Berkeley County Schools (BCS) is committed to the effective use of technology to both enhance the quality of student learning and the efficiency of operations. However, use of the BCS network and technology resources is a privilege, not a right.

The Berkeley County Schools Technology Team shall develop written technology procedures which provide guidance to staff and students concerning the safe, appropriate, and ethical use of the BCS network(s) based on WVBOE policy 2460 regarding the use of electronic resources, technologies, and the Internet.

The technology procedures shall also inform both staff and students about disciplinary actions that will be taken if Board technology and/or network(s) are abused in any way or used in an inappropriate, illegal, or unethical manner. Unacceptable use of technology includes, but is not limited to:

Transmission or use of any material in violation of any federal or state law or regulation;
Use for commercial activities, product advertising, or political lobbying.
Transmission or use of any obscene, pornographic, or sexually explicit material;
Intentional transmission or use of any type of virus or malicious file or computer code to disable or disrupt service;
Illegally accessing or attempting to access any school, district, or state e-mail, electronic ID/password, data, system files, online resources, or equipment of the school that does not belong to the user;
Hacking, cracking, vandalizing, and other unlawful online activities;
Disclosing, using, or disseminating personal information regarding students;
Cyberbullying, hate mail, defamation, harassment, discriminatory jokes and remarks, and other unauthorized behaviors as defined in other Board policies;
"Sexting," the electronic transmission of sexual messages or pictures;
Using proxy sites or personal devices to avoid state or county filtering; and/or
All other prohibited activities as listed in WVDE Policy 2460 Section 6.3.

Further, safeguards, methods, and instructional models established by WVBOE policy to address Internet safety will be implemented and documented by BCS. All network access to BCS provided Internet shall be filtered through WVDE and/or county system filters to decrease the risk of students accessing inappropriate or harmful material. Accordingly, students shall be educated about appropriate online behavior including, but not limited to, 1) interacting with other individuals through electronic mail, on social networking websites, and in chat rooms and 2) recognizing what constitutes cyberbullying, understanding cyberbullying is a violation of Board policy, and learning appropriate responses if they are victims of cyberbullying.

The acceptable and appropriate use of telecommunications and/or access to the Internet and digital resources is an extension of the educator’s responsibility in his/her classroom. Educators occupy a position of trust and stand in the place of a parent/guardian while a student is in school. Therefore, it is the educator’s responsibility to ensure classroom activities focus on appropriate and specific learning goals and objectives when using Internet-related technologies. It is the educator’s responsibility to avoid using technology in such a manner that places him/her in a position to abuse that trust.

Collaboration, resource sharing, and dialogue between the educational stakeholders (teachers, students, and/or parents) may be facilitated by the use of social media and other electronic communication. Such interactivity outside of the school walls can enhance classroom instruction. However, a clear line must be drawn between personal and professional/educational social networking to protect the safety of the students and the integrity of educational professionals and service staff. Use of social media and electronic communication must support the educational process and follow county technology procedures. Educators are discouraged from using personal accounts to contact students.

Educators who register students for any online accounts must have explicit parental permission for the students to use those accounts. It is imperative that the educatorcarefully read the Terms & Conditions of the website and comply with said Terms & Conditions. Most sites transfer the liability to the teacher to get parental permission.

Professional development regarding the responsible use of the Internet and other technologies will be provided to employees and students. Employees and students who complete the training and sign Acceptable Use Agreement forms may be provided with appropriate usernames and passwords to access Berkeley County School’s network(s) and technologies.

Employees and students are provided with a state e-mail account and password. A state e-mail address may be required to participate in state online courses, to receive information distributed through state and county distribution lists and listservs, and to access county servers and websites. Use of personal e-mail accounts to contact staff, students, and parents is discouraged. Employees and students must use a state or county educational e-mail account for school work and communication. Use of the state e-mail account for personal communications is discouraged.

All information stored within the state’s and BCS computers, servers, and other technology devices is the property of the state, Board, or school. Users of Berkeley County School’s equipment and networks have no expectations of privacy with respect to its content.

Student use of Internet-related or web-based applications must be authorized by an educator and the parent/guardian through a signed Acceptable Use Agreement form. Appropriate adult supervision of Internet use must be provided. While WVDE does filter Internet traffic, filtering software is not 100% effective. Deliberate and consistent monitoring of student use of the Internet and technologies is vital to prevent access to inappropriate and harmful materials. While classroom educators have primary contact with students, acceptable and appropriate use of online resources, technologies, and the Internet is the responsibility of all county staff and employees.

The West Virginia Education Information System (WVEIS) is to be used exclusively for the business of BCS and its schools. All staff must maintain the confidentiality of student data in accordance with The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

BCS shall follow the guidelines of federal and state law, the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act federal statues (COPPA). Unauthorized or unacceptable use of the Internet or educational technologies as part of an educational program by students, educators, or staff may result in suspension or revocation of such use and/or disciplinary actions involving local, county, state, or federal agencies.

All equipment owned by the district or school that is used off-site shall be subject to the same rules as when used on-site.

Students and staff are prohibited from using county or personally owned devices to capture, record or transmit the sounds (i.e. audio) and/or images (i.e. pictures/video) of any student, staff member, or other person in the school or while attending a school-related activity, without express prior notice and explicit consent for the capture, recording, or transmission of such words or images. Taking or transmitting audio and/or pictures/video of an individual, without his/her consent, may be an invasion of privacy and is not permitted.

Technology may not be used in any way that might reasonably be interpreted by others as an attempt to threaten, humiliate, bully, harass, embarrass, or intimidate another person. The use of any camera device (i.e. devices that take still or motion pictures, whether in a digital or other format) is prohibited in bathrooms, locker rooms, or any room serving the functionality of the previously mentioned rooms.

Downloading, copying, duplicating, and distributing software, music, sound files, movies, images, or other copyrighted materials without the specific written permission of the copyright owner is generally prohibited. However, the duplication and distribution of materials for educational purposes are permitted if and when such duplication and distribution fall within the Fair Use Doctrine of the United States Copyright Law (Title 17, United States Code http://copyright.gov/title17) and content is cited appropriately.

Berkeley County Schools

Berkeley County Schools Acceptable Use of Technology & Networks

General

Educational Purpose

Accessing a County/School Network

Web Publishing

Form C - Parental Consent & Waiver Form

BCS Device Procedures & Information

Receiving Your Device

Returning Your Device

Taking Care of Your Device

Using Your Device

Managing & Saving Your Digital Work With a Device

Operating System on Your Device

Acceptable Use Guidelines

Protecting & Storing Your Device

Repairing/Replacing Your Device

Device Technical Support

BCS Mobile Device Take Home Agreement

BCS Mobile Device Take Home Agreement

Artificial Intelligence Guidance

General