02/17/2012

Student computer-use policies revised to include school and privately owned mobile devices

The School Board has updated policies on computer and Internet use, just in time for the rollout of iPads for use at the High School on March 6, 2012.

At their meeting Feb. 14, the board approved updated policies IJNDB, Student Computer and Internet Use, and companion rules policy IJNDB-R, to accommodate the 1-to-1 mobile computing initiative about to be launched.

The policies were rewritten by administrators and the board's policy subcommittee to reflect the changing nature of technology in all the schools, especially concerning mobile devices, committee chairman John Christie said at the School Board meeting.

The rewrite broadens the definition of computer services to include the network and Internet connections provided by the schools, and also defines and regulates use of privately owned devices within the schools, Christie said.

Christie advised parents and students to be familiar with the policies. "They do govern the use of computer services in the district, the use of district owned computers, whether you're in the district or at home," he said. "They also govern the use of privately owned computers including mobile devices in the district so it's important to understand what these policies are about," Christie said.

Mary Townsend, School Board chair, echoed Christie's advice. "Even for students who bring iPhones for instance to school, this policy is important for students and parents to take a look at because there are rules the schools have for those sorts of things," she said. "Students may want to understand this thoroughly."

Board member Joanna Morrissey called it a comprehensive policy that touches both academic and social aspects of student life, and she lauded administrators for crafting a document that addressed a "moving target" in the schools.