Understanding the Acceptable Use Policy

What is the AUP?

An Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) helps to define which behaviors are

acceptable when using a school system's technology. These are

basically the rules that students and staff must follow in order to be allowed

to use the resources.

Overview

• The AUP provides information about what stakeholders can and can not do with available technologies.

• It applies to administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals, students, contractors, or anyone else who uses BCPSS equipment.

Why Do We Have An AUP?

• To inform parents, guardians and students of the availability of technology and Internet resources in the Baltimore City Public School System

• To inform interested parties of the rules governing technology use

• To establish in all potential users an understanding of and agreement to honor those rules

• To obtain express parental or guardian permission for an individual student to use school technologies

• To obtain from minors a written acknowledgment and agreement to honor the rules

Why Do We Have An AUP?

• To ensure that Internet use supports teaching and learning

• To promote "Netiquette"• To ensure that Internet use is consistent with 

educational objectives• To provide personal security

What Does the AUP Say?

• The AUP covers 2 basic areas– Student safety– Legal and ethical use of technology

Student Safety

• Students should not share personal information– Name– Address– Phone number– School information– Photos of themselves– Don’t meet someone they have met

online

Student Safety

• Internet access is filtered in accordance with the Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA)

• Spam email is not allowed– Spam is considered to be an

inappropriate mass mailing and is also known as flooding or bombing

– Chain letters are considered spam

Student Safety

• Online bullying and harassment are not allowed– Transmitting slanderous or defamatory

materials– Threatening or harassing messages

• Transmitting or displaying inappropriate images, text or audio files is not allowed

Legal and Ethical Issues

• All equipment should be used to support student learning, instruction or support processes

• Do not waste or overload computer resources

• Do not install an unlicensed program

Teacher Responsibilities

• Teachers are responsible for what students do with technology while in their class.

• Teachers should– Teach students about the AUP and

appropriate use of technology– Model appropriate uses of technology– Set expectations for students to

demonstrate appropriate use of technology

Teacher Responsibilities

• Teachers should– Use classroom and lab computers for

teaching and learning– Incorporate the use of technology into

classroom rules and responsibilties– Ensure that students are using

computers on a regular and on-going basis

Examples of Violations

• Unauthorized use of a computer account; • Misrepresenting the user’s identity or the BCPSS in

an electronic correspondence; • Connecting unauthorized equipment to any part of

the BCPSS network; • Deliberately wasting or overloading computer

resources, such as printing large quantities of a document from a workstation;

• Deliberately or carelessly use of equipment that results in damage

Examples of Violations

• Deliberately or carelessly installing viruses or other malware

• Using electronic mail to harass or threatened others. (includes sending repeated, unwanted e-mail, such as chain mail, to another user);

• Sending SPAM• Transmitting or reproducing materials that are

slanderous or defamatory or that otherwise violate existing laws and regulations;

• Displaying or downloading obscene, lewd or sexually harassing images, text or audio;

• Tampering with another user’s email or network account

Examples of Violations• Using BCPSS’s computing or network facilities to

conduct personal or business activities for entertainment or personal gain;

• Violating terms of applicable software licensing agreements; and

• Violating copyright laws and their fair use provisions through inappropriate reproduction or dissemination of copyrighted text, images, audio, video, etc.

Violations of the AUP – Level IStaff

• General infractions that result in no loss of data or damage to a technology resource– account sharing – misuse of computer

resources• Penalty

– suspension from direct technology resource access for one month

– letter of reprimand

Students• General infractions that result

in no loss of data and or damage to a technology resource – account sharing – misuse of computer

resources• Penalty

– suspension from technology resource access for one month or more

– a letter of reprimand

Violations of the AUP – Level IIStaff

• Infractions that result in minor loss of data or damage to a technology resource – unauthorized deletion of

data files – unauthorized shut-down

of file servers. • Penalty

– suspension from the workplace for three days

– suspension from direct technology resource access for six months

– fine to cover replacement of data or resources.

Students• Infractions that result in

minor loss of data or damage to a technology resource – unauthorized deletion

of data files – unauthorized shut-down

of file servers. • Penalty

– suspension from school for two months

– suspension from direct technology resource access for six months

– fine to cover replacement of data or resources.

Violations of the AUP – Level IIIStaff

• Infractions that result in irreplaceable loss of data or severe damage to a technology resource– copyright violations – virus introduction

• Penalty • permanent suspension from

direct technology resource access

• possible criminal charges and litigation

• Possible termination of employment

Students• Infractions that result in

irreplaceable loss of data or severe damage to a technology resource – copyright violations – virus introduction

• Penalty – permanent suspension

from direct technology resource access

– possible criminal charges and litigation

– possible expulsion from school

Copyright

• Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U. S. Code) to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works.

• A copyright is a property right. • Copyright law encourages and rewards the creativity of

authors and artists and ensures a robust collection of original works available for public enjoyment and benefit, which is its main goal.

1998 Student Press Law Center (http://www.splc.org/legalresearch.asp?id=32)

Fair Use

• Fair Use is the legal right to use a portion of copyrighted materials for educational or informational purposes.

• Fair Use Factors – Ask the following questions:– What is the purpose of the use? – What is the nature of the work to be used? – How much of the work will you use? – What effect would this use have on the market

for the original or for permissions if the use were widespread?

Fair Use Quiz

The owner of the local Blockbuster Video store supports the school by donating one videotape rental-free to the

school every Friday. The video is shown in the multipurpose room to reward students with perfect

attendance that week. This is fair use.Click for the answer

FALSE

"Entertainment" and "reward" are explicitly excluded under copyright guidelines. To show a movie for entertainment purposes, you must obtain a version from an authorized

distributor who can license you to show it.

Fair Use Quiz

A student building a multimedia art project uses copyrighted images of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings

downloaded from the Web. He submits this project to a multimedia competition honoring classroom work

and wins a prize for the school. This is covered under fair use.

Click for the answer

TRUE The competition was expressly designed for

classroom work by students. If the resulting projects were distributed on CD-ROM or posted at a Web site,

however, the copyrighted works could cause a problem.

Fair Use Quiz

A school purchases one copy of a typing tutorial program, which is housed in the library. It is checked out to individual students to take home for two-week

periods. This is permissible as long as the homes erase the program at the end of the two weeks.

Click for the answer

TRUEThe checkout is fine. The school must make serious

efforts, however, to make sure parents erase the program from their computers.

Fair Use Quiz

A school can only afford one copy of Kid Pix. It loads this onto the library computer and all students and all classes have access to it all day. The teachers copy and install Kid Pix

Player on their classroom computers to evaluate the student work. This is permissible.

Click for the answer

TRUE "Players" such as this are intended for

distribution and the program itself is never in simultaneous use.

Fair Use Quiz

A high school video class produces a student video yearbook that they sell at community events to raise money for equipment for the school. They use well-

known popular music clips. The money all goes to the school and the songs are fully listed in the credits.

This is covered under fair use. Click for the answer

FALSEThis is not instructional use. The fact that money is being charged is irrelevant; the problem lies in the use of copyrighted materials for non-instructional

purposes.

Fair Use

Is it Fair Use?

The chart on the next slide gives examples of what is

considered fair use for educators…

27

Work or Materials to be used for Educational Purposes

Fair Use Restrictions for Face-to-Face Teaching

Chapter in a book

Single copy for teacher for research, teaching, or class preparation. Multiple copies (one per student per class) okay if material is (a) adequately brief, (b) spontaneously copied, (c) in compliance with cumulative effect test.Copyright notice and attribution required.

Newspaper/magazine article Same as above. Multiple copies of complete work of less than 2,500 words and excerpts up to 1,000 words or 10% of work, whichever is less. For works of 2,500-4,999 words, 500 words may be copied.

Prose, short story, short essay, Web article

Poem

Same as for first item. Multiple copies allowed of complete poem up to 250 words -- no more than two printed pages.Multiple copies of up to 250 words from longer poems.

Artwork or graphic image - chart, diagram, graph, drawing, cartoon, picture from periodical,

newspaper, or book, Web page image

Same as for first item. No more than 5 images of an artist/photographer in one program or printing and not more than 10% or 15% of images from published collective work, whichever is less.

Motion media -film and videotape productions

Single copy of up to 3 minutes or 10% of the whole, whichever is less. Spontaneity required.

Music -sheet music, songs, lyrics, operas,

musical scores, compact disk, disk, or cassette taped recordings

Single copy of up to 10% of a musical composition in print, sound, or multimedia form.

Broadcast programs

Single copy of off-air simultaneous broadcast may be used for a period not to exceed the first 45 consecutive calendar days after recording date. Use by only individual teachers. Copyright notice required.

Where Can I Find the AUP?

To locate the BCPSS Acceptable Use Policy, type the address www.bcps.k12.md.us into your web browser.

From the Intranet (inside the district)

Once you are on the BCPSS Intranet site, click the departments button. This will give

you a drop-down menu. Select Information

Technology. This will expand one more

time, and you will see a link to the

Technology Acceptable Use Policy. Click this

link.

The document should open in a

new window. Please note, you will need Adobe

Reader to view this file, as it is a PDF

document.

From the Internet (outside of the district)

If you are trying to access the AUP from home or some

other location outside of the district’s network, you will

need to type www.baltimorecityschools.org

into your web browser.

Click on the menu bar link that says “Staff”. This will produce a drop-down menu. From there, click the link that

says “Policies”.

To access the policy, click the link for letters S-Z. You will then see the link for the AUP. Click this to open the file.

Take a Look at the AUP

Click Here to View the AUP

Don’t forget to sign the last page and turn it in to your administrator!

Want to Know More?

Explore the TSS online learning library located on the TSS.

Contact the TSS Group

rross@bcps.k12.md.us

443-984-1550