Analysis of Academy School District 20 Acceptable Use Policy

The National Education Association has outlined 6 key elements that make an effective Acceptable Use Policy. Reading through several AUPs, I found that most had these elements. I’d like to briefly analyze Academy School District 20’s AUP. Because it does have the 6 key elements, I would say that it is an effective AUP. It even includes a disclaimer to legally protect the district. Although it is a strong document, it could be organized in a more effective manner.

The first element of an AUP is the preamble. The ASD20 preamble presents the district’s rationale for student use of Internet and electronic communications. It relates back to purpose and links to standards and 21st century skills. In addition, it is clear the district will take steps to help protect students from information that may be harmful, but indicates that students also share the responsibility to avoid that material. The district is wise to state they “shall take reasonable steps to protect students from accessing information that is illegal, obscene, pornographic, or otherwise intentionally harmful to students,” but do not assure parents that this content will never be discovered.

Without clearly stating that there is a definitions section, the next part of the document has bolded subtitled that indicate ambiguous terms or concepts that will be discussed in more detail. This section is meant to ensure parent and student comprehension. This section could be better developed by including terms such as educational objectives/purposes and expanding on other educational jargon.

There are components of the document that relate to a policy statement. However, one must piece together information and different sections to form a clear policy statement. The section that outlines the steps that must be taken be for a user account is activated would meet the purpose of a policy statement. Specifically, personal consent to monitor is required. This means the district will have the right to monitor, inspect, copy, review or store all usage.

Another section of the document combines the acceptable and unacceptable uses of district technology and the Internet. I believe the disclaimer that “examples of unacceptable uses include, but are not limited to, the following” indicates that each situation will be handled on a case-to-case basis. I personally like how the section combines the acceptable and unacceptable uses into one concise section. Parents and students will be able to comprehend this section and are much more likely to actually read the contents than if it was an exhaustive and extensive list.

Later in the document, is another part of the policy statement. Although out of place, it does specify that the administrators, teachers and staff “have a professional responsibility to work together to monitor students’ use of the Internet and electronic communications, help students develop the intellectual skills needed to discriminate among information sources, to identify information to their age and developmental levels and to evaluate and use information to meet their educational goals.” It’s clear that students will receive instruction on how to use the Internet and electronic communications. However, the district is generic enough that this statement can apply to all schools and grade levels.

There is a violations/sanctions section as outlined in the NEA parameters for an effective AUP. It is clear that students may lose privileges, be charged, suspended or expelled depending on the breach of agreement. This is a small section of the document and may be a strategic way to focus on the positive steps students will take to meet the agreement.

Students and parents sign the district’s Acceptable Use Agreement annually. This is accessed through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Having families indicate they have read the agreement annually keeps the AUP relevant. In addition, all users have access to the AUP by going to the Board of Education Administrative Policies. The AUP was adopted May 14, 2010 and is reviewed annually. The adoption date occurred at a time when the district adopted new Colorado state standards. As technology changes, the AUP is revisited. This was the case when social media became a relevant tool for technology integration in the classrooms.

Although a disclaimer is not outlined specifically in NEA’s six key elements for an effective AUP, I believe it is a good addition. Specifically, Academy School District 20 has taken measures to protect itself from potential lawsuits by having parents and students sign acknowledging that they understand that the Internet and electronic communications are at the student’s own risk.

This AUP has all 6 key elements as indicated by NEA. However, I believe the organization could be more student friendly with titles for each of the sections and use first person phrasing. Specifically, the parts related to the policy statement could be organized so they were all consecutive. Currently, these components are visible throughout the document and interspersed between other key elements. I believe the content is relevant and protects the district while also ensuring parents and students understand technology use is a serious endeavor. It is important that technology skills precede student use and that students must agree to the terms annually. I believe this document could be used and adapted by other districts creating an Acceptable User Policy.