POLICY 1300
ACCEPTABLE USE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
Adopted: April 23, 2018
Revised: February 23, 2026
1.0 RATIONALE
1.1 The Board of Education recognizes that digital technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), is an integral part of the educational curriculum and supports student achievement, business excellence and staff development. Through software applications, cloud-based solutions, AI-integrated tools, and electronic mail, District Technology Resources enhance educational experiences and supports communications, along with learning opportunities for students and staff while also providing schools with rich online resources.
Access to the digital network, however, is also associated with hazards that may not be considered appropriate in the context of students or a Board of Education setting. These hazards include, but are not limited to, harmful online behaviors, manipulating digital content, violating privacy, and/or engaging in harassment or coercion.
As a means of encouraging responsible and ethical of digital technology, including AI, while filtering digital content, monitoring activity and protecting the personal information of students and staff, the Board of Education has established standards and guidelines for all users.
2.0 DEFINITIONS
2.1 BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) refers to the practice of enabling students and staff to bring personally owned devices (such as laptops, tablets and smart-phones) to school, for the sole purpose of educational use.
2.2 Data include, but are not limited to, student records, employee records, confidential, personal, or professional information and communications, or any other electronically stored information that passes through or is stored electronically on District Technology Resources.
2.3 Digital Learning and Collaboration Tools facilitate the storage and sharing of content and are accessed using technology devices, usually through an internet connection.
2.4 District Technology Resources include:
2.4.1 Access to the District’s wired and wireless network from any location, such as schools, workplaces, home or other offsite locations,
2.4.2 Board of Education-provisioned hardware, such as desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets and printers (and including removable and/or external storage devices),
2.4.3 Access to the Board of Education’s technology support services, and
2.4.4 Board of Education-approved and/or -provisioned software and applications, including cloud-based resources and AI-integrated tools
2.5 Personally Owned Technology is any device that is not provided by the Board of Education, including (but not limited to) personal computers, smart phones and tablets.
2.6 Personal Information of students and staff is protected under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The Board of Education is bound, under its obligation to this Act, to carefully manage all personal information within its custody and control how it is collected, used and released. This includes restrictions on the release of personal information without permission.
2.7 Users include (but are not limited to) students, parents, guardians, staff members, contractors, volunteers, guests, Parent Advisory Committee members, Board of Education members given authorized access to District Technology Resources, regardless of whether access is onsite or offsite.
2.8 Spamming is the action of sending irrelevant or unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately to a large number of recipients through electronic messaging systems like e-mails and other digital delivery systems.
3.0 POLICY
3.1 This policy and all related procedures apply to all users who access District Technology Resources, including use of personally-owned devices and AI-integrated tools.
3.2 Users are subject to the expectations of use and standards of behavior set out in the accompanying regulation and operational procedures, and any other applicable law, related policies and procedures (at all times) when accessing District Technology Resources for any purpose.
3.3 District Technology Resources are intended for educational, instructional or business-related use, to facilitate the goals and objectives of the Board of Education.
3.4 Engaging in personal use is a choice users make that may involve the sacrifice of personal information. The Board of Education cannot guarantee that personal information is secure while using District Technology Resources. Malicious acts or unauthorized data collection may compromise personal privacy and are strictly prohibited.
3.5 Users shall take all reasonable precautions to prevent a breach of privacy by ensuring that data, as defined by this policy, is secure and safe. In addition, users shall not knowingly commit a breach of privacy and will only use data for the purposes intended in 3.3. This includes refraining from activities such as unauthorized surveillance, unauthorized personal/sensitive information collection or use, or impersonation that could misrepresent individuals or violate their privacy.
3.6 The Board of Education owns all District Technology Resources and may access data and information that users create, store, send, or receive when using District Technology Resources, in accordance with the accompanying procedure. This includes investigating potential misuse involving malicious software, unauthorized access, or threatening communications, including extortion attempts or AI-generated threats.
3.7 The Board of Education is not responsible for::
3.7.1 anything accessed by the user through District Technology Resources that is not created, published or authored by the Board of Education;
3.7.2 any claims, losses, damages, costs, or other obligations arising from the use of District Technology Resource (whether or not accessed by a personal owned device), including, but not limited to, the loss or damage of user information or personal devices;
3.7.3 any additional charges borne by the user to their personal device, or any unauthorized charges borne by the user on a Board of Education-issued device, when using or attempting to use District Technology Resources.
3.8 Wearable Technology
3.8.1 The use of wearable digital and/or AI technology (“wearables”) for the purpose of unauthorized collection, storage, and/or use of personally identifiable and/or sensitive personal information is strictly prohibited on school district property, during school district events, and/or when accessing or interacting with District Technology Resources.
3.8.2 This prohibition applies to all users, whether using Board of Education-provisioned or personally owned wearable devices, and regardless of location.
3.8.3 Exceptions may be granted only under specific educational or accessibility-related circumstances and must be approved in writing by District Administration.
3.9 Copyrighted Materials
3.9.1 Staff and students must use digital services in ways that respect copyright, licensing, and fair use requirements. Digital services, including those with AI integration, may not be used to reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works of copyrighted materials without proper authorization, except as permitted by law.
3.9.2 Staff and students shall not upload or input copyrighted text, images, audio, video, or other protected materials into digital services unless they own the rights, have obtained permission, or the use qualifies as fair use for educational purposes.
3.9.3 AI-generated content must be reviewed before use or publication. Staff and students are responsible for ensuring that AI outputs do not infringe on copyrighted works and must provide appropriate reference to copyrighted materials when required.
3.10 Users who do not comply with this policy and accompanying procedures will be subject to the appropriate disciplinary actions.
4.0 RESPONSIBILITIES
4.1 District Administration is responsible for:
4.1.1 Implementing and operationalizing the Acceptable Use of Digital Technology Policy.
4.1.2 Supporting and providing direction to users about the policy application.
4.1.3 Keeping the expectations of use and standards of behavior updated in regulations and operational procedures, and informing users of any changes.
4.2 Teachers and Educational Assistants are responsible for:
4.2.1 The overall management of student use of computing and information technology facilities and resources within their areas of responsibility.
4.3 All Users of District Technology Resources and/or Technology Services are responsible for:
4.3.1 Ensuring that District Technology Resources are only accessed by those to whom the technology resource is assigned;
4.3.2 Ensuring that any use of personal and Board of Education-provisioned devices that access District resources are password-protected to restrict unauthorized access to these devices;
4.3.3 Using District Technology Resources in an appropriate, responsible and ethical manner, consistent within the professional, educational, and informational contexts for which they are provided;
4.3.4 Refraining from using technology in a malicious manner or with intent to bring harm to District Technology Resources;
4.3.5 Complying with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, as it relates to the management of personal and private information;
4.3.6 Modeling the appropriate use of technology, including safety guidelines as outlined in device manuals;
4.3.7 Ensuring that inappropriate and irresponsible use of technology is immediately reported to their supervisors or for students, an appropriate adult.
5.0 REFERENCES
5.1 BC Ministry of Education School Act, sections 6(1)(2), 7(1), 10, 16, 95(3)
5.2 Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, sections 22(1), 22(2), 30, 32
5.3 Criminal Code, sec. 184, 430(1), 430(5)
5.4 BC Human Rights Code, sec 7
5.5 Copyright Act, sec. 3
5.6 BC Ministry of Education: Safe, Caring and Orderly Schools
5.7 Policy 5140.1 – Child Abuse
5.8 Policy 5131.0 – Student, Staff, and Volunteer Safety
5.9 Individual SD61 School Code of Conduct
Modification to this document is not permitted without prior written consent from the Greater Victoria School District.