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Niskayuna Central School District

Instructional Technology Plan

2018 – 2020

DRAFT

Table of Contents

Table of Contents 3

Instructional Technology Committee 4

District Mission 4

Vision Statement 4

Goals 5

Staff Development 10

Evaluation 11

District Technology Budget Details 12

Smart Schools Investment Plan 14

Renewal Cycle - Schedule 15

Renewal Cycle - Budget 16

ISTE Standards for Students (2016) 17

Student Use of Computerized Information Resources (BOE Policy #7315) 19

Internet Safety – Internet Content Filtering (BOE Policy #8271) 20

Parents’ Bill of Rights for Data Privacy and Security 22

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Instructional Technology Committee

This plan was created by the Instructional Technology Committee:

Frank Adamo Teacher, Iroquois Middle School Edward F. Alston III Coordinator of Information Technology Debra Berndt Principal, Birchwood Elementary School Thomas Blechinger Teacher, Van Antwerp Middle School Jacqueline Carrese Director, Science & Technology, K-12 Cynthia Castren Teacher, Birchwood Elementary School Nancy Czachor Teacher, Niskayuna High School Marie Digirolamo Director, World Languages, Social Studies, English as a New Language Allyson Esposito Teacher, Hillside Elementary School Jesse Fitzgerald Educational Technologist (Teacher on Special Assignment) Lauren Gemmill Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Camille Harrelson Director, Pupil Personnel Services Stephen Honicki Teacher, Niskayuna High School Christopher Jennings Teacher, Niskayuna High School Anthony Malizia Assistant Principal, Niskayuna High School Donna McAndrews Media Specialist, Niskayuna High School Erin McMahon Teacher, Glencliff Elementary School Luke Rakoczy Principal, Van Antwerp Middle School Shannon Thompson Media Specialist, Rosendale Elementary School William Wales Director, Mathematics, K-12

District Mission

Empower each individual to make responsible choices, meet challenges, achieve personal success and contribute to a global society.

Vision Statement

To provide a robust platform of tools and skills that ensure all students and staff have reliable access to technology that supports our educational mission. Modeling digital skills and integrating technology in ways that promote positive learning outcomes for all students, facilitates long-term growth and success for learners and individuals.

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Goals

Our plan to bring our vision to reality encompasses three goals:

1. Increase technology access to all levels.

Impact: All students. NYSED Goal Alignment: Design, implement, and sustain a robust, secure network to ensure sufficient, reliable high-speed connectivity for learners, educators, and leaders. Action Items:

Item Category Stakeholder Date of Completion Cost

1 Budgeting Director of Technology September 2018 N/A

Design and budget for a modern district-wide network upgrade at all buildings. Plan for utilizing one-time funding sources to limit impact on annual budget, manage ongoing support costs, and ensure reliable, secure, and equitable access for all students and staff.


2 Implementation Director of Technology September 2020 $866,693

Following applicable purchasing guidelines (Federal E-Rate, NYS Smart Schools Bond Act, and local district) select a vendor and implement district-wide network upgrade.


3 Budgeting Director of Technology April 2018 N/A

Plan for implementation of a 1:1 program at the middle school level. Develop a sustainable budget to allow for orderly replacement of devices on a schedule which balances ongoing support costs, student needs, and district budget limitations.


4 Implementation Director of Technology June 2020 $285,013

Implement the middle school 1:1 program, providing devices to students on an annual basis when they enter 6th grade. Provide for ongoing support costs, work with parents, teachers, administrators and students to ensure proper support and guidance to maximize benefits of this program. Revise plan as needed based on lessons learned each year.

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Plan for implementation of a 1:1 program at the high school level. Develop a sustainable budget to allow for orderly replacement of devices on a schedule which balances ongoing support costs, student needs, and district budget limitations.



Implement the high school 1:1 program, providing devices to students on an annual basis when they enter 10th grade (devices from middle school 1:1 program will be kept through 9th grade). Provide for ongoing support costs, work with parents, teachers, administrators and students to ensure proper support and guidance to maximize benefits of this program. Revise plan as needed based on lessons learned each year.



Plan for an implementation of school-based technology (not a 1:1 program) at the elementary level. Work with administrators, faculty and parents to identify age-appropriate technology by grade level, and ensure sufficient resources are available in each building to provide access to all students. Account for differences in building size at the elementary level to ensure equitable access for all students. Plan for ongoing device replacement based on the expected usable life of the device, balanced against ongoing support costs and budget limitations. Develop a plan and budget for software offerings that are age appropriate, linked with curricular goals, and are consistent across the district.



On an ongoing basis, purchase and install selected devices at each of five elementary school buildings. Provide ongoing support, install the necessary software, and revise plans based on changes in technology and student needs.

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2. Provide robust professional learning (PL) to all staff, embedded in their jobfunctions. Adapt and evolve PL offerings as technology changes.

Impact: All students.


1 Planning Assistant Superintendent September 2018 N/A

Professional Learning committee meets under Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, with Educational Technologist and other key stakeholders to research, survey, and distill information pertaining to PL needs for upcoming school year. This item occurs on an annual basis.


2 Budgeting Teacher on Special Assignment September 2018 N/A

Budget for, allocate staff to, and schedule out technology-related sessions matching PL needs identified in Action Item 1. This item occurs on an annual basis.


3 Communications Teacher on Special Assignment September 2018 N/A

Educational Technologist acts on information identified and planned for in Action Items 1 and 2. Scheduled events are added to collaborative document generated by PL committee. Oversight is provided by Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. Document is edited and transformed into full catalog. Catalog classes are entered into PL tracking system and released to staff. Educational Technologist advertises catalog, encourages participation, and ensures professional learning is meeting staff needs. This item occurs on an annual basis.


4 Implementation Teacher on Special Assignment June 2019 $35,408

Educational Technologist coordinates with Professional Developer and Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction to allocate instructional spaces, provide resources, and facilitate course enrollment. Educational Technologist and Professional Developer both lead courses themselves, and provide support for others who are instructing on an ongoing basis throughout the school year. This item occurs on an annual basis.

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NYSED Goal Alignment: Provide access to relevant and rigorous professional development to ensure educators and leaders are proficient in the integration of learning technologies. Action Items:


5 Evaluation Assistant Superintendent May 2019 N/A

PL Committee meets to assess feedback provided by PL session attendees. Feedback is aggregated, condensed, and analyzed. Highlights, lowlights, and other patterns are examined and discussed. Summary and comments are generated, to be shared out. Based on summary, comments, and discussion points, provide recommendations for changes in PL cycle, courses offered, etc. This item occurs on an annual basis.


6 Planning Assistant Superintendent June 2019 N/A

Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction meets with Educational Technologist and Professional Developer to review recommendations from Action Item 5. Based on these recommendations, they identify, budget for, and schedule out summer PL sessions. This item occurs on an annual basis.


7 Communication Assistant Superintendent June 2019 N/A

Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction meets with PL committee to generate a briefing document using information generated in Action Item 5 and additional planning information generated in Action Item 6. This briefing document is collaboratively edited and expanded. This information is shared out with employees and leadership in a variety of ways. This item occurs on an annual basis.


8 Implementation Teacher on Special Assignment August 2019 $7,082

Professional Developer meets with and coordinates with Educational Technologist to allocate instructional spaces, provide resources, and facilitate course enrollment. Educational Technologist and Professional Developer both lead courses themselves, and provide support for others who are instructing during summer PL sessions. This item occurs on an annual basis.

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3. Provide tools and resources to address needs of equity among diversepopulations, including Economically Disadvantaged Students, Students withDisabilities and English Language Learners.


1 Planning Teacher on Special Assignment January 2019 N/A

Identify key student sub-groups, including economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, and English language learners. Identify technology needs of these students, and assess what is currently available to them.


2 Budgeting Teacher on Special Assignment March 2019 N/A

Working with administrators, faculty, parents and students, and outside experts, identify assistive technology that can serve the needs of our diverse population. Where possible, select solutions that can be made available to the entire student body when needs arise. Build a reserve of additional devices to allow for immediate deployment by teachers/administrators when new students enroll or needs change. Identify funding sources for the various technology solutions, including local budget, third party grants, and state and federal programs.


3 Implementation Director of Technology September 2019 $20,000

Acquire and deploy various technology solutions from Action Item 2, both hardware and software.


4 Prof. Development Teacher on Special Assignment December 2019 N/A

Provide targeted training for staff on how to successfully embed assistive technology into the classroom, and in various instructional programs. Organize training by level, and provide follow-up support and re-training as necessary.


5 Implementation Director of Technology August 2020 N/A

Survey administrators, faculty, parents and students to determine effectiveness of assistive technology solutions. Identify areas in need of improvement, and updates plans accordingly.

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Impact: Economically Disadvantaged Students, Students with Disabilities, English Language Learners, K-12 NYSED Goal Alignment : Increase equitable access to high-quality digital resources and standards-based, technology-rich learning experiences. Action Items:

Staff Development

Philosophy

1. An effective professional development program follows a coherent, cohesive and comprehensive plan.

2. Effective professional development is based upon research and proven in practice, yet encouragesinnovation, experimentation, and risk-taking.

3. Professional development opportunities must be made available to every staff member, includingsupport personnel and administration.

4. Technology skills should always be taught in the context of how they can be integrated intoinstruction and/or classroom management.

5. Staff members should have input into the technology skills they are to learn, and the type ofinstruction that would be most effective for obtaining them.

6. Staff members require ongoing support in order to effectively integrate technology into their teachingand classroom management.

7. Technology skills are best learned in small group settings, providing for individualized attention.

8. Staff members often learn best from their peers.

9. Staff members should be offered a variety of instructional opportunity types (e.g. after school courses,peer mentoring, school day release time training, online classes, faculty meetings, video tutorials, etc.).

10. Staff development activities should be optimized based upon feedback from participants.

Staff development opportunities to be offered

1. Staff initiated professional development activitiesIndependent study (e.g., video training, tutorials, professional reading), Staff initiated building/department level workshops/presentations, Building/department level collaborative projects, Peer mentoring, Visitations, Teacher Leadership, Conferences, Professional authoring

2. District initiated professional development activitiesTeacher Induction Program (New Teacher Orientation, mentors, visitations), Sharing of technology integration accomplishments, Building and department meetings, K-5 Grade Level Meetings, Superintendent’s Conference Days, Nisky Academy course offerings

3. Regional professional development activitiesOnline courses/training, Model Schools Program, BOCES/NERIC course/training offerings

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Evaluation The Instructional Technology Committee is tasked with an annual review of our progress toward technology goals. Philosophy

1. Research is an integral part of the evaluative process for determining the effectiveness of any technology plan.

2. Technology implementation is a continuous process, requiring ongoing evaluation that should adapt to changing circumstances in the school district and advances in the technology.

3. Good communication among all members of the district and community regarding the evaluation of technology issues is essential.

4. Ongoing evaluation will enable decision makers to adapt objectives, priorities, and strategies throughout the implementation of the technology plan.

5. A variety of evaluative measures will provide information for decision-making.

6. Technology evaluation should be accomplished with the input of all interested parties, including students, district faculty and staff, administration and community members.

Goals

1. Assure that the Technology Plan is being effectively implemented.

2. Continue to analyze goals and determine, at any point, whether modifications are needed.

3. Determine the relationship between technology integration and student achievement.

4. Ascertain the effectiveness of technology use by staff to guide professional development. Tools

1. Clarity Technology Survey: A survey of students, parents, faculty and administrators, providing an annual

update on a variety of metrics related to technology access, skills, perceptions, and challenges.

2. Professional Development Survey: An annual survey of faculty and administrators to reports on quality of professional development, topics of interest, and participation in professional development opportunities. This survey is administered by the district Professional Development Committee, and the applicable results are shared with the Instructional Technology Committee for review and analysis.

3. My Learning Plan: All district professional development activities are tracked through this system. The Instructional Technology Committee will analyze this information by looking at technology related courses, and filtering for technology related end-user goals to analyze the topics, delivery methods, times, and locations that are most utilized and effective for staff.

4. Various discussion opportunities at Instructional Technology Committee meetings, District Leadership Team meetings, student forum meetings, and building or department faculty meetings to review progress, solicit feedback from stakeholders, and identify needs.

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District Technology Budget Details

CENTRAL SERVICES

Technology Services Overview

This area of the budget supports the technology use of 4,250-plus students and all district employees who use more than 2,000 devices every day. The district has wired and wireless networks, a complex server infrastructure, and a wide range of systems and equipment. A technology replacement plan is utilized as a stable, sustainable approach to regularly updating computing resources. Technicians respond to support requests to resolve any issues with technology. The department contracts with the BOCES' Northeastern Regional Information Center (NERIC) for some services. The Technology budget also includes fees for a variety of software subscriptions and services in use across the district, from financial management to library inventory systems. This area of the budget also includes the district print shop and courier.

New York State Requirements

There are extensive requirements related to schools maintaining, protecting, and providing to the state a variety of educational data. This includes data related to student demographics, enrollment, programs, schedules, attendance, grading, test results, teacher verification, etc. The state requires a series of district data uploads and verifications each year. The Technology Services department ensures that the district complies with all applicable laws and regulations regarding data security and privacy, including the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act.

Highlighted Changes for 2018-19

Technology replacement plan funding will be used to increase student access to devices, with a focus on Chromebooks at the middle school level. In 2018-19, the district expects to move forward with Phase II of its Smart Schools Investment Plan. Phase I of the plan called for the replacement of the security camera system to improve capabilities at all schools. Phase II will focus on increasing network connectivity in each building.

Proposed 2018-19 Budget

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Smart Schools Investment Plan The SMART SCHOOLS BOND ACT OF 2014 was passed in the 2014-15 Enacted Budget and approved by the voters in a statewide referendum held during the 2014 General Election on Tuesday, November 4, 2014. The Smart Schools Bond Act authorized the issuance of $2 billion of general obligation bonds to finance improved educational technology and infrastructure to improve learning and opportunity for students throughout the State.

Current plans for utilization of the district allocation of Smart Schools funds are outlined below.

Initial Niskayuna CSD Allocation $1,494,855

Phase 1 (School Security, approved November 2017) $488,000

Phase 2 (District-wide Network Upgrade, estimated) $741,693

Phase 2 (anticipated E-Rate reimbursement, estimated) $(217,347)

Phase 3 (Elementary Network Cabling, estimated) $125,000

Remaining Funds (estimated) $357,509

Phase 2 received Board of Education approval on September 17, 2018, and is awaiting approval by NYSED. This project represents a systematic upgrade to the district network, and includes the following:

● Replace critical centralized equipment and add redundancy (core switch, WLC) ● New “edge” switch at each building, with 10Gbps connection to WAN ● New switches in each network closet, with redundant 10Gbps connections (Most recently

purchased switches at HS repurposed, but all others removed and/or replaced.) ● Replacement wireless access points at elementary and middle schools (HS already completed) ● Standardized battery backups, district wide, for all network devices. (minimum 2 hour runtime) ● Update to latest Cisco network management software

Phase 3 is in the final design stage, and will be presented to the Board of Education and community in Fall 2018.

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Renewal Cycle - Schedule In order to ensure reliable access to technology, and minimize support costs, Niskayuna CSD has implemented a “renewal cycle” for all technology devices. By leveraging installment purchases through a BOCES Coser and supplementing with NYS Instructional Materials Aid, we are able to maintain a relatively flat annual budget allocation while meeting student needs. Elementary School Next Replacement

Description Device Status Quantity Cycle Purchase Deploy

Teacher Laptops Mac Laptop Existing 1/teacher 4 yrs 18-19 Sep-19

Mac Lab Mac Desktop Existing 28 6 yrs 22-23 Sep-23

PLTW iPads iPad (Full-size) Existing 28 4 yrs 18-19 Jan-19

Media Center iPad (Full-size) Existing 28 4 yrs 20-21 Sep-21

Grade 3-5 Chromebook Cart Chromebook Existing 28 4 yrs 19-20 Sep-20

Grade 3-5 Chromebook Cart Chromebook New 28 4 yrs 21-22 Sep-22

Grade K-2 - Classroom iPads iPad (Full-size) New 5/room 4 yrs 21-22 Jan-22

Art iPads (shared) iPad (Full-size) New 30 4 yrs 20-21 Sep-21

Middle School Next Replacement



Mac Lab Mac Desktop Existing 30 6 yrs 20-21 Sep-21

Technology Laptops PC Laptop Existing 20/room 5 yrs 21-22 Sep-22

TV Studio Varies Existing Varies 6 yrs 19-20 Sep-20

Student Chromebooks (1:1) Chromebook New 1/student, Gr. 6 3 yrs 18-19 Sep-19

High School Next Replacement



PLTW Labs PC Desktop Existing 66 4 yrs 21-22 Sep-22

Art/Music Lab Mac Desktop Existing 24 5 yrs 19-20 Jan-20

Art Classrooms Mac Desktops Existing 5 5 yrs 21-22 Sep-22

1/student, Gr. Student Chromebooks (1:1) Chromebook New 10 3 yrs 18-19 Sep-19

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Renewal Cycle - Budget

The table below lists anticipated Renewal Cycle expenses for the 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21 school years. The district generally plans on two installment purchases each year, leveraging a BOCES coser, in November and May. The majority of equipment is purchased in May, for implementation over the summer. Installment purchases are run for a three-year payment period.

Renewal Cycle Debt Service

Purchase 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21

15-11 $11,985.17

16-05 $87,782.25

17-02 $25,163.14 $18,872.86

17-05 $78,908.27 $78,908.27

17-07 $18,657.73 $18,657.73 $3,109.79

17-11 $25,829.74 $25,829.74 $12,914.87

18-05 $106,312.76 $106,312.76 $106,312.76

18-11 $14,851.67 $24,103.33 $24,103.33

19-05 $28,266.40 $92,680.76 $92,680.76

19-11 $14,851.67 $24,103.33

20-05 $33,794.40 $110,138.46

20-11 $14,851.67

21-05 $29,099.20

Total $397,757.12 $414,011.52 $417,314.17

*Items in italics are estimates of future purchases.

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ISTE Standards for Students (2016)

2016

ISTE STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS 1. Empowered Learner

Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences. Student s:

a. articulate a nd set perso nal learning goals, develop st rategies leveraging technology to achieve them and reflec t on the learning process itse lf to improve learning outcomes.

b. build net wo rks and custom ize their learning environments in way s t hat support t he learning process.

c. use tec hnology to seek feedba ck t hat informs and improves t heir practice and to demonstr ate the ir learning in a var iety of ways.

d. understand the fundamenta l co ncepts of technology operations, demons t rate the ability to choose, use and t roubleshoot cur rent tec hnologies a nd are able to transfer t heir knowle dge to explore emerging tec hnologies.

3. Knowledge Constructor Students cr itica lly c ur ate a var iet y of resources using digitaltools to cons tr uct knowledge, produce creative art ifac t s a nd make meaningfu I learning ex periences for themse lves and others. Studen t s:

a. plan and employ effec ti ve resea rch s tr ategies to locate info rmat ion and other resou rces fo r the ir intellectual or creative pursuits.

b. evaluate the acc uracy, perspective, credibil ity and relevance of information, media,data or ot her resources.

c. cura t e informat ion from d igi t al resources using a va riety of tools and methods to crea te collec tions of art ifacts that demons t rate meaningful connec t ions or conc lusions.

d. build knowledge by actively exploring real-wo r ld issues and problems, deve loping ideas and t heories and pursuing answers and solutions.

2. Digital Citize n Students recognize the rights, responsibilities and op port unities of livi ng, learning and working in an interconnected digital wo rld, and t hey ac t and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethica l. Students:

a. cultiva te and manage their digita l identity and reputation and are aware of t he permanence of t heir ac tions in the dig ital world .

b. engage in positive, sa f e, lega l and ethical behavior when using techno logy, inc luding social interac t ions online or when using networked devices.

c. demonstrate an understanding of and respect for t he right s and obligations of us i ng and shar i ng intel lectual property .

d. manage t heir persona l data to mainta i n digital privac y and security and are aware of data -co l lec t ion techno logy used to t rack their naviga t ion on line.

iste.org/standards

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4. Innovative Designer Students use a variety of techno logies w ithin a design process to identify and solve problems by creat ing new,useful or imaginative solut ions. St udents:

a. know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theo r ies, creating innovative artifacts o r solv ing authentic problems.

b. selec t and use digital too ls to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated r isks .

c. develop, test and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical des ign process.

d. exh ibit a tolerance fo r ambiguity, perseverance and the capacity to work w ith open- ended problems.

6. Creative Communicator Students communicate clea r ly a nd express themse lves creat ive ly fo r a var iety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles,formats and digita lmedia ap propriate to t heir goals . Studen t s:

a. choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the des i red object ives of the ir creation or commun ication.

b. create o riginal works or responsi bly repu rpose or remix digital resources into new creat ions.

c. communicate complex ideas clearly and effec tive ly by creating or using a var iety of digit a l objects such as visua lizat ions, models or simulat ions.

d. publish or present content t hat custom izes the message and medium for thei r intended audiences.

5. Computational Thinker Students develop and employ strategies for understand ing and so lv ing problems in ways that leverage the power of technolog ical methods to develop and test so lutions. Students:

a. formulate problem defini t ions suited fo r techno logy- assis ted methods such as data analys is, abstract models and algorithmic think i ng i n explor ing and finding so lut ions.

b. collect data o r identify relevant data sets, use digit al too ls to analyze t hem, and represent data in var ious ways to faci litate problem-solving and dec ision-mak ing.

c. brea k problems into component parts, ext rac t key informat ion, and develop descr ipt ive models to understand complex systems or fac ilitate problem- solving .

d. understand how automation works and use algorit hmic thinking to develop a sequence of steps to create and test automated solutions.

7. Global Collaborator Students use d igital tools to broaden the ir perspectives and enrich t heir learning by collabora t ing with others and wor k ing effect ively in teams local ly and g loba l ly. Students :

a. use dig ital tools to connect w ith learners from a variet y of backgrounds and cult ures, engag ing with them in ways that broaden mutual understanding and learni ng.

b. use co llaborative technolog ies to work with others, including peers, experts or commun ity members, to examine issues and problems from multiple viewpoints .

c. contribute constructively to project teams, assuming var ious roles and responsib ilities t o wor k effect ively toward a common goa l.

d. explore local and global issues and use co llabor at ive techno logies to work with others to invest igate so lutions.

ISTE Sta nd ards·S © 20 16 I nterna tiona l Society for Technol ogy in Edu cation . ISTE' is a registered tr ademark of the I n terna tio na l Society for Tech nology in Ed uca tio n . If you wo u ld l ike to re produce thi s m at er i al , p l ea se conta ct pe rmi ssion s@ist e.org.

iste.org/standards

mailto:[email protected]

Student Use of Computerized Information Resources (BOE Policy #7315) The Board of Education will provide access to various computerized information resources through the District’s computer system (“DCS” hereafter) consisting of software, hardware, computer networks and electronic communications systems. This may include access to electronic mail, so-called “on-line services” and the “Internet.” It may include the opportunity for some students to have independent access to the DCS from their home or other remote locations. All use of the DCS, including independent use off school premises, shall be subject to this policy and accompanying regulations. Further, all such use must be in support of education and/or research and consistent with the goals and purposes of the School District. Access to Inappropriate Content/Material and Use of Personal Technology or Electronic Devices This policy is intended to establish general guidelines for the acceptable student use of the DCS and also to give students and parents/guardians notice that student use of the DCS will provide student access to external computer networks not controlled by the School District. The District cannot screen or review all of the available content or materials on these external computer networks. Thus some of the available content or materials on these external networks may be deemed unsuitable for student use or access by parents/guardians. Despite the existence of District policy, regulations and guidelines, it is virtually impossible to completely prevent access to content or material that may be considered inappropriate for students. Students may have the ability to access such content or material from their home, other locations off school premises and/or with a student’s own personal technology or electronic device on school grounds or at school events. Parents and guardians must be willing to establish boundaries and standards for the appropriate and acceptable use of technology and communicate these boundaries and standards to their children. The appropriate/acceptable use standards outlined in this policy apply to student use of technology via the DCS or any other electronic media or communications, including by means of a student’s own personal technology or electronic device on school grounds or at school events. Standards of Acceptable Use Generally, the same standards of acceptable student conduct which apply to any school activity shall apply to use of the DCS. This policy does not attempt to articulate all required and/or acceptable uses of the DCS; nor is it the intention of this policy to define all inappropriate usage. Administrative regulations will further define general guidelines of appropriate student conduct and use as well as proscribed behavior. District students shall also adhere to the laws, policies and rules governing computers including, but not limited to, copyright laws, rights of software publishers, license agreements, and student rights of privacy created by federal and state law. Students who engage in unacceptable use may lose access to the DCS in accordance with applicable due process procedures, and may be subject to further discipline under the District’s school conduct and discipline policy and the District Code of Conduct. The District reserves the right to pursue legal action against a student who willfully, maliciously or unlawfully damages or destroys property of the District. Further, the District may bring suit in civil court against the parents/guardians of any student who willfully, maliciously or unlawfully damages or destroys District property pursuant to General Obligations Law Section 3-112. Student data files and other electronic storage areas will be treated like school lockers. This means that such areas shall be considered to be School District property subject to control and inspection. The Computer Coordinator may access all such files and communications without prior notice to ensure system integrity and that users are complying with the requirements of this policy and accompanying regulations. Students should NOT expect that information stored on the DCS will be private. Notification The District’s Acceptable Use Policy and Regulations will be disseminated to parents and students in order to provide notice of the school’s requirements, expectations, and students’ obligations when accessing the DCS. Regulations will be established as necessary to implement the terms of this policy. NOTE: Refer also to Policy #8271 — Internet Safety/Internet Content Filtering Policy District Code of Conduct Adopted March 28, 2017

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Internet Safety – Internet Content Filtering (BOE Policy #8271) In compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and Regulations of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the District has adopted and will enforce this Internet safety policy that ensures the use of technology protection measures (i.e., filtering or blocking of access to certain material on the Internet) on all District computers with Internet access. Such technology protection measures apply to Internet access by both adults and minors with regard to visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or, with respect to the use of computers by minors, considered harmful to such students. The District will provide for the education of students regarding appropriate online behavior including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms, and regarding cyberbullying awareness and response. Further, appropriate monitoring of online activities of minors, as determined by the building/program supervisor, will also be enforced to ensure the safety of students when accessing the Internet. Further, the Board of Education’s decision to utilize technology protection measures and other safety procedures for staff and students when accessing the Internet fosters the educational mission of the schools including the selection of appropriate teaching/instructional materials and activities to enhance the schools’ programs; and to help ensure the safety of personnel and students while online. However, no filtering technology can guarantee that staff and students will be prevented from accessing all inappropriate locations. Proper safety procedures, as deemed appropriate by the applicable administrator/program supervisor, will be provided to ensure compliance with the CIPA. In addition to the use of technology protection measures, the monitoring of online activities and access by minors to inappropriate matter on the Internet and World Wide Web may include, but shall not be limited to, the following guidelines: a) Ensuring the presence of a teacher and/or other appropriate District personnel when students are accessing the Internet including, but not limited to, the supervision of minors when using electronic mail, chat rooms, instant messaging, and other forms of direct electronic communications. As determined by the appropriate building administrator, the use of email, chat rooms, as well as social networking websites, may be blocked as deemed necessary to ensure the safety of such students; b) Monitoring logs of access in order to keep track of the websites visited by students as a measure to restrict access to materials harmful to minors; c) In compliance with this Internet Safety Policy as well as the District’s Acceptable Use Policy, unauthorized access (including so-called “hacking”), and other unlawful activities are prohibited by the District; and violations of such policies may result in disciplinary action; and d) Appropriate supervision and notification to minors regarding the prohibition as to unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal identification information regarding such students. The determination of what is “inappropriate” for minors shall be determined by the District and/or designated school official(s). It is acknowledged that the determination of such “inappropriate” material may vary depending upon the circumstances of the situation and the age of the students involved in online research. The terms “minor,” “child pornography,” “harmful to minors,” “obscene,” “technology protection measure,” “sexual act,” and “sexual contact” will be as defined in accordance with CIPA and other applicable laws/regulations as may be appropriate and implemented pursuant to the District’s educational mission. Under certain specified circumstances, the blocking or filtering technology measure(s) may be disabled for adults engaged in bona fide research or other lawful purposes. The power to disable can only be exercised by an administrator, supervisor, or other person authorized by the School District. The District shall provide certification, pursuant to the requirements of CIPA, to document the District’s adoption and enforcement of its Internet Safety Policy, including the operation and enforcement of technology protection measures (i.e., blocking/filtering of access to certain material on the Internet) for all District computers with Internet access. Internet Safety Instruction In accordance with New York State Education Law, the District may provide, to students in grades K through 12, instruction designed to promote the proper and safe use of the Internet. The Commissioner shall provide technical assistance to assist in the development of curricula for such course of study which shall be age appropriate and developed according to the needs and abilities of students at successive grade levels in order to provide awareness, skills, information, and support to aid in the safe usage of the Internet. Under the Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act, students will also be educated on appropriate interactions with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms, as well as cyberbullying awareness and response.

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Access to Inappropriate Content/Material and Use of Personal Technology or Electronic Devices Despite the existence of District policy, regulations, and guidelines, it is virtually impossible to completely prevent access to content or material that may be considered inappropriate for students. Students may have the ability to access such content or material from their home, other locations off school premises, and/or with a student’s own personal technology or electronic device on school grounds or at school events. The District is not responsible for inappropriate content or material accessed via a student’s own personal technology or electronic device or via an unfiltered Internet connection received through a student’s own personal technology or electronic device. Notification/Authorization The District’s Acceptable Use Policy and accompanying regulations will be disseminated to parents and students in order to provide notice of the school’s requirements, expectations, and student’s obligations when accessing the Internet. The District has provided reasonable public notice and has held at least one (1) public hearing or meeting to address the proposed Internet Safety/Internet Content Filtering Policy prior to Board adoption. Additional public notice and a hearing or meeting is not necessary when amendments are made to the Internet Safety Policy in the future. The District’s Internet Safety/Internet Content Filtering Policy must be made available to the FCC upon request. Furthermore, appropriate actions will be taken to ensure the ready availability to the public of this policy as well as any other District policies relating to the use of technology. The Internet Safety/Internet Content Filtering Policy is required to be retained by the school for at least five (5) years after the funding year in which the policy was relied upon to obtain E-rate funding. 47 USC Sections 254(h) and 254(l) 47 CFR Part 54 Education Law Section 814 NOTE: Refer also to Policy #7315 — Student Use of Computerized Information Resources (Acceptable Use Policy) District Code of Conduct Adopted March 20, 2017

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Parents’ Bill of Rights for Data Privacy and Security

The Niskayuna Central School District is committed to ensuring student privacy in accordance with local, state and federal regulations and district policies. To this end and pursuant to U.S. Department of Education regulations, the district is providing the following Parents’ Bill of Rights for Data Privacy and Security:

● A student’s personally identifiable information cannot be sold or released for anycommercial purposes.

● Parents have the right to inspect and review the complete contents of their child’seducation record.

● State and federal laws protect the confidentiality of personally identifiable informationand safeguards associated with industry standards and best practices, including but notlimited to, encryption, firewalls and password protection, must be in place when data isstored or transferred.

● Parents may access the New York State Education Department (NYSED) Student DataElements List, a complete list of all student data elements collected by NYSED is availablefor public review online and may also be obtained by by writing to the Office ofInformation & Reporting Services, New York State Education Department, Room 863EBA, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234.

● Parents have the right to have complaints about possible breaches of student dataaddressed. Complaints to NYSED should be addressed to: Chief Privacy Officer, NewYork State Education Department, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234; e-mailaddress is [email protected].

This bill of rights is subject to change based on regulations of the commissioner of education and the New York State Education Department chief privacy officer. Changes/additions are also anticipated as NYSED releases further guidance documents.

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mailto:[email protected]

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