San Francisco Unified School District and County Office of Education
Board Policy 6163.4
Student Use of Technology
This Board Policy applies to the San Francisco Unified School District and the County Office of Education.
The Governing Board intends that technological resources provided by the District be used in a safe and responsible manner in support of the instructional program and for the advancement of student learning. All students using these resources shall receive instruction in their proper and appropriate use.
(cf. 0440 – District Technology Plan)
(cf. 1113 – District and School Web Sites)
(cf. 1114 – District-Sponsored Social Media)
(cf. 4040 – Employee Use of Technology)
(cf. 6163.1 – Library Media Centers)
Teachers, administrators, and/or library media specialists are expected to review the technological resources and online sites that will be used in the classroom or assigned to students in order to ensure that they are appropriate for the intended purpose and the age of the students.
The Superintendent or designee shall notify students and parents/guardians about authorized uses of District technology, user obligations and responsibilities, and consequences for unauthorized use and/or unlawful activities in accordance with this Board policy and the District’s Student’s Acceptable Use Agreement.
District technology includes, but is not limited to, computers, laptops, the District’s computer network including servers and wireless computer networking technology (wi-fi), the Internet, District-hosted communication platforms, email, USB drives, wireless access points (routers), tablet computers, smartphones and smart devices, telephones, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, pagers, MP3 players, wearable technology, any wireless communication device including emergency radios, and/or future technological innovations, whether accessed on or off site or through District-owned or personally owned equipment or devices.
The terms and conditions of District technology use, the District’s Acceptable Use Agreement and the District’s Internet Safety Administrative Regulation are described, and distributed annually, in the District Student and Family Handbook. In that agreement, the parent/guardian shall agree not to hold the District or any District staff responsible for the failure of any technology protection measures or user mistakes or negligence and shall agree to indemnify and hold harmless the District and District staff for any damages or costs incurred. Parent/guardian and student are deemed to have accepted the terms and conditions described in the Acceptable Use Agreement and applicable Administrative Regulation by receiving and using District technology.
(cf. 6162.6 – Use of Copyrighted Materials)
The District reserves the right to monitor student use of technology within the jurisdiction of the District without advance notice or consent. Students shall be informed that their use of District technology, including, but not limited to, computer files, email, text messages, instant messaging, and other electronic communications, is not private and may be accessed by the District for the purpose of ensuring proper use. Students have no reasonable expectation of privacy in use of the District technology. Students’ personally owned devices shall not be searched except under the circumstances permitted by state and federal law, including: (1) consent has been given, (2) pursuant to a search warrant, (3) pursuant to an emergency involving danger of death or serious physical injury to any person that requires access to the device, or (4) based on a good faith belief that the device has been lost, stolen, or abandoned and the search is done only to attempt to identify, verify, or contact the owner of the device.
(cf. 5145.12 – Search and Seizure)
The Superintendent or designee may gather and maintain information pertaining directly to school safety or student safety from the social media activity of any District student in accordance with Education Code 49073.6 and BP/AR 5125 – Student Records.
(cf. 5125 – Student Records)
Whenever a student is found to have violated Board policy or the District’s Acceptable Use Agreement, the principal or designee may cancel or limit a student’s user privileges or increase supervision of the student’s use of the District’s equipment and other technological resources, as appropriate. Inappropriate use also may result in the District reclaiming a District issued device or otherwise blocking access to District technology, disciplinary action and/or legal action in accordance with law and Board policy.
(cf. 5125.2 – Withholding Grades, Diploma or Transcripts)
(cf. 5144 – Discipline)
(cf. 5144.1 – Suspension and Expulsion/Due Process)
(cf. 5144.2 – Suspension and Expulsion/Due Process (Students with Disabilities))
The Superintendent or designee, with input from students and appropriate staff, shall regularly review and update procedures to enhance the safety and security of students using District technology and to help ensure that the District adapts to changing technologies and circumstances.
Internet Safety
The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that all District computers with Internet access have a technology protection measure that protects against access to visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or harmful to minors and that the operation of such measures is enforced. (20 USC 7131; 47 USC 254; 47 CFR 54.520)
To reinforce these measures, the Superintendent or designee shall implement rules and procedures designed to restrict students’ access to harmful or inappropriate matter on the Internet and to ensure that students do not engage in unauthorized or unlawful online activities.
Harmful matter includes matter, taken as a whole, which to the average person, applying contemporary statewide standards, appeals to the prurient interest and is matter which depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct and which lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors. (Penal Code 313)
Student’s Acceptable Use Agreement
The District’s Acceptable Use Agreement shall establish expectations for appropriate student conduct when using the Internet or other forms of electronic communication, including, but not limited to, prohibitions against:
- Accessing, posting, submitting, publishing, or displaying harmful or inappropriate matter that is threatening, obscene, disruptive, or sexually explicit, or that could be construed as harassment or disparagement of others based on their race/ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or political beliefs. This includes the prohibition of cyberbullying which is communicating harassing messages, direct threats, or other harmful texts, sounds, or images.
(cf. 5131 – Conduct)
(cf. 5131.2 – Bullying)
(cf. 5145.3 – Nondiscrimination/Harassment)
(cf. 5145.7 – Sexual Harassment)
(cf. 5145.9 – Hate-Motivated Behavior)
- Intentionally uploading, downloading, or creating computer viruses and/or maliciously attempting to harm or destroy District equipment or materials or manipulate the data of any other user, including “hacking.”
- Distributing personal identification information regarding themselves or another minor (such as name together with information that would allow another individual to locate the student, such as parent’s name, home address or location, work address or location, social security number or phone number), without the prior written consent of the minor’s parent/guardian.
- Use prohibited by United States or California laws and regulations, District Board Policies and Administrative Regulations, and school rules. This includes transmitting copyrighted material or material protected by trade secret law.
- Use that would subject the District or the individual to criminal, civil or administrative liability (e.g., is fraudulent, defamatory, denigrates people based on race/ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age disability, religion or political beliefs, constitutes sexual harassment, etc).
- Use that allows users of the network to gain unauthorized access to any communications systems, network or file; allows someone without valid authorization to access confidential information contained in any District system, network or file, including unauthorized disclosure or use of a user’s password or account number.
- Use that disables the Technology Protection Measure (filter) for the Internet system; or attempting to disrupt or destroy computer system performance by spreading viruses or by other means.
- Use of the District computers for personal commercial/for profit activities or illegal acts, such as arranging the sale or alcohol or drugs, engaging in criminal gang activity or threatening the safety of any person.
- Use that could cause damage or a danger of disruption, or that threatens, intimidates, harasses, or ridicules other students or staff.
- Student users will not agree to meet with someone they have met online without their parent’s approval and participation.
The Superintendent or designee shall provide age-appropriate instruction regarding safe and appropriate behavior on social networking sites, chat rooms, and other Internet services. Such instruction shall include, but not be limited to, the dangers of posting one’s own personal identification information online, misrepresentation by online predators, how to report inappropriate or offensive content or threats, behaviors that constitute cyberbullying, and how to respond when subjected to cyberbullying.
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
49073.6 Student records; social media
51006 Computer education and resources
51007 Programs to strengthen technological skills
60044 Prohibited instructional materials
PENAL CODE
313 Harmful matter
502 Computer crimes, remedies
632 Eavesdropping on or recording confidential communications
653.2 Electronic communication devices, threats to safety
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 15
6501-6506 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 20
7101-7122 Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants
7131 Internet safety
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 47
254 Universal service discounts (E-rate)
CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, TITLE 16
312.1-312.12 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act
CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, TITLE 47
54.520 Internet safety policy and technology protection measures, E-rate discounts
COURT DECISIONS
New Jersey v. T.L.O., (1985) 469 U.S. 325
Please note that compare references, or “cf”, refer to CSBA model policies and do not necessarily indicate that the San Francisco Unified School District has adopted the referenced policy.