WEB ADVERTISING ON SCHOOL WEBSITES

Under the Advisory issued by the Rhode Island Department of Education on June 7, 2006, the Smithfield Public Schools may contract for a web service to support the curriculum that includes advertising on the websites provided that the web service meets the standards and criteria set forth in the Advisory and is implemented pursuant to a duly adopted Policy of the School Committee.  This policy sets forth the standards and criteria under which such a web service may be operated in the Smithfield Public Schools.

CRITERIA AND STANDARDS

 The Smithfield Public Schools may contract for and implement a web service that includes advertising interspersed in the web pages provided that the following criteria and standards are satisfied:

1. The advertising must be a necessary and integral part of the program, i.e. must be required by the vendor to have an economically feasible offering.

2. The advertising will be located on the web page in such a position as not to dominate the viewer’s focus nor detract from the web page’s function, i.e. calendar of events.

3. The principal focus of the web service must be supportive of the curriculum through enhanced communication with parents and students and easier dissemination of educational materials.  The advertising must be incidental.

4. The advertising must be incidental in its effect on students.  Where advertising is to be interspersed on pages throughout the school websites, the web service must take reasonable steps to limit student exposure to advertising.  The web service must comply with the following standards of the Advisory and the Services Agreement specifically to include the following protections:

   •  Students under age 16 will not be exposed to advertising and advertising will be blocked to students under age 16.

   •  Individuals over age 16 who are exposed on an unsolicited basis to advertising (i.e. banner ads interspersed in website pages) will be permitted to “opt-out” of seeing advertising in a process readily available and within the control of the individual.

   •  Smithfield Public Schools will have the election to block advertising on all computers on school campuses regardless of the age of the EdNets visitor.

5.  Listings of companies participating in a fundraising program may appear on the school websites without being blocked to students where the listings are limited to designated sections of the school websites that are clearly identified.

 6.  Parents and students must not be required to purchase any product, view advertising, or participate in any fundraising program or commercial activity as a condition to having access to any portion of the web service supporting the curriculum.

 SCHOOL COMMITTEE FINDINGS

 The School Committee, at the time of approval of any contract for a web service including advertising, must issue specific findings in its vote that the web service complies with the criteria and standards of this policy and the Advisory.

WRITTEN AGREEMENT

The web service shall be the subject of a written agreement between Smithfield Public Schools and the web service vendor, whose written agreement must conform to this policy.

ADOPTED:  October 16, 2006