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"I don't recommend eliminating AUPs.  I do recommend that they be
incorporated into the students handbook.  They set up the guidelines for
acceptable use of the internet at school and they are necessary rules
just as schools have other rules.  If Internet use is integrated into
the curriculum it is no longer a privilege to use the Internet, but
integral part of the curriculum making knowledge of it's use necessary
for advancement or graduation.   I don't consider it using the Internet
if a student uses the library catalog (ours is on the Internet) or other
sites that are stand alone sites like  Electric Library.  And last but
not least I don't believe there have been any court cases where parents
sued the school over things the students got from the Internet. If
anyone has any documentation of such a case please let me know."

"Our administrators decided a year and a half ago simply to require an
AUP from every student, along with the emergency card.  No cards, no
enrollment.
In a school with 2000 kids, computers in the classrooms and computers in
the library, it just is not possible to sort out which kids have
permission and which kids do not and to exclude the have-nots
consistently.  And I do think the AUP is going to disappear.  We never
did require permission to use the entire library collection, now, did
we?  And doesn't every library collection have something to offend just
about anyone?"

"Our school district eliminated signed AUPs this year.  There is a
statement in the Parent Handbook which says all students will have
access to the internet unless the parent requests them not to.  I don't
believe anyone has made this request.  I believe it is an expectation in
most, if not all, of our classes, that students will use the internet as
one of their resources for information.  This seems to be working very
well for us and has sure saved us a lot of work."

"Cathy, in the 4th year of AUP, we integrated it into our regular
handbook that all students must sign. In actuality, it's
a postcard signoff at the end of our community handbook/
calendar. We feel it is part of our job to teach responsible
use, to all our students, just like we teach copyright
and proper citing. In the past, any challenges to policy
from parents or students who have signed the handbook,
have been upheld legally, in our favor. It didn't matter
if they never read it, as long as they sign that they did.
We are also diligent, in both teaching and monitoring
students use, as we filter minimally via proxy server.
We also publicize through school newsletter yearly,
consequences for abuse of aup, just like any other policy.
Keep in mind we are not a public school."

"At my school we give students an agenda book in September. It contains
the school handbook and an engagement calendar students use as an
assignment pad.  Parents sign the agenda book in the beginning of the
year (if it's not signed, the student cannot use the book as a pass - no
bathroom, no drinks, etc.).  By signing the agenda book, they are
stating that they have read the policies (dress code, homework, library
books, etc.) and give their student permission to use the Internet.
This is the second year our school is open.  Last year students had to
bring in the AUP or they could only use the Internet when supervised.
It was chaos - especially for me and the other staff members who don't
know all of the students - because of course, not everyone returned
their slips."

"We started using planners this year and in the back of the planner is a
place where parents sign that this student has permission to use the
internet.  The internet policy and all of the student handbook are included
in the planner.  So far, no problem.  I checked planners for the first
month of school to see that they were signed before I let them use the
internet.  If they were not signed the ONLY place they could go was Info
Trac and FirstSearch---NO surfing or regular searches.  That way they could
do the assignments, stay out of trouble and the planner was signed by the
next time they needed the internet!"

"We had signed AUPs and licenses until the first summer, when all the
licensed students misplaced them...then we started rethinking that part of
the wheel! Last year we had a list of students w/o privilege. This year,
we had an article in the school newsletter informing parents that internet
was necessary to students and that the privilege of independent use would
be accorded them after they had completed an Internet training class (80
min.) unless the parent notified the superintendent in writing. Since we
no longer subscribe to things like print periodical guides, guided use of
the Internet would be necessary for all students. All of our new students
were trained in one class--they simply missed two periods of their
day--and, since we are a K-12 school, I train all of our 6th graders as a
part of regular library instruction, so all of our high schoolers except
transfers are set to go in 7th grade. Children younger than 6th grade work
off the net at the behest of their classroom teachers, usually off a
bookmark page that keeps them in pre-selected pages."

"We sort of eliminated AUPs this year.  At the end of the
school year I asked my principal if he would insert into
the high school handbook a paragraph about Internet access.
I feel like the Internet should be treated like any other
resource.  We don't ask parents if they want their students
to have access to particular magazines or books they might
find objectionable.  Why borrow trouble?
It basically says that students have access to the Internet,
that they are required to use it responsibly, and that we
attempt to monitor student use, etc., etc.  Students and
parents then receive a contract that states that they
have read the handbook and are aware of the school's
policies, etc.  It was to be the office's responsibility
to retrieve these contracts from the students.
It's been great for us in the library.  We don't have to
deal with Internet cards this year--last year we spent
a lot of time replacing cards or checking to see if students
had cards; they often didn't have one with them.  Anyway,
the office gave us a list of students that had not yet
returned the contract (about 2 weeks into the school year)
and when a teacher signs up to use the lab, I hand them
a copy.  They are pretty good at making sure their students
have contracts on file.
So, anyway, we have really pretty much eliminated the AUP
from our end and it's really been nice."

Cathy Pfahl, Librarian
Mt. Vernon High School
314 N. 9th
Mt. Vernon, WA 98273
cpfahl@iris.mtvernon.wednet.edu

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Subject: Target: Scholastic's Reading Counts

A few days ago I posted a request for suggestions about Scholastic's
Reading Counts but didn't get any responses.  Can anyone give me tips
for implementing that kind of reading program in our junior high school?
Thanks for any help you can give me.

Marilyn Johnson, LMS
Holbrook Junior High School
Holbrook AZ  86025
MJohns@husd3.holbrook.k12.az.us

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