used for school related correspondence. With regards to personal email use, occasional sending or receiving of personal messages by staff or students is inevitable. This type of incidental personal use is permitted providing it does not violate district policy, adversely affect others, the speed of the network, or the employee’s professional responsibilities, including using instructional time for personal communication.
   5. District owned resources should never be used for the conduct of any personal, discriminatory, or unlawful business.  This includes use for commercial purposes, advertising, and political lobbying.
   6. In addition to the regulations listed above, users are expected to adhere to the following guidelines:
      1. Read email on a regular basis
      2. Delete unwanted messages immediately
      3. Use of vulgar and/or abusive language is prohibited
      4. Always sign your name to a message
      5. Acknowledge that you have received a document or file that someone has sent to you

            C. Restricted Material

1. Employees and students will not intentionally access, transmit, or download any text file or engage in any conference that:
         a.   includes material which is obscene, libelous, indecent, vulgar, profane or lewd.
         b.   advertises any product or service not permitted to minors by law.
         c.   constitutes insulting or fighting words, the very expression of which injures or harasses others.
         d.   presents a clear and present likelihood that, either because of its content or the manner of distribution, it will cause a material and substantial
              disruption of the proper and orderly operation and discipline of the school or school activities.
         e.   will cause the commission of unlawful acts or the violation of lawful school regulations.
2. Users agree to inform an appropriate district employee immediately if he or she:
   
   1. accidentally enters an internet site that is inappropriate as defined by this policy.
   2. accidentally changes the configurations on any computer.
   3. receives a message which makes him or her uncomfortable or is offensive.
3. Use of social network sites, game sites, chat rooms, and other similar sites, except under the direction of a classroom teacher during instructional hours is prohibited.
4. Any user of district technology resources used in the context of the school is prohibited from viewing, sending, or composing any digital communication that indicates or suggests unethical or illegal solicitation, racism, sexism, language that is inappropriate for the educational setting, cyberbullying, harassment, pornography, and other issues, including those defined by the nondiscrimination policy of the district.
5. Employees and students are prohibited from installing any unauthorized software, including personally owned software, on district-owned computers without permission from the district technology director.
6. All users are responsible for ensuring that any storage media that is brought in from outside the school are virus free and do not contain any unauthorized or inappropriate files as defined in this document. 

    D.  Unauthorized Costs - If an employee or student gains access to any service via the internet which has a cost involved or if an employee or student incurs other
          types of costs, the user accessing such a service will be responsible for those costs.
 

     E.  Abuse of Network Privileges

1. Employees and students will not use the network in such a way that would disrupt the use of the network by others.

1. 1. Users should never share their password with anyone or use another user’s password.
      1. 1. Users who share their passwords will be considered responsible any results of such use.
         2. If a user believes others know their password and if any user files have been altered, he or she should notify a district employee.
   2. Students should never use teachers’ computers without permission or supervision.
   3. Teachers should never allow students to use any device while the teacher is logged in.
   4. Gaining or attempting to gain unauthorized access to others’ files or vandalizing the data of another user is prohibited.

    F.  Vandalism is not permitted and will be strictly disciplined. 

1. Vandalism is defined as any attempt to harm or destroy computer equipment as well as the data of another user or of another agency or network that is connected to the internet. 
2. Vandalism includes, but is not limited to the uploading, downloading, or creation of computer viruses, or programs that infiltrate computer systems and/or damage software components.
    

   V.     District Rights and Responsibilities

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Teachers and those assisting students are responsible for teaching proper techniques and standards for participation, for guiding student access to appropriate areas of the internet, for assuring that students understand what constitutes misuse of the internet, and the consequences of misuse. Teachers should model appropriate behavior and enforce the Acceptable Use Agreement.
            2. The district shall provide all reasonable software for use by staff and students. 
            3. All software/hardware purchases need approval of the superintendent.
            4. Red Oak Community School District reserves the right to monitor all activity and use of the network. This includes, but is not limited to, monitoring downloads, files, and documents stored on any school-owned hardware, checking internet histories and cache files, observing users’ screens, reading email if deemed necessary, and blocking what the district considers inappropriate sites.
            5. The district technology staff routinely monitors and performs maintenance on fileservers, email, workstations, the internet, and user accounts. During these procedures, it may be necessary to review email and/or files stored on the network. Users should avoid storing personal and/or private information on the district and/or school’s technology resources.
            6. If routine maintenance and monitoring of the district’s systems shows that a user has violated this agreement, another school district agreement or law, school district officials will conduct an individual investigation or search.
            7. Sanctions may be both internal, involving loss of privileges or other district measures; and external, involving civil or criminal action under state or federal laws. All inappropriate items can be confiscated and only be returned to a parent/guardian.

 

  VI.     Student Violations--Consequences and Notifications.

1. Students who access restricted items on the internet are subject to the appropriate action described in board policy or regulations or the consequences found in the table on the next page.
2. Parents/Guardians will be notified of all violations of this Acceptable Use Agreement in a written letter or email from a school administrator or the technology coordinator.

 

The internet can provide a vast collection of educational resources for students.  It is global, making it impossible to control all information available.  Because information appears, disappears, and changes constantly, it is not possible to predict or control what students may locate 100% of the time.  In an effort to prevent access to such material, the Red Oak Community School District does use content filtering software designed to block access to undesirable material. Although students will usually be under staff supervision while on the network, it is not possible to always monitor individual students and what they are accessing on the network.  Therefore, some students might access information that is inappropriate or that may not be of educational value to them.  As a consequence of knowingly accessing and/or downloading inappropriate/objectionable items or sending messages with vulgar/abusive/threatening language, students shall be disciplined.  The district’s complete Internet Appropriate Use Policy and Violation Notification Form can be found in the student handbook.  Please decide if you would like your child to be granted internet access while a student at Red Oak Community School District.

I understand that by signing this form, I am permitting my child access the internet for educational purposes.  This permission will remain in force until such time as I notify the school district that I no longer want my child to access the internet.  I understand that my child can and will be disciplined for inappropriate use of the internet as defined in the student handbook.  I also agree to be responsible for any unauthorized costs incurred by my child while using the internet.

 

                        Student Name:          ________________________________

                        Grade Level:              ______________

                        Parent/Guardian:      ________________________________

                        Parent Signature:      ________________________________

                        Date:                           ______________

 

The internet can provide a vast collection of educational resources for students.  It is global, making it impossible to control all information available.  Because information appears, disappears, and changes constantly, it is not possible to predict or control what students may locate 100% of the time.  In an effort to prevent access to such material, the Red Oak Community School District does use content filtering software designed to block access to undesirable material.  Although students will usually be under staff supervision while on the network, it is not possible to always monitor individual students and what they are accessing on the network.  Therefore, some students might access information that is inappropriate or that may not be of educational value to them.  As a consequence of knowingly accessing and/or downloading inappropriate/objectionable items or sending messages with vulgar/abusive/threatening language, students shall be disciplined.  Our district’s complete Internet Appropriate Use Policy and Violation Notification Form can be found in the student handbook.  Please decide if you would like your child to be granted internet access while a student at Red Oak Community School District.

I understand that by signing this form, I am denying my child access to the internet for educational purposes.  This denial will remain in force until such time as I notify the school district that I no longer want my child denied access to the internet.

 

                        Student Name:          ________________________________

                        Grade Level:              ______________

                        Parent/Guardian:      ________________________________

                        Parent Signature:      ________________________________

                        Date:                           ______________

 

Student ______________________________________           

Administrator _________________________________

Date ________________________________________

Student Violations, Consequences, and Notifications:

Students who access and/or download inappropriate/objectionable items or send messages with vulgar/threatening language while on the internet shall be subjected to the following consequences:

First Violation:

For the first violation during the school’s fiscal year (July 1-June 30), a verbal and written “First Violation” notice will be issued to the student by the principal’s office using the prescribed form and the student’s internet privileges will be suspended for a period of nine weeks.  A copy of the notice will be sent by mail to the student’s parent/guardian by the building principal’s office and a copy kept on file in the principal’s office.

Second Violation:

Upon the second violation during the school’s fiscal year (July 1-June 30), a verbal and written “Second Violation” infraction notice will be issued to the student by the principal’s office using the prescribed form.  The student will lose all internet privileges.  A copy of the notice will be sent by mail to the student’s parent/guardian by the building principal’s office.

*Students in violation of district internet policies may also be punished according to our district good conduct policy, or other board policies, on a case-by-case basis to be determined by each building principal.

A student who has lost his/her internet privileges by committing a second violation may, at the beginning of the next regular school year, petition the Board of Education to have his/her internet privileges reinstated on a one-year probationary basis.  If during the one-year probationary period the student commits an additional violation, his/her internet privileges will be permanently suspended for the remainder of his/her time as a student in the Red Oak Community School District.

Nothing in this policy prevents the school district from immediately suspending a student’s internet privileges.

 

Employees and students may make copies of copyrighted materials that fall within the following guidelines.  Where there is reason to believe the material to be copied does not fall within these guidelines, prior permission shall be obtained from the publisher or producer with the assistance of the librarian.  Employees and students who fail to follow this procedure may be held personally liable for copyright infringement and may be subject to discipline by the board.

Under the “fair use” doctrine, unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted materials is permissible for such purposes as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship or research. Under the fair use doctrine, each of the following four standards must be met in order to use the copyrighted document:

• Purpose and Character of the Use - The use must be for such purposes as teaching or scholarship.
• Nature of the Copyrighted Work - The type of work to be copied.
• Amount and Substantiality of the Portion Used - Copying the whole of a work cannot be considered fair use; copying a small portion may be if these guidelines are followed.
• Effect of the Use Upon the Potential Market for or value of the Copyrighted Work - If resulting economic loss to the copyright holder can be shown, even making a single copy of certain materials may be an infringement, and making multiple copies presents the danger of greater penalties.

Authorized Reproduction and Use of Copyrighted Material Reminders

• Materials on the internet should be used with caution since they may, and likely are, copyrighted.
• Proper attribution (author, title, publisher, place and date of publication) should always be given.
• Notice should be taken of any alterations to copyrighted works, and such alterations should only be made for specific instructional objectives.
• Care should be taken in circumventing any technological protection measures. While materials copied pursuant to fair use may be copied after circumventing technological protections against unauthorized copying, technological protection measures to block access to materials may not be circumvented.

In preparing for instruction, a teacher may make or have made a single copy of:

• A chapter from a book;
• An article from a newspaper or periodical;
• A short story, short essay or short poem; or,
• A chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon or picture from a book, periodical or newspaper.

A teacher may make multiple copies not exceeding more than one per pupil, for classroom use or discussion, if the copying meets the tests of “brevity, spontaneity and cumulative effect" set by the following guidelines. Each copy must include a notice of copyright.

• Brevity
  • A complete poem, if less than 250 words and two pages long, may be copied: excerpts from longer poems cannot exceed 250 words;
  • Complete articles, stories or essays of less than 2500 words or excerpts from prose works less than 1000 words or 10% of the work, whichever is less may be copied; in any event, the minimum is 500 words;
  • Each numerical limit may be expanded to permit the completion of an unfinished line of a poem or prose paragraph;
  • One chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon or picture per book or periodical issue may be copied. "Special" works cannot be reproduced in full; this includes children's books combining poetry, prose or poetic prose. Short special works may be copied up to two published pages containing not more than 10 percent of the work.
• Spontaneity - Should be at the "instance and inspiration" of the individual teacher when there is not a reasonable length of time to request and receive permission to copy.
• Cumulative Effect - Teachers are limited to using copied material for only one course for which copies are made. No more than one short poem, article, story or two excerpts from the same author may be copied, and no more than three works can be copied from a collective work or periodical column during one class term. Teachers are limited to nine instances of multiple copying for one course during one class term. Limitations do not apply to current news periodicals, newspapers and current news sections of other periodicals.

Copying Limitations

Circumstances will arise when employees are uncertain whether or not copying is prohibited. In those circumstances, the librarian should be contacted. The following prohibitions have been expressly stated in federal guidelines:

• Reproduction of copyrighted material shall not be used to create or substitute for anthologies, compilations or collective works.
• Unless expressly permitted by agreement with the publisher and authorized by school district action, there shall be no copying from copyrighted consumable materials such as workbooks, exercises, test booklets, answer sheets and the like.
• Employees shall not:
  • Use copies to substitute for the purchase of books, periodicals, music recordings, consumable works such as workbooks, computer software or other copyrighted material. Copy or use the same item from term to term without the copyright owner's permission;
  • Copy or use more than nine instances of multiple copying of protected material in anyone term;
  • Copy or use more than one short work or two excerpts from works of the same author in any one term;
  • Copy or use protected material without including a notice of copyright. The following is a satisfactory notice: NOTICE: THIS MATERIAL MAY BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT LAW.
  • Reproduce or use copyrighted material at the direction of someone in higher authority or copy or use such material in emulation of some other teacher's use of copyrighted material without permission of the copyright owner.
  • Require other employees or students to violate the copyright law or fair use guidelines.

Authorized Reproduction and Use of Copyrighted Materials in the Library

A library may make a single copy or three digital copies of:

• An unpublished work in its collection;
• A published work in order to replace it because it is damaged, deteriorated, lost or stolen, provided that an unused replacement cannot be obtained at a fair price.
• A work that is being considered for acquisition, although use is strictly limited to that decision. Technological protection measures may be circumvented for purposes of copying materials in order to make an acquisition decision.

A library may provide a single copy of copyrighted material to a student or employee at no more than the actual cost of photocopying.  The copy must be limited to one article of a periodical issue or a small part of other material, unless the library finds that the copyrighted work cannot be obtained elsewhere at a fair price.  In the latter circumstance, the entire work may be copied.  In any case, the copy shall contain the notice of copyright and the student or employee shall be notified that the copy is to be used only for private study, scholarship or research.  Any other use may subject the person to liability for copyright infringement.

Authorized Reproduction and Use of Copyrighted Music or Dramatic Works

Teachers may:

• Make a single copy of a song, movement, or short section from a printed musical or dramatic work that is unavailable except in a larger work for purposes of preparing for instruction;
• Make multiple copies for classroom use of an excerpt of not more than 10% of a printed musical work if it is to be used for academic purposes other than performance, provided that the excerpt does not comprise a part of the whole musical work which would constitute a performable unit such as a complete section, movement, or song;
• In an emergency, a teacher may make and use replacement copies of printed music for an imminent musical performance when the purchased copies have been lost, destroyed or are otherwise not available,
• Make and retain a single recording of student performances of copyrighted material when it is made for purposes of evaluation or rehearsal;
• Make and retain a single copy of excerpts from recordings of copyrighted musical works for use as aural exercises or examination questions; and,
• Edit or simplify purchased copies of music or plays provided that the fundamental character of the work is not distorted. Lyrics shall not be altered or added if none exist.

Performance by teachers or students of copyrighted musical or dramatic works is permitted without the authorization of the copyright owner as part of a teaching activity in a classroom or instructional setting.  The purpose shall be instructional rather than for entertainment.

Performances of non-dramatic musical works that are copyrighted are permitted without the authorization of the copyright owner, provided that:

• The performance is not for a commercial purpose;
• None of the performers, promoters or organizers are compensated; and,
• Admission fees are used for educational or charitable purposes only.

All other musical and dramatic performances require permission from the copyright owner.  Parents or others wishing to record a performance should check with the sponsor to ensure compliance with copyright.

Recording of Copyrighted Programs

Television programs, excluding news programs, transmitted by commercial and non-commercial television stations for reception by the general public without charge may be recorded off-air simultaneously with broadcast transmission (including simultaneous cable retransmission) and retained by a school for a period not to exceed the first forty-five (45) consecutive calendar days after date of recording.  Upon conclusion of this retention period, all off-air recordings must be erased or destroyed immediately.  Certain programming such as that provided on public television may be exempt from this provision; check with the librarian or the subscription database, e.g. united streaming.

 

Off-air recording may be used once by individual teachers in the course of instructional activities, and repeated once only when reinforcement is necessary, within a building, during the first 10 consecutive school days, excluding scheduled interruptions, in the 45 calendar day retention period.  Off-air recordings may be made only at the request of and used by individual teachers and may not be regularly recorded in anticipation of requests.  No broadcast program may be recorded off-air more than once at the request of the same teacher, regardless of the number of times the program may be broadcast.  A limited number of copies may be reproduced from each off-air recording to meet the legitimate needs of teachers.  Each additional copy shall be subject to all provisions governing the original recording.

After the first ten (10) consecutive school days, off-air recordings may be used up to the end of the 45-calendar day retention period only for evaluation purposes, i.e., to determine whether or not to include the broadcast program in the teaching curriculum.  Permission must be secured from the publisher before the recording can be used for instructional purposes after the ten day period.

Off-air recordings need not be used in their entirety, but the recorded programs may not be altered from their original content.  Off-air recordings may not be physically or electronically combined or merged to constitute teaching anthologies or compilations.  All copies of off-air recordings must include the copyright notice on the broadcast program as recorded.

Authorized Reproduction and Use of Copyrighted Computer Software

Schools have a valid need for high-quality software at reasonable prices.  To assure a fair return to the authors of software programs, the school district shall support the legal and ethical issues involved in copyright laws and any usage agreements that are incorporated into the acquisition of software programs.  To this end, the following guidelines shall be in effect:

• All copyright laws and publisher license agreements between the vendor and the school district shall be observed;
• Employees shall take reasonable precautions to prevent copying or the use of unauthorized copies on school equipment;
• A back-up copy shall be purchased, for use as a replacement when a program is lost or damaged. If the vendor is not able to supply a replacement, the school district shall make a back-up copy that will be used for replacement purposes only;
• A copy of the software license agreement shall be retained by the technology director or librarian; and,
• A computer program may be adapted by adding to the content or changing the language. The adapted program may not be distributed.

Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia

Students may incorporate portions of copyrighted materials in producing educational multimedia projects such as videos, Power Points, podcasts and web sites for a specific course, and may perform, display or retain the projects.

Educators may perform or display their own multimedia ­based instructional activities. These projects may be used:

• In face-to-face instruction;
• In demonstrations and presentations, including conferences;
• In assignments to students;
• For remote instruction if distribution of the signal is limited;
• Over a network that cannot prevent duplication for fifteen days, after fifteen days a copy may be saved on-site only: or,
• In their personal portfolios.

Educators may use copyrighted materials in a multimedia project for two years, after that permission must be requested and received.

The following limitations restrict the portion of any given work that may be used pursuant to fair use in an educational multimedia project:

• Motion media: ten percent or three minutes, whichever is less;
• Text materials: ten percent or 1,000 words, whichever is less:
• Poetry: an entire poem of fewer than 250 words, but no more than three poems from one author or five poems from an anthology. For poems of greater than 250 words, excerpts of up to 250 words may be used, but no more than three excerpts from one poet or five excerpts from an anthology:
• Music, lyrics and music video: Up to ten percent, but no more than thirty seconds. No alterations that change the basic melody or fundamental character of the work;
• Illustrations, cartoons and photographs: No more than five images by an artist, and no more than ten percent or fifteen images whichever is less from a collective work;
• Numerical data sets: Up to ten percent or 2,500 field or cell entries, whichever is less;

Fair use does not include posting a student or teacher's work on the internet if it includes portions of copyrighted materials. Permission to copy shall be obtained from the original copyright holder(s) before such projects are placed online. The opening screen of such presentations shall include notice that permission was granted, and materials are restricted from further use.