Policy 5095: Web Publishing

Purpose

The Chappaqua Central School District maintains a web presence in order to provide information to students, parents, staff, and community members about district governance and policies, district and school events, school operations, curriculum and instruction, student activities, and other relevant and timely information. The district website provides information related to the entire district such as news releases and archived newsletters, Board of Education policies and meeting agendas, the school year operating budget and calendar, and K-12 curriculum maps. School websites provide information specific to the building and may include teacher, staff, team, and department web pages.

The district strives to provide current, accurate, and relevant information on the district and school websites while maintaining a safe environment for student learning. Accordingly, the following guidelines shall govern the development, administration, and content of such websites and web pages.

Site Development and Administration

District Website:

  • Information to be posted on the district website must be submitted to the district clerk and approved by the superintendent or his/her designee.
  • The district clerk shall be responsible for reviewing content and updating information on a timely basis.

School Websites:

  • Information to be posted on a school website must be submitted to and approved by the building principal or his/her designee.
  • A building webmaster shall be designated by the principal at each school. The webmaster shall be responsible for the design and maintenance of the school home page, including the regular updating of content and setting up of hyperlinks. The webmaster shall support faculty and staff web page development and publishing and may have additional duties as specified in regulation.
  • Teachers and staff members may create web pages on their school website by contacting the building webmaster. Teacher/Staff pages must utilize the district templates. The building principal or his/her designee shall review and approve all new web pages as well as periodically review existing pages, including links, to assure adherence to district content guidelines.
  • Links to appropriate external Internet websites may be included on district web pages. Appropriate links include school-affiliated organization sites, commercial sites which serve a legitimate school purpose, and educational resource sites. Links appearing on district web pages must be approved by the superintendent or his/her designee. Links to school-affiliated organizations will only be approved if the organization adheres to district guidelines governing identification of students and student work. A disclaimer regarding links shall be placed on all district and school home web pages.

Site Content

  • All published information shall be of educational or operational value to the district and its constituents and in compliance with the Technology Acceptable Use Policy.
  • Time sensitive information should be updated regularly.
  • Correct spelling, punctuation, and language standards must be followed.
  • All material, textual and graphic, shall be either original, in the public domain, or posted with the express permission of its rightful owner.
  • Photos and videos of staff and visitors may be published. Staff and visitors may be identified by first and last name. Staff and visitor personal information is not permitted to be published. Personal information includes but is not limited to names of family members, address, and personal identifiers such as social security number or employee identification number. Staff work email addresses are not considered private and are not specifically protected by this definition.
  • Floor plans, layouts, or any map-like images that depict the physical layout in detail of school buildings shall not be published. Web pages shall not include any information that indicates the physical location of a student at a specific time during the school day.
  • Any textual or graphic material which is produced on district property using district resources and involving students is subject to all district policies and procedures. Such work may not be posted or published by teachers or staff on external websites unless specifically agreed to in writing by the superintendent of schools.

Publishing of Student Photos, Videos and Work

  • Photos and videos of students without names may be published on the District or school websites unless parent/guardian or eligible student refuses permission in writing. Personal information including, but not limited to names of parents, legal guardians and family members, address, personal identifiers such as social security number or other student identification number shall not be published.
  • Examples of student work which does not identify the student (such as artwork, written work or verbal statements) may be published on the web unless a parent/guardian or eligible student indicates in writing that they do not consent.
  • Examples of student work which identify the student may be placed in a classroom password protected site and attributed only by first name and first initial of his or her last name with the prior written permission of the student's parents or guardian or eligible student obtained annually.
  • Examples of student work which identify the student may be placed on the District and school websites only with specific permission obtained from the parent/guardian or eligible student on a case by case basis.

Responsibilities:

The director of technology and the superintendent of schools shall be responsible for the writing of regulations to accompany this policy and the obtaining of parental consent for the publishing of student work, the posting of student photographs, and the posting of videotaped class work showing students.

Cross Reference:

Adopted by Board of Education: March 3, 2009

Revised:

  • June 16, 2009
  • August 10, 2010

Regulations