1.1 Policy Considerations

Basics

The processes and procedures you and others follow for managing assets in your organization will be shaped by local, state, and federal policies. Policies are guidelines or even laws that guide the way your department--and others--should operate and make decisions. Policies influence the processes that are established to make sure you can meet the goals of the policies while procedures are the more detailed actions steps you take to complete a process. Policies may be governed by regulations, which are rules that your department--and other staff and students who use your assets--must follow. Consequences of not following regulations can include sanctions or fines. You should be aware of how federal, state, and local IT and education policies influence the processes and procedures you should follow as you offer support to users of your system’s assets.

You should know the following terms:

  • Acceptable Use Policy or Responsible Use Policy
  • Copyright
  • Policy
  • Procedure
  • Process
  • Regulation

Federal Policy

Most considerations concerning Federal Oversight are dealt with by individuals with administrative responsibilities in the areas of procurement and promoting equity. As a Level 1 Technician, it is helpful to understand the regulatory authority and guidance provided by federal laws and offices responsible for ensuring safety, equity, and privacy. Specifically:

  • Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) is a law that requires schools and libraries to install Internet filters and provide students with Internet Safety Education. In return, schools and libraries receive eRate funding from the federal government as well as discounted Internet Service Rates. Part of asset management may include monitoring Internet filters to be sure staff and students can access appropriate web resources and are prevented from accessing those not approved by your district.

  • The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) gives parents and guardians control over what information websites can collect from their children. Congress enacted COPPA in 1998 to limit the collection of personally identifiable information (PII) from youngsters without their parents’ consent. Students under 13 should not be allowed to create any accounts for web-based resources unless they get parental permission through means approved by your district and the terms and conditions of the site are acceptable to the district. You may need to help teachers and other staff understand and follow this law with their students.

  • Copyright protections and intellectual property rights are covered by a series of laws, including the Copyright Law of 1976 (Pub. L. No. 94-553), the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (Pub. L. No. 105-304) from 1998 and the Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization Act of 2002 (Pub. L. No. 107-273), commonly called the TEACH Act. Generally, any intellectual property in a tangible medium is protected by copyright, even if it does not have the © symbol. A tangible medium is anything that can be written, displayed, copied, printed, recorded, or shared, so everything on the Internet, social media, and found in emails, texts, and any kind of audiovisual recording is protected intellectual property. A Level 1 tech should understand the licensing and terms of use of approved products and websites and may be asked to help educate students and staff about honoring intellectual property during teaching, learning, and school management. Some examples include not using personal copies of digital media or using personal accounts for streaming media for school activities.

  • The Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. FERPA gives parents rights to inspect and review their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level.

  • IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) provides direction in ensuring equitable access to educational services for ALL children regardless of disability. Many students with disabilities may be prescribed assistive technologies (AT) that they, their teachers, and other staff need to understand how to operate appropriately. AT devices expand the types of assets your school system may offer and that you may be called upon to manage.

  • The OESE (Office of Elementary and Secondary Education) provides direction regarding educational expectations and assessment requirements in conjunction with federal mandates and incentives.

  • The OFO (Office of Finance and Operations) provides direction for fiscal management and budget processes.

State Policy

The Michigan Department of Education Technology provides guidance on how to effectively incorporate digital tools into the established academic standards and curriculum, especially through the Michigan Integrated Educational Technology Competencies for Students (MITECS). In addition, this department offers multiple grants to increase digital access.

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) and the Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI) have put measures in place to ensure student PII is kept safe. The Protection of Pupil Privacy Act (MCL 380-1136) requires that MDE and CEPI post a notice on their websites of student information that is collected for all students. MDE and CEPI will not disclose any information about individual students except in accordance with the Student Data Privacy, Disclosure and Security Policy that describes what student data CEPI collects, how it is collected and stored, and guidelines for disclosing student data. 

Local Policy

Individual school boards and municipalities are responsible for leveraging partnerships with RESAs and ISDs to increase buying power as well as gain technical assistance. Local districts may have acquisition and asset management procedures established in board policy that may be in need of review before the creation of any new processes. Your school system may have an Acceptable Use Policy or Responsible Use Policy for using school resources, such as the network or computing devices, as well as Usage Guidelines if your school system provides devices to students or staff. Level 1 techs should be familiar with the policies, how they are monitored, and any role they may have in enforcing them.

Here are additional resources you may find useful:

Complete the following task or self-assessment:

Level 1 Techs should understand the policies and regulations that shape the processes and procedures they have to follow. For example, if a teacher reports that certain websites are being blocked, you can diagnose if it is working appropriately, and if so, help explain why and how the school system’s Internet filter operates and why those sites are blocked. If you find staff or students using the school system’s network or devices to access personal streaming services to display media that is not licensed for public viewing, you can help them explore appropriate uses for that media and perhaps help find alternatives that the school or district does have a license for.

Identify and review policies at the Federal, State, and Local level that may influence the use of assets by students and staff in your school system. You can create a simple bulleted list of relevant policies, or perhaps create a three-part document or graphic that identifies relevant policies and how they impact your work. In addition to those listed here, be sure to review any Acceptable or Responsible Use Policies, Use Guidelines, or Security Policies for your school(s) or district. Share your findings with others and create a Knowledge Base article or list of FAQs that can help future techs that join your team understand how these policies influence processes and procedures in your district.