Internet policy - Minnesota

[fmcdonald@VAX1.MANKATO.MSUS.EDU]

To:   LM_Net
From: Fran McDonald, President
      Minnesota Coalition Against Censorship
RE:   Internet policy

In April, I posted the first draft of an Internet policy.  The policy is
complete and has been adopted by the Board of Directors of the Minnesota
Coalition Against Censorship.  Feel free to post it, use language from it,
and distribute it, if you find it useful.

We also developed an Internet statement, not part of this policy.  I will
post it another time.  We don't want the discussion statement confused with
our adopted policy.

Our next step will be developing suggested guidelines to help school
districts develop Internet Use Policies.  When we have a draft document, I
will post it.  Thank all of the persons who reacted to our first draft.
Your suggestions were helpful.

Fran
fmcdonald@vax1.mankato.msus.edu


Policy follows:


Minnesota Public School Internet Policy

        The Internet, a global electronic information infrastructure, is a
network of networks used by educators, businesses, the government, the
military, and organizations.  In schools and libraries, the Internet can be
used to educate, to inform, and to entertain.  As a learning resource, the
Internet is similar to books, magazines, video, CD-ROM, and other
information sources.

        Students use the Internet to participate in distance learning
activities, to ask questions of and consult with experts, to communicate
with other students and individuals, and to locate material to meet their
educational and personal information needs.  School library media
specialists and teachers have a professional responsibility to work
together to help students develop the intellectual skills needed to
discriminate among information sources, to identify information appropriate
to their age and developmental levels, and to evaluate and use information
to meet their educational goals.

        Because the Internet is a fluid environment, the information which
will be available to students is constantly changing; therefore, it is
impossible to predict with certainty what information students might
locate.  Just as the purchase, availability, and use of media materials
does not indicate endorsement of their contents by school officials,
neither does making electronic information available to students imply
endorsement of that content.

        The networking environment requires that school officials define
guidelines for student exploration and use of electronic information
resources.  Such guidelines should address issues of privacy, ethical use
of information with respect to intellectual property, using the networks
for illegal activities, or knowingly spreading embedded messages or other
computer programs that have the potential of damaging or destroying
programs or data.  Internet use guidelines should have as their underlying
value the preservation of student rights to examine and use all information
formats and should not be used to place restrictions on student use of the
Internet.

School officials must adopt policies related to the Internet.  Such
policies should include language affirming that:

--Students have the right to examine a broad range of opinions and ideas in
the educational process, including the right to locate, use and exchange
information and ideas on the Internet.
--Students have the right to examine and use all information formats,
including interactive electronic formats.
--Students have the right to communicate with other individuals on the
Internet without restriction or prior restraint.
--School officials must respect a student's right to privacy in using
Internet resources and using the Internet as a vehicle for communication.
--School officials, school employees, or other agencies responsible for
providing Internet access must not make individual, arbitrary, unreviewed
decisions about Internet information sources.
--School officials must apply the same criterion of educational suitability
used for other educational resources to attempts to remove or restrict
access to specific databases or other Internet information sources.
--If restrictions are placed on student access to Internet resources, it is
parents and only parents who may place restrictions on their children, and
only their own children.  Parents may not tell the school to assume
responsibility for imposing restrictions on their children.
--Students are responsible for the ethical and educational use of their own
Internet accounts.
--Students have a responsibility to respect the privacy of other Internet users.
--Policies and procedures to handle concerns raised about Internet
resources should be similar to those used for other educational resources.

August 18, 1994
Minnesota Coalition Against Censorship
1021 West Broadway
Minneapolis, MN 55411