Internet Use Policy

Dear Parents,

During the school year, your child may access the internet for educational purposes.  Below are many of the School District of Philadelphia’s “Access Rights and Privileges” and “Unacceptable Uses” Policies. Please review these policies with your children.

Access rights and privileges.

All access and rights are privileges granted by the District, and users should expect no privacy rights.

All District students will have access to the Internet through The District’s private network. Parents may specifically request that their children not be provided such access by notifying the District in writing.

No student will be given or have access to District-provided Internet e-mail.

Students may be permitted to access an external Internet e-mail service or their personal e-mail account for the purpose of legitimate instructional or school-based needs. This is a local decision.

Unacceptable Uses

Users may not use the District’s private network to access material that is profane or obscene (pornography of any kind), that advocates illegal acts, or that advocates violence or discrimination towards other people (hate literature).

Users may not post personal information on the Internet about themselves or other people. Personal contact information includes address, telephone, school address, work address, pictures or video bites, clips, etc.

Students may not agree to meet with someone they have met on the Internet without their parent’s approval and participation.

Users may not attempt to gain unauthorized access to any other computer system. This includes attempting to log in through another person’s account or access another person’s files. These actions are illegal, even if only for the purposes of “browsing”, “snooping”, or “electronic discovery”.

Users may not deliberately disrupt or harm hardware or systems, interfere with computer or network performance, interfere with another’s ability to use equipment and systems, or destroy data.

Users may not use the District’s private network to engage in illegal acts, such as arranging for a drug sale or the purchase of alcohol, engaging in criminal gang activity, threatening the safety of person, accessing or sharing unauthorized copyrighted music, movies, and other intellectual property, etc.

Users may not utilize peer-to-peer file-sharing applications or execute programs to facilitate the downloading or exchange of copyrighted or unauthorized music, movies, and other materials.

Users may not use the District’s private network to solicit information with the intent of using such information to cause personal harm or bodily injury to another or others.

Users may not post information that could endanger an individual, cause personal damage or a danger of service disruption.

Users may not knowingly or recklessly post false or defamatory information about a person or organization.

Users may not intentionally seek information on, obtain copies of, or modify files, other data, or passwords belonging to other users.

Users may not indirectly or directly make connections that create “backdoors” to the District, other organizations, community groups, etc. that allow unauthorized access to the District’s network.

Users may not use obscene, profane, lewd, vulgar, rude, inflammatory, hateful, threatening, or disrespectful language.

Users may not engage in personal attacks, including prejudicial or discriminatory attacks.

Users may not harass another person. Harassment is persistently acting in a manner that distresses or annoys another person.

Users may not re-post a message that was sent to them privately without permission of the person who sent them the message.

Users may not forward or post chain letters or engage in “spamming”. Spamming is sending an annoying or unnecessary message to a large number of people. Users will not install or reproduce unauthorized or unlicensed software on District resources.

Users may not plagiarize works that they find on the Internet or other resources.

Users may not use technology resources and Internet for private business activities or unreasonable personal use.

Users may not use the District’s private network for political lobbying.

Students will not download files unless approved by their teacher.