Arp Independent School District Posting & Publishing Policies

Posting Policies
 

The Arp ISD Posting Policies require that students, community, faculty, and stakeholders be presented in a positive light in all academic and athletic areas and settings. 

Web Content & All Digital Communication including but not limited to: Blogging, Chat, Forums, and Email – The content of Arp ISD Website, DVDs, CDs, videos, PodCasts, Blogs, Wikis, streaming video sessions, linked-Web content, email, or any other school-related publication will reflect on the image of the district and as such must be handled responsibly, ethically, and taken seriously. Publications, postings, email, and media are intended to be used for the communication of school information and the activities of classes, educational objectives, clubs, athletics and other school events. The content of these postings and publications follow the same guidelines as the Arp ISD's Acceptable Internet Use Policy. Submissions will not permit unacceptable, obscene, derogatory or objectionable information or content, language, media or images as defined by the Arp ISD administration.
 

Publication purposes for all productions or products -- using Web, email, CD, DVD, video, newspapers, magazines, yearbook, broadcasts or any media shall be to:

  1. Promote successful students and educational practices
  2. Provide educational and technical awareness to parents, community, faculty, students, and all stakeholders
  3. Allow students the opportunity to develop ethical and technical expertise in the fields of communications, broadcasting, and telecommunications
  4. Provide a learner-centered environment for: 
  5. Provide a forum for the ethical exchange of knowledge under copyright laws
  6. Promote best-practices for educational objectives (excluding violence, unethical behavior, or abusive language or acts)
  7. Provide teaching and learning 24-7
  8. Allow students & teachers to gain recognition for successful practices.
  9. Promote Internet Safety and Technical Literacy
  10. Protect the identity of minors

Who May Publish Information on the AISD Web?

The following persons and organizations will be allowed to publish information on the AISD Web Site:

  • School, departments, offices, official committees, and organizations of the school district
  • Official student organizations or approved student products
  • Currently-employed faculty and staff
  • Each school's PTO and
  • Other groups or individuals whose purposes are consistent with the mission of the school district, at the discretion of the district superintendent and the Web Design Team for the district site.
  • There will be no personal student pages published to the outside world on any AISD district or campus server without prior authorization.  Faculty pages are allowed, providing that they offer appropriate information.  Vitas for students and faculty members must have prior authorization.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR the websites, email, media, and Blogs?

The Posting Policies for the district will be under the direction of the Director of Technology. Each student, teachers, campus and department posting will be familiar with the Posting Policies before they are allowed to utilize district systems.   Each staff member must attend training to learn the necessary skills to manage student and campus postings, email, media, and learn design requirements. Each person who posts or emails is responsible for the content of their postings.

DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

The District shall not be held liable for the following:

• users' inappropriate use of the District's electronic communication resources

• violations of copyright restrictions

• users' mistakes

• negligence

• costs incurred by users

• The District shall not be responsible for insuring the accuracy or usability of any information found on the Internet.

 

ACCEPTABLE USE

 

The technology director shall develop and implement administrative regulations, guidelines, and user agreement, consistent with the purposes and mission of the District and with law and policy governing copyright.

 

MONITORED USE

 

Electronic mail transmissions and other use of the electronic communication system(s) by students and employees shall not be considered confidential and may be monitored at any time by designated staff to ensure appropriate use for educational or administrative purposes.

 

TRAINING

 

Training for employees and students in the proper use of the system(s) will be provided. Users will be provided copies of the District's acceptable use guidelines. Training in the District's systems will emphasize ethical use of all system resources.

 

BLOGS: The purpose of a Blog is not to chat or email friends. Instead, Blogs are to exchange educational ideas, questions, and materials. Blogs are to be used for instructional purposes ONLY. They are to follow all posting policies. Use proper spelling and grammar on your Blog. DO NOT share personal information if you are under 16 years of age (telephone number, face photos, or address).  Before setting up your Blog, please consult how to control access - click here.

 

EXEMPLARY BLOGS: View Videos at:

COPYRIGHT

 

Copyrighted software, information, or data may not be placed on any system connected to the District's system(s) without permission from the holder of the copyright. Only the owner(s) or individuals the owner(s) specifically authorize may upload copyrighted material to the system(s).

 

PUBLISHING GUIDE FOR DISTRICT AND CAMPUS POSTINGS

 

BASIC CONSIDERATIONS

 

It is desirable that the district and the campus sites present a unified and coherent picture of our school district and the AISD mission. Therefore, the following guidelines are meant to remind publishers of the variety of details that should be considered when designing a web page:

• All Blogs, Forums, Posts must be titled with the student’s correct first and last name. No special characters are allowed.

• Students MUST set Access to “Authenticated Users” ONLY. If the student fails to set the proper access, their Blog may be deleted. See Blog Access Control: http://www.arp.sprnet.org/admin/Blog_Setup.htm

• Proper grammar and spelling is essential for publishing content to the global community.

• Be sure to observe copyright laws when using the work of others.

 

Graphics

• Images should have a resolution of approximately 72 dpi (dots per inch).

• For quickness in loading, images should be a maximum size of about 2" by 3" (300X200 pixels) or 70 KB.

• If larger images are used, thumbnail sketches and text alternatives should be provided.

• JPG graphics should be used wherever possible.

• Photographs of staff members or students may be used if that staff member or parent/guardian has signed an electronic release form.

• When using student photographs, first names only will be used to identify a student who is a minor.

Content Specifications for Postings

 

Remember that the purpose of the web pages is to educate. Information contained on the site should be of benefit to students, parents, staff members, and community. Pages should also be updated frequently and correct in both grammar and spelling.

 

Each web page must contain the following:

• A title that appropriately describes the content of the page and includes the campus name,

• A last modified date stamp

• Well-edited text, including correct spelling and appropriate grammar

• Factually-correct information, correctly cited information

• If copyright material is used, references which point to the origin of the information must be given.

No AISD Posting May Contain:

• Inappropriate material or links to inappropriate material. (Remember that the purpose of the link should be to improve the academic performance of all students.) The Director Technology and the Web Design Team of AISD will define what is objectionable or inappropriate for a school site.

• Individuals, schools or departments must not post defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, harassing, offensive, or illegal language or material. These items are defined by the Board of Education.

• Links to resources that no longer exist.

• Full names of students with identifying picture. (If a student picture is to be used in an article, students must be referred by their first name only)

 

Any graphic or information that is in violation of copyright laws.

• Commercial advertisements or links, including banner ads and promotions.

• Commercial use is prohibited. Commercial use is defined as “offering or providing products or services”.

• Engaging in fund-raising, political lobbying or other political activities is prohibited for AISD employees.

PLANNING GUIDELINES FOR Postings

DEVELOPMENT TOOLS

The District provides Web pages, Blogs, Wikis, and Forums for posting information online. Additionally, FrontPage, Apple Blog, and Dreamweaver are available to students and schools through the Technology Department.

FREE SPEECH

The schools’ right to free speech applies also to communications on the Internet. The AISD postings are considered a limited forum, similar to the school publications, and therefore the district may restrict the speech for valid educational reasons. The district will not restrict any speech on the basis of a disagreement with the opinions being expressed. The district may disagree with how a view is expressed.

Design Tips

• Identify the audience to be served by the first page.

• Plan fonts and graphics with the audience in mind.

• Identify potential participants to contribute to the page.

• Clarify the organization of information.

• Create home pages that are easy to read.

• Create a top-level home page that is short, includes the purpose of the web page, and links to additional pages.

• Additional pages should provide detailed information.

• Sketch out the visual design and evaluate its effectiveness.

• Evaluate the "overall look."

• Strive for a consistent layout style.

• Only use graphics that serve a purpose and use appropriate graphics for that purpose.

Web Browser Considerations

• Design web pages that can be viewed by multiple browsers.

• Include only exemplary work for publishing.

Arp ISD Acceptable Use Internet Policy for Staff

To ensure the use of this system in a productive manner, a list of guidelines has been developed. All employees are required to abide by the guidelines. If you are a Arp ISD teacher or administrator, and would like a web account, please contact the Web Master at 903-859-2408. Training is required before an account will be generated. New accounts will be operational during training sessions.

GUIDELINES

1. The account belongs to the person to whom it is issued, and only that person is authorized to use it.

2. The account is provided through the Arp Independent School District. It is to be used in support of the district's educational goals and in a manner consistent with the policies and procedures of AISD.

3. In order to ensure smooth system operations, the system administrator has the authority to monitor all accounts.

4. Different access and service levels for different types of personnel may be given to employees, depending on the nature of their work (Web, TigerTube, Epsilen, Blogs, Podcasts, Intranet Publications). AISD reserves the right to block access to certain Internet sites if necessary.

5. You are legally and ethically responsible for protecting and preserving AISD proprietary rights. This means that no messages disclosing sensitive, confidential, restricted, non-public, or proprietary information may be published.

6. AISD reserves the right to withdraw account privileges at any time for any reason or no reason at all.

 

PROHIBITIONS

 

The following practices are NOT acceptable:

• Giving out your password.

• Sharing your account.

• Using someone else's account.

• Using your account to harass, discriminate against, or abuse someone.

• Using your account for commercial purposes.

• Using your account to access inappropriate, obscene, or pornographic material.

• Using unauthorized chat rooms or messaging.

• Seeking unauthorized access to any resource.

• Downloading/uploading of software or files without first checking for viruses.

• Transmitting email messages without your correct identity.

• Copying, downloading, or distributing any copyrighted materials including but not limited to email, text files,

program files, image files, database files, sound files, and music files.

 

CONSEQUENCES

 

Violating any of the guidelines or prohibitions listed above can result in any or all of the following:

1. Restricted network access.

2. Termination of your network account.

3. Disciplinary or legal action including, but not limited to, criminal prosecution and/or penalty under appropriate state and federal laws.

Student Posting Of Original Work Permission Slip

(last edited: 09/11/12)

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