STUDENT ACCESS TO ELECTRONIC/NETWORKED
INFORMATION RESOURCES

The Board recognizes that as telecommunications and other new technologies shift the ways that information may be accessed, communicated and transferred by members of society, those changes may also alter instruction and student learning. The Board generally supports access by students to rich information resources along with the development of appropriate skills to analyze and evaluate such resources. In a free and democratic society, access to information is a fundamental right of citizenship.

It is the intention of the Tuscaloosa City Schools that all technology resources will be used in accordance with any and all school system policies and procedures, as well as local, state and federal laws and/or guidelines governing the usage of technology and its component parts.

Telecommunications, electronic information sources and networked services significantly alter the information landscape for school by opening classrooms and library media centers to a broader array of resources. In the past, instructional and library media materials could usually be evaluated and selected based on reasonably selection criteria prior to use. Board policy requires that all such material be consistent with system-adopted guidelines supporting and enriching the curriculum while taking into account the varied instructional needs, learning styles, abilities and developmental levels of the students. Telecommunications, because they may lead to any publicly available fileserver in the world, will open classrooms and library media centers to electronic information resources which have not been screened by educators for use by students of various ages.

Electronic information research skills are now fundamental to preparation of citizens and future employees during an Age of Information. The Board expects that faculties will blend thoughtful use of such information throughout the curriculum and will provide guidance and instruction to students in the appropriate use of such resources. Teachers and library media specialists will consult the guidelines for instructional materials contained in the Board Policy and will honor the goals for selection of instructional materials contained therein.

Students are responsible for good behavior on school computer networks just as they are in a classroom or a school hallway since communications on the network are often public in nature. General school rules for behavior and communications apply. The network is provided for students to conduct research and communicate with others; however, access to network services, i.e. the Internet, will be provided to only those students who agree to act in a considerate and responsible manner. Independent student use of telecommunications and electronic information resources will be permitted upon submission of permission/agreement forms signed by students and their parents.

Access to telecommunications will enable students to explore millions of documents and electronic files, thousands of libraries, databases, chatrooms, and bulletin boards, while exchanging messages with people throughout the world. The Board believes that the benefits to students from access to information resources and opportunities for collaboration exceed the disadvantages. Ultimately, parents and guardians are responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their children should follow when using media and information sources. Students are responsible for adhering to the standards set by their parents/guardians and the school. To that end, the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education support sand respects each family's right to decide whether or not to apply for independent access.

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