5115-Policy and Administrative Regulations Regarding Student Use of the Districts Computer Systems and Internet Safety

Computers, computer networks, electronic devices, Internet access, and  electronic messaging systems are effective and important technological resources. The  Newtown Board of Education (the “Board”) has installed computers and a computer  network(s), including Internet access and electronic messaging systems on Board  premises, and may provide other electronic devices that can access the network(s) and/or  have the ability to send and receive messages with an operating system or network  communication framework. Devices include but are not limited to personal computing  devices, cellular phones, Smartphones, Smartwatches, network access devices, radios,  personal cassette players, CD players, tablets, walkie-talkies, personal gaming systems,  Bluetooth speakers, personal data assistants, and other electronic signaling devices.  Electronic messaging systems include mobile, chat, and instant message; cloud  collaboration platforms, including internal chat, peer-to-peer messaging systems, and  draft email message transfer; and products that have the ability to create duration-based  or subjective removal of content, such as Snapchat, and security focused platforms, such  as Signal. The Board’s computers, computer network, electronic devices, Internet  access, and electronic messaging systems are referred to collectively as "the computer  systems" and are provided in order to enhance both the educational opportunities for our  students and the business operations of the Newtown Public Schools (the “District”). 

These computer systems are business and educational tools. As such, they are  made available to students in the District for education-related uses. The Administration  shall develop regulations setting forth procedures to be used by the Administration in an  effort to ensure that such computer systems are used by students solely for education related purposes. The District will educate minor students about appropriate online  behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and  in chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness and response. Additionally, the District will  implement a technology protection measure to block or filter Internet access to visual  depictions that contain material that is obscene or obscene as to minors or contains child  pornography, and ensure that such filtering technology is operative during computer use  by minor students to the extent practicable when such students are using Board-owned  computers or devices and Board-provided Internet access. 

As the owner of the computer systems, the Board reserves the right to monitor  the use of the District’s computers and computer systems. 

Legal References: 

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-221 

Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 53a-182b; 53a-183; 53a-250 et seq.

Electronic Communication Privacy Act of 1986, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510 through 2523  Children’s Internet Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. § 254(h) 

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 20 U.S.C. § 6777 

Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act, 47 U.S.C. § 254(h)(5)(B)(iii) 

Adopted: December 3, 2024 NEWTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS  Newtown, Connecticut

ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS REGARDING STUDENT USE OF THE DISTRICT'S COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND INTERNET SAFETY 

1. Introduction 

a. Access to District Computer Systems When Students Are Physically Present on  School Property 

When students are physically present on Newtown Public Schools (“District”) property,  the Newtown Board of Education (the “Board”) is pleased to offer students access to the  District's computers and computer networks, including access to electronic messaging systems  (including email) and the Internet, as well as electronic devices (all of which will be referred to  collectively as "computer systems"). Access to the school's computer systems will enable  students to explore online resources, including but not limited to libraries, blogs, wikis,  databases, websites, and bulletin boards, while exchanging information with others. Such  access is provided solely for education-related purposes. Use of the District's computer  systems will be allowed only for students who act in a considerate and responsible manner in  using such systems. 

The Board and the Administration believe in the educational value of such computer  systems and recognize their potential to support our curriculum by expanding resources  available for staff and student use. The Board’s goal in providing this service is to promote  educational excellence by facilitating resource sharing, innovation and communication. 

These computer systems are expensive to purchase, install and maintain. As the  property of the District, these computer systems must be carefully handled and their integrity  preserved for the benefit of all. Therefore, students are required to adhere to a set of policies  and procedures, as set forth in detail below, in conjunction with their use of the computer  systems. Violations may lead to withdrawal of the access privilege and/or disciplinary  measures in accordance with the Board’s student discipline policy. 

b. Access to District Computer Systems When Students Are Engaged in Digital or  Remote Learning 

The Board and the Administration recognize that technology is integral to the delivery of  instruction if and when the District implements any form of digital or remote learning. The  District may therefore provide students with remote access to some or all of the District’s  computer systems so that students may access the District’s virtual learning environment. Such  access, if granted, is provided solely for education-related purposes. Use of the District's  computer systems will be allowed only for students who comply with District policies and  procedures concerning computer system use, and demonstrate the ability to use the computer  systems in a considerate and responsible manner. 

These computer systems are expensive to purchase, install and maintain. As the  property of the District, these computer systems must be carefully handled and their integrity  preserved for the benefit of all. Therefore, students will be required to adhere to a set of  policies and procedures, as set forth in detail below, in conjunction with their use of the  computer systems. Violations may lead to withdrawal of the access privilege and/or  disciplinary measures in accordance with the Board’s student discipline policy. 

2. Definitions 

“Obscene” means any material or performance if, a) taken as a whole, it predominantly appeals  to the prurient interest, b) it depicts or describes in a patently offensive way a prohibited sexual  act and c) taken as a whole, it lacks serious literary, artistic, educational, political or scientific  value. 

“Obscene as to minors” means any material or performance if it depicts a prohibited sexual act  and, taken as a whole, it is harmful to minors. 

For purposes of this section, “harmful to minors” means that quality of any description or  representation, in whatever form, of a prohibited sexual act, when a) it predominantly appeals  to the prurient, shameful or morbid interest of minors, b) it is patently offensive to prevailing  standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable material for  minors, and c) taken as a whole, it lacks serious literary, artistic, educational, political or  scientific value for minors. 

For the purposes of this section, "prohibited sexual act" means erotic fondling, nude  performance, sexual excitement, sado-masochistic abuse, masturbation or sexual intercourse. 

“Child pornography” means any visual depiction, including any photograph, film, video,  picture, or computer or computer-generated image or picture, whether made or produced by  electronic, mechanical, or other means, of sexually explicit conduct, where - 

(a) the production of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in  sexually explicit conduct; 

(b) such visual depiction is a digital image, computer mage, or computer-generated  image that is, or is indistinguishable from, that of a minor engaging in sexually  explicit conduct; or 

(c) such visual depiction has been created, adapted, or modified to appear that an  identifiable minor is engaging in sexually explicit conduct. 

3. Monitoring  

Students are responsible for good behavior on school computer systems just as they are  in a classroom or a school hallway. Communications on the computer systems are often public  in nature and general school rules for behavior and communications apply. It is expected that  users will comply with District standards and will act in a responsible and legal manner, at all  times in accordance with District standards, as well as with state and federal laws. 

It is important that students and parents understand that the District, as the owner of the  computer systems, reserves the right to monitor and review the use of these computer systems. 

The District intends to monitor and review in a limited fashion, but will do so as needed to  ensure that the systems are being used for District-related educational purposes. 

As part of the monitoring and reviewing process, the District will retain the capacity to  bypass any individual password of a student or other user. The system's security aspects, such  as personal passwords and the message delete function for email, can be bypassed for these  purposes. The District's ability to monitor and review is not restricted or neutralized by these  devices. The monitoring and reviewing process also includes, but is not limited to: oversight of  Internet site access, the right to review electronic messages sent and received, the right to track  students’ access to blogs, electronic bulletin boards and chat rooms, and the right to review a  student’s data downloading and printing. 

Therefore, all users must be aware that they should not have any expectation of personal  privacy in the use of these computer systems. 

4. Student Conduct 

Students are permitted to use the District’s computer systems for legitimate educational  purposes. Personal use must be specifically authorized by a District staff member.  Unauthorized personal use of District computer systems is expressly prohibited. Conduct which  constitutes inappropriate use includes, but is not limited to the following: 

Sending any form of a harassing, threatening, or intimidating message, at any  time, to any person (such communications may also be a crime); 

Gaining or seeking to gain unauthorized access to computer systems; 

Damaging computers, computer files, computer systems or computer  networks; 

Downloading or modifying computer software of the District in violation of  the District's licensure agreement(s) and/or without authorization from a  teacher or administrator; 

Using another person's password under any circumstances; 

Trespassing in or tampering with any other person's folders, work or files; 

Sending any message that breaches the District's confidentiality requirements,  or the confidentiality of students; 

Sending any copyrighted material over the system; 

Using computer systems for any personal purpose, or in a manner that  interferes with the District’s educational programs; 

Accessing or attempting to access any material that is obscene, obscene as to  minors, or contains child pornography, as defined above;

Transmitting or receiving email communications or accessing information on  the Internet for non-educational purposes; 

Cyberbullying; 

Accessing or attempting to access social networking sites (e.g., Facebook,  Twitter/X, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, etc.) without a staff member’s  authorization and/or a legitimate educational purpose; 

The unauthorized use of generative artificial intelligence on any of the Board’s computer systems. For purposes of this policy, “generative artificial  intelligence” refers to a technology system, including but not limited to 

ChatGPT, capable of learning patterns and relationships from data, enabling  it to create content, including but not limited to text, images, audio, or video,  when prompted by a user. 

In addition, as noted above, if a particular behavior or activity is generally prohibited by  law, by Board policy or by school rules or regulations, use of these computer systems for the  purpose of carrying out such behavior or activity is also prohibited. 

Misuse of the computer systems, or violations of these policies and regulations, may  result in loss of access to such computer systems as well as other disciplinary action, including  suspension and/or expulsion, depending on the specific conduct. 

Anyone who is aware of problems with, or misuse of, these computer systems, or has a  question regarding the proper use of these computer systems, should report or discuss the issue  with a teacher or the school principal immediately. Most importantly, the Board and the  Administration urge any student who receives any harassing, threatening, intimidating or other  improper message through the computer system to report this immediately. It is the Board's  policy that no student should be required to tolerate such treatment, regardless of the identity of  the sender of the message. Please report these events! 

5. Internet Safety 

The Administration will take measures to assure the digital safety and security of  students when using electronic messaging systems, email, chat rooms, distance learning  platforms, and other forms of direct electronic communications; to prohibit unauthorized  access, including “hacking” and other unlawful activities by minors online; to prohibit  unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personally identifiable information regarding  students; to educate minor students about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with  other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness  and response; and to restrict students’ access to online materials that are obscene or obscene as  to minors or contain child pornography, to the extent practicable when students are using  Board-owned computers or devices and Board-provided Internet access. 

6. Student Use Agreement

Before being allowed to use the District’s computer systems, students and/or their  parents/guardians must sign a computer system use agreement, stating that they have read and  understood the District’s policies and regulations regarding the use of its computer systems. 

Legal References: 

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-221 

Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 53a-182b; 53a-183; 53a-250 et. seq. (computer-related offenses) 

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-193 (definition of obscene and obscene as to minors)

18 U.S.C. § 2256 (definition of child pornography) 

Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510 through 2523

Children’s Internet Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. § 254(h) 

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 20 U.S.C. § 6777 

Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act, 47 U.S.C. § 254(h)(5)(B)(iii) 

 Miller v. California, 413 U.S. 15 (1973) (definition of obscene) 

Administrative Regulations Adopted: December 3, 2024

***SEE PDF FOR FORMS