Student Technology Responsible Use Requirements

Berkeley Unified School District

Student Technology Responsible Use Requirements

Purpose: How and Why We Use Technology

The Berkeley Unified School District (“District”) provides technology to support meaningful, engaging, accessible, and age-appropriate learning. Technology is an integral part of the District’s educational program, and many aspects of California’s curriculum standards and District’s adopted curriculum.

Technology can help students conduct research, access instructional materials, create and present original work, communicate and collaborate with others, receive individualized support, participate in assessments, develop digital literacy, and prepare for future education, employment, and civic life.

Technology is one of many instructional tools available to students and staff. It should be used purposefully when it advances learning, supports accessibility, improves communication, or provides educational opportunities that would otherwise be difficult to offer. Technology does not replace effective teaching, personal interaction, hands-on learning, reading, discussion, creativity, physical activity, or other important parts of a student’s education.

When appropriate, the District may provide students with access to computers, Chromebooks, networks, Internet services, email accounts, learning-management systems, online educational resources, digital applications, communication tools, and other technology resources. These are referred to as “District technology” that is further defined in Board Policy 6163.4.

As the use of District technology is intended for educational purposes, students shall not have any expectation of privacy in any use of District technology. Further details regarding the acceptable use policies for student use of technology are available in certain of the board policies and administrative regulations on the District’s website, including Board Policy/Administrative Regulation 6163.4.

Application of the Responsible Use Requirements

These requirements apply to all student use of:

• District-owned or District-issued devices;
• District networks and Internet connections;
• District-provided accounts, email, applications, and digital services;
• Personally owned devices when used to access District networks, accounts, or educational resources; and
• Technology used as part of a school-sponsored activity, whether the student is on or off school property.

Students are required to comply with applicable District policies, school rules, staff directions, and the law.  Due to the incorporation of technology in mandated testing, common core requirements, and many aspects of the modern learning environment, it is not possible to opt out of technology use in schools. These requirements apply regardless of whether or not specific consent for use of technology has been provided. Parents/guardians wishing to discuss limitations on technology use for their students should meet with their student’s principal to discuss appropriate accommodations.

Shared Responsibility for Safe and Effective Technology Use

Keeping students safe while allowing them to benefit from technology is a shared responsibility among the District, employees, students, and families.

District Responsibilities

The District will take reasonable steps that include:

• Providing technology that supports educational goals;
• Reviewing digital services for educational appropriateness, accessibility, privacy, and security;
• Using technology protection measures to reduce access to harmful or inappropriate online content;
• Protecting student information in accordance with applicable law and District procedures;
• Providing guidance and support to employees and students concerning responsible technology use;
• Responding appropriately to reported safety, privacy, security, or misuse concerns; and
• Reviewing and updating technology practices as tools, risks, and legal requirements change.

Teacher and other Staff Responsibilities

Teachers and other staff members are expected to:

• Use technology for legitimate educational, operational, or student-support purposes;
• Provide students with clear directions and age-appropriate expectations;
• Supervise student technology use as reasonably appropriate under the circumstances;
• Use only District-approved digital services; 
• Protect student privacy and account information;
• Address or report suspected misuse, cyberbullying, security risks, or harmful content; and
• Help students develop responsible digital citizenship and sound judgment.

Student Responsibilities

Students are expected to:

• Use District technology safely, responsibly, respectfully, and for authorized purposes;
• Follow staff directions concerning when, where, and how technology may be used;
• Protect passwords, accounts, devices, and personal information;
• Respect the privacy, safety, dignity, and work of others;
• Use good judgment before creating, posting, sending, or sharing digital content;
• Report harmful content, cyberbullying, security problems, accidental access to inappropriate material, or suspected misuse to a teacher, administrator, parent/guardian, or other trusted adult; and
• Stop using a device, website, account, or application when directed by an authorized staff member.

Parent/Guardian Responsibilities

Parents and guardians are encouraged to:

• Review these requirements with their student;
• Discuss safe, respectful, and responsible technology use;
• Establish appropriate expectations for Internet and device use at home;
• Supervise the student’s use of technology outside of school hours as reasonably appropriate;
• Encourage the student to report concerning or inappropriate online activity; and
• Notify the school promptly about lost devices, compromised accounts, cyberbullying, privacy concerns, or other technology-related safety issues.

Acceptable Educational Uses

Students may use District technology for authorized purposes, including:

• Completing classroom assignments, projects, assessments, and research;
• Accessing instructional materials and District-approved educational resources;
• Creating documents, presentations, artwork, videos, audio recordings, code, and other original work;
• Communicating with teachers, staff, and other students for school-related purposes;
• Participating in collaborative learning through email, discussion tools, videoconferencing, shared documents, or other approved platforms;
• Receiving accessibility, language, or instructional support;
• Participating in state, District, or classroom assessments;
• Accessing school announcements, schedules, assignments, and student-support resources; and
• Engaging in other uses specifically authorized by a teacher or other District employee.

Student educational use should be appropriate to the student’s age, grade level, educational program, and the directions provided by staff.

Prohibited Uses

Students may not use District technology for improper, unsafe, disruptive, unlawful, or unauthorized purposes. Prohibited conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Harmful, Offensive, or Discriminatory Content

Students may not access, create, send, post, display, or distribute content that is pornographic, sexually explicit, obscene, threatening, harassing, discriminatory, hateful, or intended to humiliate, intimidate, or harm another person. This includes content targeting a person based on an actual or perceived protected characteristic.

Students may also not use technology to encourage the use of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco or any promotion or attempt to promote any unethical behavior.

• Cyberbullying and Harassment

Students may not use technology to bully, threaten, intimidate, impersonate, ridicule, exclude, stalk, or harass students, employees, or other members of the school community.

Conduct occurring away from school may be subject to District rules when it has a sufficient connection to school, affects student safety, disrupts the educational environment, or interferes with the rights of others.

• Privacy Violations and Unauthorized Recording

Students may not disclose, post, transmit, disseminate, or misuse confidential, sensitive, or personally identifiable information about themselves or another student, staff member, or other person without appropriate consent as required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) for a legitimate educational purpose, and may never do so with the intent to threaten, intimate, harass, or ridicule that person.

Students may not photograph, record, livestream, or transmit images, video, or audio of another person without authorization when consent is required by law, District policy, school rules, or staff direction.

Recording or transmitting images, video, or audio in restrooms, locker rooms, changing areas, health offices, or other private locations is strictly prohibited.

• Unauthorized Access and Impersonation

Students may not:

• Share District passwords or account credentials;
• Use another person’s account or allow another person to use their account;
• Attempt to obtain another person’s password;
• Impersonate another student, employee, or person;
• Read, copy, alter, delete, or distribute another user’s files, messages, or work without authorization; or
• Attempt to gain access to systems, records, settings, or information for which the student has not been granted permission.
• Engage in pirating or theft involving data, technology equipment, software, digital content, or intellectual property.

District-provided accounts and access credentials are District resources. Students must take reasonable steps to keep their credentials secure.

• Circumventing Security or Filtering

Students may not disable, evade, interfere with, or attempt to circumvent Internet filters, security controls, device-management settings, monitoring or classroom-management tools, network restrictions, access limitations or other District technology safeguards.

Students may not create or use unauthorized proxies, virtual private networks, alternate accounts, personal hotspots, or similar methods to bypass District restrictions.

• Vandalism and Disruption

Students may not knowingly damage, disable, sabotage, or interfere with District devices, accounts, networks, software, or data. Students may not introduce computer viruses into any District system.

Students must handle District equipment carefully and promptly report loss, damage, malfunction, or suspected security problems.

• Unauthorized Downloads and Software

Students may not install, download, upload, modify, or remove applications, extensions, games, media, software, or device settings without authorization.

Students may use only District-approved or staff-authorized digital services for school-related activities.

• Copyright, Plagiarism, and Academic Integrity

Students must respect copyright, licensing, intellectual-property, and academic-integrity requirements.

Students must identify sources and disclose assistance from technology, including artificial intelligence, when required by a teacher or assignment.

• Unauthorized Entertainment or Personal Use

Students may not use District technology for unauthorized gaming, streaming, social media, messaging, entertainment, or other noneducational purposes.

Streaming Media and YouTube

Students may access YouTube and other streaming-media services through District technology only for authorized educational purposes and in accordance with staff directions.

The District may limit or disable videos, channels, searches, recommendations, comments, live content, or other platform features. Students may not attempt to bypass these restrictions or use streaming services for unauthorized entertainment.

Filtering and restricted-access settings reduce exposure to inappropriate content but cannot guarantee that all available content will be accurate, educationally appropriate, or free from objectionable material.

Usage of Social Media

The District recognizes the value of technology such as social media platforms

in promoting community involvement and collaboration. The purpose of any 

official District social media platform shall be to further the District’s vision and 

mission, support student learning and staff professional development, and enhance communication with students, parents/guardians, staff, and community members. Students must use official District social media platforms in compliance with Board Policy and Administrative Regulation 1114 (“District-Sponsored Social Media”). Students who post prohibited content will be subject to discipline in accordance with District policy. Users of official District social media platforms should be aware of the public nature and accessibility of social media and that information posted may be considered a public record subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act.

Students engaging with social media, whether on personal or District-issued devices, are expected to uphold the District’s code of conduct at all times. This includes refraining from posting or sharing content that is inappropriate, discriminatory, harassing, or that could compromise the privacy or safety of students, staff, or the school community. Students must be mindful that their online presence reflects on the District, and avoid any posts that could reasonably disrupt the educational environment, violate confidentiality, or undermine public trust in the District. Interactions with District employees on personal social media platforms are strictly prohibited.

Artificial Intelligence (“AI”)

Students may use artificial intelligence tools only when:

• The tool has been authorized or approved by the District;
• The supervising teacher or staff member permits the use; and
• The student follows all assignment requirements and staff directions.

Students may not enter, upload, disclose, or submit the following information to an artificial intelligence system unless the District has specifically approved both the system and the intended use.

In all cases where students are permitted to utilize artificial intelligence tools they must disclose the use and explain how it contributed to their work.

Prohibited Uses of Artificial Intelligence

Students are prohibited from using any artificial intelligence system to access, create, or display harmful, deceptive, or inappropriate matter that is threatening, obscene, disruptive, or sexually explicit, or that could be construed as harassment or disparagement of others based on their race/ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or political beliefs or interact with the AI in a manner that supports any of the above.

 

Students shall not share confidential information or personally identifiable information with an open generative artificial intelligence system of themselves, another student, staff member, or any other person without permission. Personally identifiable information includes, but is not limited to, a person’s name, address, email address, telephone number, employee or student ID number, user account credentials, Social Security number, or other personally identifiable information.

Students shall not adjust any privacy settings on an artificial intelligence tool unless directed to do so by a teacher or staff member.

Student Data Privacy and Approved Digital Services

The District uses digital services and instructional software to support learning, communication, assessment, accessibility, and school operations.

Students may use only digital services, applications, extensions, and instructional software resources that have been approved or authorized by the District.

The District reviews instructional software resources for applicable student data privacy and security protections, accessibility, educational appropriateness, and legal and contractual requirements.

Vendors that receive, process, or maintain protected student information must provide privacy, security, data-use, and data-protection commitments consistent with applicable law and District procedures.

Students may not independently create school-related accounts, accept terms on behalf of the District, or provide protected student information to an unapproved service without authorization.

Students shall only use electronic mail and other forms of direct electronic communications for purposes related to education within the context of a school-related assignment or activity.

Content Filtering and Internet Safety

The District uses multiple technology protection measures to reduce access to harmful, obscene, malicious, or otherwise inappropriate online material. Filtering and access restrictions may differ based on grade level, educational need, account, device, network, or user group.

The District may also use classroom-management and device-management tools that allow authorized staff to:

• Limit access to particular websites or applications;
• View or manage student screens during instruction;
• Review websites or services accessed through District technology;
• Respond to suspected misuse or security concerns; and
• Support compliance with classroom expectations.

No filtering or supervision system can identify or block every inappropriate, inaccurate, controversial, or harmful item available online. Students may encounter objectionable material accidentally or through the improper conduct of another person.

A student who accidentally accesses inappropriate content should:

1. Stop viewing the content;
2. Avoid forwarding, saving, or sharing it; and
3. Promptly inform a teacher, administrator, parent/guardian, or other trusted adult.

Internet safety depends on a combination of District safeguards, appropriate staff supervision, responsible student behavior, and family guidance. The District makes its best efforts to filter online content, and has technology protection measures to block obscene or harmful content, as required by law (See Board Policy 6163.4). However, the District is not responsible for the failure of any technology protection measures. 

District Access, Monitoring, and Expectation of Privacy

Students should not expect that activity conducted through District devices, networks, accounts, applications, or services will be private. Monitoring tools may record websites, applications, searches, logins, or other activity. All passwords created for or used on any District technology are the sole property of the District. The creation or use of a password by a student on District technology does not create a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Authorized District personnel may access, review, preserve, restrict, or disclose information stored on or transmitted through District technology when reasonably necessary for instructional or administrative purposes, safety, security, to investigate misconduct or any other legitimate District purpose.

District access to student information does not mean that the information is public. The District will handle student information in accordance with applicable privacy laws and District procedures.

Information may be disclosed to law enforcement, governmental agencies, parents/guardians, or other persons only when authorized or required by law or District policy.

Personal Electronic Devices

A Personal Electronic Device (“PED”) means any privately-owned electronic device capable of independently accessing, capturing, storing, transmitting, or displaying information — including but not limited to smartphones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, wearable or augmented-reality devices (e.g., smart glasses), gaming devices, and AI-enabled or AI-companion devices. This definition is intended to include emerging technologies with comparable capabilities. 

Students may not use PEDs at school, during school-sponsored activities, or to access District networks, accounts, or resources, except when expressly authorized by District staff or required by an individualized education program, Section 504 plan, medical need, or applicable law. Students will not be prohibited from possessing or using a smartphone in the case of an emergency or in response to a perceived threat of danger in accordance with California law. (Education Code § 48901.7). 

Unauthorized devices may be disconnected, restricted, or subject to other appropriate consequences under District policy. Any activity transmitted through District networks may be filtered or logged, and information stored in District accounts or systems may be accessed by authorized District personnel as permitted by law and District policy. Any use of a personally owned device may subject the contents of the device and any communications sent or received on the device to disclosure pursuant to Board Policy, a lawful subpoena or a public records request.

Supervision Outside School

The District will take reasonable steps to manage District accounts, devices, and technology protections. However, the District cannot directly supervise a student at all times or control every activity occurring through a home network, personal account, or personally owned device.

Parents and guardians are expected to provide age-appropriate supervision and guidance when students use technology at home or outside school.

District filtering or management features that operate on a District-issued device do not replace family supervision and do not guarantee that all inappropriate material will be blocked.

Reporting Safety, Privacy, and Security Concerns

Students and families should promptly report any safety, privacy, and security concerns including the following:

• Cyberbullying, threats, harassment, or discrimination;
• Accidental access to inappropriate material;
• Suspected account compromise;
• Lost or stolen District equipment;
• Unauthorized disclosure of student information;
• Attempts to bypass District security;
• Suspected malware or device tampering;
• Inappropriate recording or distribution of images; or
• Any online activity that may place a student or another person at risk.

Reports may be made to a teacher, school administrator, technology staff member, counselor, Title IX Coordinator, Civil Rights and Compliance Office, or another appropriate District employee.

Students should not investigate suspected misconduct themselves, forward harmful material, or retaliate against a person who reports a concern.

Consequences of Misuse

A violation of these requirements may result in disciplinary action including and up to suspension or expulsion. 

Unlawful activity may be referred to law enforcement when conduct is serious, unlawful, or requires such referral.

Consequences will be based on the nature, severity, frequency, intent, and circumstances of the conduct. The District will apply consequences in accordance with applicable student-discipline laws, due-process requirements, and District policies.