ONLINE SAFETY
STUDENT EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE AND SAFETY
MSD of Warren Township maintains a policy (po7540.03) for students that establishes necessary controls and guidelines that define appropriate educational and ethical uses of the Internet, identify student responsibilities, and outline procedures for enforcing the behavior on the Internet and handling violations.
CHILD INTERNET PROTECTION ACT (CIPA)
The school is required by CIPA to have technology measures and policies in place that protect students from harmful materials including those that are obscene and pornographic. This means that student email is filtered. Mail containing harmful content from inappropriate sites will be blocked.
The district uses a content filter which is a cloud based solution that acts as a shield for users on the network. As a shield, it serves as monitor/protection between the Internet and users by blocking access from potentially objectionable or offensive material. A list of sites believed to be objectionable are classified under different profiles. This can differ between grade levels. The filter also utilizes a Real-Time Content Analysis, meaning it can identify and classify content no matter how recently it has been created, and, at the same time, identify the tell-tale signatures of the proxy sites used to try and circumvent filters. No filter guarantees to block all inappropriate or objectionable content. Staff and students are responsible for acceptable use and reporting when online.
CHILDREN’S ONLINE PRIVACY PROTECTION ACT (COPPA)
One of the important realities of taking advantage of the wealth of online learning tools available to students is the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). This law applies to websites and online services (including mobile apps) and governs the collection and use of personal information from children under 13. When we work with a 3rd party site, we must operate within the constraints of the law.
In many cases, online services comply with the law by explicitly granting school districts the ability to create and manage accounts on behalf of students under age 13; however, many companies do not. The FTC recommends that all websites and online services – particularly those directed to children – post privacy policies online so visitors can easily learn about the operator’s information practices. As a district we work to utilize only sites that follow the COPPA requirements 100%, providing privacy policies that support our protection of online information.
MSD of Warren Township utilizes a number of online systems to support student learning. The district will provide all parents an online list of software and sites being utilized throughout each academic school year and buildings will communicate any specific adjustments to parents within their school. If you are uncomfortable with any site, would like your child to not access a site or have a question, please contact your building principal.
FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT (FERPA)
FERPA protects the privacy of student education records and gives parents rights to review student records. Under FERPA, schools may disclose directory information (name, phone, address, grade level, etc...) but parents may request that the school not disclose this information by sending a written request to the Director of Communications.
The school will not publish confidential education records (grades, student ID #, etc.) for public viewing on the Internet.
The school may publish student work and photos for public viewing but will not publish student last names or other personally identifiable information.
Parents may request that photos, names and general directory information about their children not be published. For more information on how to do this, contact the Director of Communications.
Parents have the right at any time to investigate the contents of their child’s email and Apps for Education files.