Book: I
Section: Instruction
Title: Portland Public Schools Website Guidelines
Code: IJND-R
Status: Active
PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS
WEB SITE GUIDELINES
- Web Site Purpose
The purpose of Portland Public School’s official web site to provide general information about our school system as well as information about educational programs, extracurricular activities and school events. This web site is intended to support the educational mission of the schools, to enhance the curriculum and learning opportunities for students and staff, and to inform the larger community about our schools.
The web site is an outlet for the official message of Portland Public Schools and is not a forum for dissemination of other views. The content of the web site shall remain in the exclusive control of Portland Public Schools, and its School Board and designated agents.
- Web Site Structure
The web site includes the following content areas:
1. System-wide information (such as Central Office, Technology, Transportation, Facilities, Food Service);
2. School Board information (such as members, officers, committees, meeting agendas, minutes and policies);
3. School-wide information for each school;
4. Individual department, grade level and/or classroom information (which may include student work and/or teacher-created work and resources);
5. Information about school-sponsored extracurricular organizations;
6 Information about school events and activities; and
7. Contact information for School Board members and school staff.
8. Official positions of the School Board on school-related issues.
- School Unit Authority and Webmaster Responsibilities
Portland Public Schools reserves the right to approve all web site content and to edit, delete, or modify any web page content as it sees fit to comply with the intended purposes of the web site and these guidelines.
The Superintendent shall designate a Webmaster, who is responsible for maintaining the web site, approving all material to be posted on the site, and monitoring all web site activities for compliance with Board policies, applicable laws and regulations, and these guidelines.
PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS
All position statements and viewpoints published on the website related to school policy, governance and initiatives must be approved by the School Board or its designee.
Only the Webmaster and other authorized school staff shall have password-protected access to the web server to place and remove web pages and content.
- Web Site Content
1. Portland Public School’s web site does not create, nor is it intended to create, a public or limited public forum. All materials placed on the web site must serve the educational mission of the school and shall support the Portland Public School’s official views regarding how best to accomplish the educational mission of the school.
2. Web site content is limited to school-sponsored information and activities. No personal student or staff web pages, blogs or other interactive features are permitted on the web site.
3. Web page content must comply with Board policies, administrative procedures and school rules.
4. All materials placed on the web site must meet academic standards for proper spelling, grammar, content, accuracy and appearance.
If the Webmaster is unsure whether particular material is appropriate for the web site, he/she shall consult with the Superintendent, whose decision shall be final.
- Confidentiality of Student Information
1. The web site shall be in compliance with all applicable state and federal confidentiality laws and regulations.
2. At no time shall personal information about students (such as home address, telephone number, e-mail address, birth date, social security number, etc.) or any other information made confidential by state or federal law appear on the web site. The web site will not include any information that indicates the physical location of students at any given time, other than attendance at a particular school or participation in school activities.
3. Student information, photographs or work may only be published on the web site if the student’s parent/guardian has signed the Parent/Guardian Agreement Form to Publish Student Information. For purposes of these guidelines, student information includes name, class rosters, awards/honors received, and team/extracurricular activity participation lists.
- Confidentiality of Staff Information
1. At no time shall personal information about staff appear on the web site (including home address, home telephone number, home e-mail address, birth date, social security number, etc.).
2. Because the school unit’s web site is maintained in part to enhance communication with students and their families, the school e-mail addresses and/or telephone numbers of staff are published on the web site.
- Copyright
1. Appropriate permission will be obtained before any copyrighted or trademarked material is used on the web site. No copyrighted material may be reproduced, transmitted or stored on Portland Public School’s web site without obtaining permission from the copyright owner
2. Students shall retain the copyright on materials that they create.
3. An appropriate copyright notice will appear with all copyrighted material published on the web site.
4. Except for the above exceptions, all web pages and content on the web site are the property of and owned by Portland Public Schools.
H. Web Site Design and Accessibility
The Webmaster is authorized to develop standards for the design and appearance of Portland Public School’s web site. These standards will include measures to make web pages accessible to persons with disabilities. School unit information available on the web site will also be made available to the public in alternative ways upon request.
I. Advertising
The Portland Public School’s web site will not include any advertising, nor will it include any selling activities outside of publicity for school-sponsored and/or approved fundraising activities.
J. Links to External Sites
1. The Portland Public Schools web site will not include links to any personal web sites of students or staff.
2. The web site may include links only to web sites that have demonstrated educational value to students, staff and/or the community, as deemed appropriate by the Webmaster.
3. The web site shall include a disclaimer informing users that links are provided as a convenience, and that Portland Public Schools does not endorse these sites or have any responsibility for the content of these sites.
K. Additional Requirements
1. The web site shall inform users about how to contact the Webmaster.
2. Each web page shall include the date the page was last updated.
3. The Webmaster will provide appropriate information to school users regarding technical requirements for publishing material on the web site.
IJND -R - Portland Public Schools Web Site Guidelines.pdf (26 KB)
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