Student Handbook

Welcome to davis connect 7-12, home of the lynx!

davis connect MISSION STATEMENT

We support Learning First, by providing personalized curriculum, feedback, and support for individualized instructional pathways.

davis connect VISION STATEMENT

We believe that learners are at the center of their own instructional experience. Student achievement of academic standards is our purpose, and learning paths are tailored to meet the unique strengths, interests, needs and goals of each learner.

• Preparing to exit high school ready to engage in their desired career and/or college opportunities.
• Aiming for success in all school assignments, assessments, and activities. 
• Working toward building positive relationships with and showing respect to others in and out of school. 
• Succeeding in representing their school, parents, community, and self in a positive way that promotes a safe, healthy, and welcoming environment in which to learn.

Online Classroom (OC), Independent Study (I.S.), Software Option Independent Study (SW) grades are awarded on a quarterly basis, earning .25 credits toward graduation in grades 9-12. Although grades are issued on a quarterly basis, course curriculum is planned on a semester or yearly basis.

A La Carte (ALC) courses are open entry/exit within the regular school year.  Each ALC course earns a .25 credit towards graduation upon completion.

Students achieving high academic success are eligible for National Junior Honor Society (grades 7-9) and National Honor Society (grades 10-12).

• Davis Connect National Junior and National Honor Society Information 

Students achieving high academic success are recognized for these accomplishments. 

• Davis Connect Academic Honor Roll Information

High academic success requires regular participation in the coursework. The teacher will notify a parent/legal guardian by phone call, email, or by midterm notification before issuing a failing grade. 

All students at Davis Connect 7-12 are expected to be academically honest and ethical. Academic dishonesty includes: cheating; plagiarizing; colluding with others to be dishonest; falsifying information; giving, selling, or receiving unauthorized course or test information; using a tool or other aid not explicitly permitted by your instructor such as generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT) to complete assignments or exams; or infringing on others' copyrights and intellectual property.

Academic dishonesty can have serious consequences in the class and/or at Davis Connect 7-12. Be sure, if you borrow an idea, to express it in language entirely your own and let the reader know the idea’s source in a citation note. expected to perform in a highly ethical and honest manner in all areas of their involvement at school.

Teachers and administrators will address students who violate this standard in a fair and appropriate manner. Consequences may include, but are not limited to, notifying parents, receiving a zero on the assignment or assessment, receiving a U for the term from the teacher, receiving an administrative U. The faculty and staff of Davis Connect 7-12 are united in the belief that all students should practice ethical and honest behavior. 

In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Davis School District and Davis Connect K-12 Online School will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities.  Students, parents, or employees needing accommodation should contact their school ADA/504 Coordinator (Davis Connect K-6 or 7-12 Administrator), or you may contact the District ADA Coordinator, Steve Baker (801-402-5315), for parent or employee accommodations; or Section 504 Coordinator, Midori Clough (801-402-5180) for student accommodations.

Davis Connect 7-12, Davis School District and Utah State Law requires that students participate regularly and that parents bear considerable responsibility in helping to ensure that students are engaged in school. 

The guidelines for student attendance and engagement are thoroughly outlined on the Davis Connect Attendance Policy and Absences webpage. 

The school administration has the authority to suspend a student for up to ten school days per incident.  If the school administrator desires or contemplates suspending for longer than ten school days or expelling a student, the school administrator shall make a referral to the District’s Case Management Team.

Online Classroom Behavior

Davis Connect 7-12 has high expectations in the online classroom and students' attitude and behavior should contribute to a positive and welcoming learning environment. Specifically, students are expected to:

1. Arrive to Online Classroom live lessons on time. 
2. Be prepared for class each day, with all materials necessary.
3. Show respect and consideration for others in the learning environment.
4. Demonstrate care and consideration for school property.
5. Dress appropriately for being viewed on camera in the classroom environment. 
6. Limit distractions in the learning environment (what is seen or heard by others online). 
7. Use appropriate language both verbally and in writing. 

Students are expected to observe the rules and procedures that have been established by each teacher for their Online Classroom and respond promptly to the direction of the teacher or be subject to due process.

In-Person School Activity Behavior

• Students fighting or threatening to fight on any Davis School District property or during any school sponsored activity will be required to meet with school administration and may be suspended for 2-10 days. Repeat offenders may be referred to District Case Management and may be expelled from school.

Cell Phones and Electronics

Appropriate use of cell phones and other electronic devices is expected at all times, especially electronic devices owned by the Davis School District and under the Acceptable Use Agreement Policy. Use of other devices during class time or school activities will be based on individual teacher or activity supervisor discretion. Students not following cell phone/electronic device expectations, may be referred to the administration.

Profanity and Offensive Language

Profanity, offensive language, including racial slurs are inappropriate and will not be tolerated at Davis Connect 7-12.

A student may be placed on a contract, suspended, transferred to an alternative location, expelled, referred for police investigation, and/or prosecuted for engaging in any written, physical, or verbal aggression, intimidation, discrimination, or abusive conduct of any school employee or student at school or a school-related activities regardless of location or circumstance, including but not limited to bullying, cyber-bullying, hazing, or retaliation.

District policy may be found at 5S-100 Conduct and Discipline.  Davis Connect K-12 Online School policy may be found at Student Handbook - Davis Connect 7-12.  For incidents of harassment (unwelcome conduct based on a protected class) and discrimination, please refer to 11IR-100.

Graduation requirements in the Davis School District include satisfactory citizenship and adherence to the rules and policies of Davis Connect 7-12. Failure to earn the required 35 citizenship credits will result in withholding the graduation diploma and participation in the commencement exercise. For graduation, a student is required to earn citizenship credit in grades 9 through 12; .25 units of citizenship credit in each class for each term can be earned, for a total of 35 Citizenship Credits.

• Students shall make-up any “U” or “Unsatisfactory” citizenship grades in order to qualify for graduation as well as to participate in extra-curricular activities.
   
• Citizenship grade requirements apply to students in grades 7 through 12.
   
• Davis Connect 7-12 Online Classroom (OC) teachers will issue citizenship grades at the end of each term based on the criteria in the Davis Connect Citizenship Rubric.

The Davis Connect Citizenship Policy and Make-up Information is thoroughly outlined here. 

Administrative U

• One citizenship credit is given per year (.25 per term) to cover the school period before, during, and after school, and at all school sponsored activities. This credit may be withheld by the administration for unsatisfactory citizenship behavior.

A parent or legal guardian having custody over a school-aged minor is required under State law to enroll and send a school-aged minor to a public or established private school during the school year in the district in which the minor resides. The process of education requires continuity of instruction, class participation and study. Parents/guardians are encouraged to work with the school in promoting regular attendance and school engagement of all students.

School dress standards should be followed whenever attending any school activity.  Anything that is disruptive to the normal operation of school or any dress or grooming that may considered extreme is not permitted. These dress standards also apply at all school sponsored activities. Students that repeatedly violate the dress code may be suspended and/or given an administrative U.

Dress Standards

1.      Students must be fully clothed. 

2.      Extreme dress or style which causes a distraction to the learning environment is not allowed.    

3.      Students must wear shoes.

4.      Clothing that exposes BARE MIDRIFFS, BUTTOCKS, OR UNDERGARMENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED. The sleeves of tank tops, shirts, and blouses must be at least 3”. Spaghetti straps are not permitted. Clothing that is low cut and overly revealing is not allowed. Pants, shorts and skirts must be worn at the waist. The length of a skirt, dress or shorts must be of a decent length; this will be determined by the administration.

5.      Clothing containing obscene or suggestive words or pictures, including references to sex, tobacco, drugs, or alcohol may not be worn at school.

6.      Sagging or slovenly appearance of clothing is not allowed.

7.      Clothing attachments which could be considered dangerous or could be used as a weapon, i.e. spikes chains, wristbands, etc. will not be allowed.

Any student, who possesses, controls, uses, distributes, sells, or arranges the sale of an illegal drug or controlled substance (which includes alcohol, tobacco in any form, and electronic cigarettes, or electronic cigarette substance or product), an imitation controlled substance, or drug paraphernalia in a school building, in a vehicle on school property, on District property, or in conjunction with any school activity, may be suspended, transferred to an alternative school location, tested for drugs, expelled, referred for police investigation, and/or prosecuted.

When a student is suspected of violating Davis Connect 7-12 or District policy the school administrator must meet with and inform him/her of the allegations and provide the student the opportunity to give his/her version of the incident. If the school administrator determines sufficient evidence exists to impose discipline the school administrator shall notify the parent that:

1. The student has been suspended
2. The grounds for the suspension
3. The period of time for which the student is suspended; and
4. The time and place for the parent to meet a designated school official to review the suspension.

1. Students wishing to participate in extracurricular activities must clear all their U’s before participation. Advisors and Coaches will verify eligibility. Advisors of student body officers will ensure that Davis Connect 7-12 requirements are met.
    
2. A student of Davis Connect 7-12 who wants to participate in sports must have a minimum of a 2.0 GPA the preceding term, and cannot have more than one F the preceding term. A higher standard may be established by individual groups, please check with the advisor or coach. For purpose of eligibility I’s count as an F until made up. An administrator may deem a student ineligible at any time for extreme behavior or participation issues.
    
3. An eligibility list will be provided to advisors and coaches at the end of each term. It is the responsibility of the advisor or coach to verify eligibility status for each student.
    
4. Athletes that are competing under the umbrella of the Utah High School Activities Association are required to have a Form A physical examination, each year, before participating at Davis Connect 7-12.
    
5. The established district participation fee must be paid before the first athletic event.
    
6. Students declared ineligible may appeal to their boundary high school standards committee through their advisor or coach.  This committee will consist of at least one administrator, one teacher, and the athletic director.
    
7. Student eligibility standards for all Davis Connect 7-12 extracurricular activities are subject to review by the administration and include compliance with all school rules. Attendance issues, smoking, drinking, drug use, poor behavior, insubordination or disrespect of coaches, advisors, teachers, and administrative personnel could result in suspension from extracurricular activities and may result in loss of eligibility.

Schools are required by law to conduct regular fire drills and other drills such as a lockdown or earthquake drill. An exit procedure for such drills exists and instructions will be reviewed each month in the P.A.W.S. Advisory classes, so that students are aware of the procedures when they visit school buildings for testing, activities, or attending in-person classes for a blended schedule. 

The District will ensure that students have an equal opportunity to participate in, create, and maintain student groups without regard to their race, sex, disability, or other protected classification.

However, students who are suspended, transferred to an alternative placement, or expelled, may lose the privilege of participation in all extracurricular activities, such as interscholastic athletics, cheerleading, student government, student clubs, graduation ceremonies, and other extracurricular activities, during the period of discipline and will not be afforded separate due process procedures to challenge the denial of participation in an extracurricular activity.

Student Education Records
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law designed to protect the privacy of a student’s education records.  FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their student’s education records.  These rights are:

1. Inspect and review all their student’s education records maintained by the school within 45 days of a request for access.
    
2. Request that a school correct education records believed to be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.
   
   Parents who wish to ask the school to amend a record should write the principal or appropriate school official, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed and specify why it should be changed.  If the school decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent, the school will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment.
    
3. Provide consent before the school discloses personally identifiable information (PPI) from a student’s record, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.  Such exceptions include, but are not limited to:

[a]  school officials with legitimate educational interests;
[b]  other schools to which a student is transferring;
[c]   individuals who have obtained court orders or subpoenas;
[d]  individuals who need to know in cases of health and safety emergencies;
[e]  official in the juvenile justice system to improve education outcomes;
[f]   a State agency or organization that is legally responsible for the care and protection of the student, including the responsibility to investigate a report of educational neglect;
[g]  specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes; or
[h]  organizations conducting studies for or on behalf of the District.

A school official is a person employed by the District as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving as a volunteer; a person serving on the District School Board; a person or company with whom the District has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist), or to whom the District has outsourced institutional services or functions. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

The Davis School Board of Education has set this requirement for the four-period rotating block to 27 units of credit. These requirements are as follows:

• English - 4 credits
• Math (recommended each year) - 3 credits
• Science - 3 credits
• Social Studies - 2.5 credits
• U.S. Government and Citizenship (Civics) - .5 credits
• CTE - 1 credit
• Fine Arts - 1.5 credits
• Health - .5 credit
• Fit for Life - .5 credit
• Physical Education - 1 credit
• Digital Studies - .5 credit
• Financial Literacy - .5 credit
• Electives - 8.5 credits

Total Credits Required: 27 credits

In order to participate at the graduation ceremony a student must meet graduation credit requirements and clear all Citizenship U’s. 

While Davis Connect 7-12 does not provide meals for online students, the following information applies to those students who may be blending their school schedule and attending an in-person school during meal times. 

The purpose of these procedures is to establish consistent meal charging and collection procedures districtwide. The District’s goals are:

• To maintain a positive experience for students during meal service.
• To treat all students with dignity and respect.
• To establish practices which are age appropriate.
• To minimize meal charges and encourage parents to pre-pay for all meals.
• To promote parents’ responsibility for meal payment and self-responsibility of the student.

Meal Accounts:  Payment in advance for meals enables the District to achieve these goals.  Personal checks and cash deposits are accepted daily at the schools.  For convenience, deposits may also be made by credit/debit card through a parent’s myDSD account.

Emergency Meal Service: The Board of Education acknowledges that on occasion, students may forget or lose meal money.  In such cases, the student’s statement of need shall be accepted, and a meal will be made available.  School lunch employees shall not, withhold a meal, provide an alternate meal, pull a student from the line, ask the student to call his parent or friend, stamp the student’s hand, or otherwise call attention to the student who has forgotten or lost meal money.  A school lunch employee may remind a student attending a secondary school that his account is in the negative.  The cost of the unpaid meal will be charged to the student’s account.

Evaluate Individual Circumstances:  When a student repeatedly comes to school without a meal from home or money to participate in the school meal program, school administrators should consider if circumstances in the home warrant contacting social workers or Child Protective Services.  Frequent requests may indicate the family’s need for free- or reduced-price meals.  School administrators may work with the family to apply for school meal benefits. All meals eaten before a free- or reduced-price meal application is processed and approved are the responsibility of the parent and must be paid for.

Repayment for Meal Charges and Bad Checks:  Federal guidelines prohibit the Food and Nutrition operation from writing off bad debts as a result of charged meals.  Every effort will be made to collect for unpaid meals.  Unpaid meal charges may result in the following:

• An automated telephone call to the parent.
• An email sent to the parent.
• A verbal reminder to student attending a secondary school.
• School lunch manager contact parents by phone or notes in teacher mailboxes.
• In case of significant delinquent payments, a letter will be sent home from the Food and Nutrition Department.

Parents are responsible to pay all their student’s meal charges.  All unpaid charges will be added to the list of any outstanding fees or unpaid fines at the end of the school year.  Uncollected meal charges shall be handled the same as other school debt.

Davis School District and Davis Connect K-12 Online School are committed to creating an environment free from harassment and discrimination, including addressing and correcting incidents of harassment and discrimination when they occur, ensuring that discipline is free from discrimination, and ensuring nondiscriminatory access to student groups.  Students and employees may not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national origin religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law, in its programs and activities, and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Policy 11IR-100 prohibits harassment and discrimination against students on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, or disability (“Protected Class”). 

Complaints of harassment or discrimination against students on the basis of a Protected Class should be directed to the Office of Equal Opportunity. 

Darrin Nash, Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity 
Davis School District
45 East State Street, P.O. Box 588
Farmington, Utah   84025
tel: (801) 402-8701
dnash@dsdmail.net

Further information regarding student-on-student or staff-on-student harassment will be provided in a separate Notice of Non-Discrimination.

Employee requests for accommodations or complaints of harassment or discrimination against an employee should be directed to the Office of Human Resources at:

Steven Baker, Associate Director Human Resources
ADA (Employment Issues) Coordinator
Davis School District
45 East State Street, P.O. Box 588
Farmington, Utah   84025
tel: (801) 402-5315
sbaker@dsdmail.net

Information regarding accommodations for disabilities should be directed to:

Midori Clough, District 504 Coordinator
Section 504 (Student Issues) Coordinator
Davis School District
Freeport Center West Building F3
Clearfield, UT 84015
tel: (801) 402-5180
mclough@dsdmail.net

Information or complaints about discrimination on the basis of sex in athletic programs may be directed to:

Tim Best, Healthy Lifestyles Coordinator
Title IX Athletic Compliance Coordinator
Sex Based Discrimination in Athletic Programs
Davis School District
20 North Main Street, P.O. Box 588
Farmington, Utah   84025
tel: (801) 402-7850
tbest@dsdmail.net

Information or complaints about discrimination on the basis of a disability in access to facilities may be directed to:

Rich Swanson, Director of Risk Management
Physical Facilities Compliance Coordinator
Davis School District
20 North Main Street, P.O. Box 588
Farmington, Utah   84025
tel: (801) 402-5307
rswanson@dsdmail.net

The Davis School District and Davis Connect K-12 Online School shall *reasonably accommodate a parent’s:

• Written request to retain a student in kindergarten through grade 8 on grade level based on the student’s academic ability or the student’s social, emotional, or physical maturity.
• Written request, prior to scheduled event, to excuse the student from attendance for a family event or a scheduled proactive visit to a health care provider. (Student agrees to make up course work for school days missed for the scheduled absence).
• Written request to place a student in a specialized class, a specialized program, or an advance course. (In determining whether placement is reasonable, the District shall consider multiple academic data points).
• Request to excuse the student from taking an assessment that is federally mandated, is mandated by the state, or requires the use of a state assessment system or software that is provided or paid for by the state.
• Initial selection of a teacher or request for a change of teacher.
• Request to visit and observe any class the student attends.
• Request to meet with a teacher at a mutually agreeable time if unable to attend a regularly scheduled parent teacher conference.

Each accommodation shall be considered on an individual basis and no student shall be considered to a greater or a greater or lesser degree than any other student.

*Reasonably accommodate for purposes of this section means the District or school shall make its best effort to enable a parent to exercise a parental right specified here without substantial impact to staff and resources, including employee working conditions, safety and supervision on school premises and for school activities, and the efficient allocation of expenditures; while balancing: the parental rights of parents; the educational needs of other students; the academic and behaviorally impact to a classroom; a teacher’s workload; and the assurance of the safe and efficient operation of a school.

The parental rights specified here do not include all the rights or accommodations available to parents from the public education system.

The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America shall be recited by students at the beginning of each school day in each public school classroom in the state of Utah, led by a student in the classroom, as assigned by the classroom teacher on a rotating basis.  Participation in the Pledge is voluntary and not compulsory.

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) affords parents certain rights regarding the use of surveys or other school activities which may involve the collection or use of protected information. These include the right to:

Consent before students are required to participate in any survey, analysis, or evaluation that reveals information, whether personally identifiable or not, concerning the student’s or any family member’s:

a)      Political affiliations or beliefs;
b)      Mental or psychological problems;
c)      Sexual behavior, orientation or attitudes;
d)      Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
e)      Critical appraisals of others with whom the student or family have close family relationships;\
f)       Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers;
g)      Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs; or
h)      Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.

Receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student out of activities involving collection, disclosure, or use of personal information obtained from students regarding any of the protected information areas.

Inspect, upon request and before administration or use of:

[a] Protected information surveys designed to be administered to students; and
[b] Instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum.

Davis School District has policies in place to protect student privacy as required by both State and Federal law. Davis Connect High School will directly notify you of the specific or approximate dates of activities which involve the collection or use of protected information and provide an opportunity to opt your student out of participating in such activities.

Parents who believe their rights have been violated may contact the school’s administration or file a complaint with:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-5920
1-800-872-5327 Informal inquires may be sent to FPCO via the following email address: PPRA@ED.Gov.

In compliance with existing federal and State law regarding religion and religious expression in public schools, the District or school may neither advance nor inhibit religion. 

It is the District’s policy to:
1) allow students and employees to engage in expression of personal religious views or beliefs within the parameters of current law; and
2) maintain the schools’ official neutrality regarding sectarian religious issues according to the constitutional principle of separation between church and state.

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) affords parents certain rights regarding the use of surveys or other school activities which may involve the collection or use of protected information. 
These include the right to:

Consent before students are required to participate in any survey, analysis, or evaluation that reveals information, whether personally identifiable or not, concerning the student’s or any family member’s:
[a]           political affiliations or beliefs;
[b]          mental or psychological problems;
[c]           sexual behavior, orientation, or attitudes
[d]          illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
[e]          critical appraisals of others with whom the student or family have close family relationships;
[f]           legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers;
[g]          religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs; or
[h]          income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.
Receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student out of activities involving collection, disclosure, or use of personal information obtained from students regarding any of the protected information areas.
Inspect, upon request and before administration or use of:
[a]          protected information surveys designed to be administered to students; and
[b]          instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum.

Davis School District has policies in place to protect student privacy as required by both State and Federal law. Davis Connect K-12 Online School will directly notify you of the specific or approximate dates of activities which involve the collection or use of protected information and provide an opportunity to opt your student out of participating in such activities.

Parents who believe their rights have been violated may contact the school’s administration or file a complaint with:

Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO)
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C.  20202-5920
 (202) 260-3887

Informal inquiries may be sent to FPCO via the following email address:  PPRA@ED.Gov

For additional information please visit the SPPO website at the following address: https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/

It is the policy of the Davis School District and Davis Connect K-12 Online School to promote a safe and orderly school environment for all students and employees. Criminal acts or disruptive behavior of any kind will not be tolerated and any individual who engages in such activity will be subject to school disciplinary action as determined by school administrators, or District disciplinary action as determined by the District Case Management Team. Criminal acts that are a class B misdemeanor or above (including but not limited to drug possession or physical assault) may also be referred to law enforcement.  In determining appropriate discipline, school officials will consider the totality of the circumstances, including the severity of the offense, as well as the individual’s age, disability status, intent, academic status, and prior disciplinary records.

Any student may be suspended, transferred to an alternative school location, expelled, referred for police investigation, and/or prosecuted for committing any of the following school-related serious violations:

1) threatening or causing harm to the school, school property, or person associated with the school, or property associated with that person, regardless of where the conduct occurs;
2) committing any criminal act, including but not limited to: assault, hazing, rape, trespass, arson, theft, vandalism, possession or use of pornographic materials on school property;
3) engaging in any gang activity, including but not limited to flashing gang signs, displaying or spraying gang graffiti, wearing or displaying gang related clothing or apparel, or soliciting others for membership in a gang.

School officials have the authority to search a student’s person, personal property, school vehicle, or student vehicle while located on school property or at a school sponsored activity, when they have reasonable grounds to believe that the search will turn up evidence that the student has violated or is violating a particular law or school rule.

School lockers, desks, or other storage areas are the sole property of the Davis School District and Davis Connect K-12 Online School. Periodic general inspections of school areas may be conducted by school authorities randomly without notice, without student consent, and without a search warrant. Searches will be conducted in such a way as to be short in duration and not disrupt educational activities.

Davis Connect 7-12 respects the rights of students to express themselves and use social media platforms. Davis Connect 7-12 however, has the right to address and/or take disciplinary measures for information communicated through social media when it creates a disruption of school for any student, comprises academic dishonesty, or is deemed threatening to any person associated with the school. For the purposes of these guidelines, social media contains any form of electronic communication, social networking, online communication, or online presence.

The following guidelines serve to help students avoid social media activities that could result in unsafe situations or school discipline. Participating in these electronic or online actions could be considered to be substantially or foreseeably disruptive to the school environment and could require official school involvement and possibly law enforcement agencies.

Students should:

• Avoid posting confidential information about themselves or others, i.e. phone numbers, addresses, school I.D., number, etc.
• Avoid unprofessional public profiles including the use of language of a profane or sexual nature. The image you create of yourself online can be seen by anyone. Privacy settings are NOT foolproof!
• Avoid participating in, sending messages or posting information about illegal activities or indicate knowledge of unreported crimes. i.e. Incriminating photos or statements depicting violence; hazing; sexual harassment; sexting; vandalism; stalking; underage drinking; selling, possessing, or using controlled substances; or any other illegal behaviors.
• Never post or communicate messages that include Bullying/Threats of Violence. While students have a right to free speech that right is NOT unlimited. Cyber-Bullying is a serious problem and is not limited to student-to-student interactions. Vicious treatment and hateful words often lead to violence, suicide, depression, and discrimination.
• Never participate or post in activities considered cheating and/or plagiarizing or any activity that violates the Academic Integrity standards.
• Avoid “Liking,” “Retweeting,” “Subtweeting,” “trending,” messages that violate any of the guidelines previously stated.

Davis Connect students should be aware that if their conduct negatively impacts the education environment, such conduct may be subject to discipline, not only by school authorities, but also by law enforcement agencies.

Students should avoid the following:

• Derogatory language or remarks about teammates, coaches, students, staff members, or representatives of other schools;
• Demeaning statements about and/or threats to any third party;
• Creating a serious danger to the safety of another person or making a credible threat of serious physical or emotional injury to another person.

Directory Information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, may be released at the discretion of school officials, without consent, for appropriate reasons such as, school publications, newspaper articles, and to outside education related organizations.  In addition, two federal laws require secondary schools to provide military recruiters, upon request, the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of their students.

The Davis School District has designated the following information as directory information:
1) student’s name, address, and telephone number;
2) student’s date and place of birth;
3) grade level and enrollment status;
4) student’s District email address;
5) student’s ID number that is displayed on a student ID badge;
6) parent email address;
7) participation in officially recognized activities and sports;
8) weight and height of members of athletic teams;
9) dates of attendance;
10) degrees, honors, and awards received;
11) most recent educational institution attended by the student;
12) student’s digital image.

The following shall be considered limited use directory information that may be disclosed only to other students enrolled in the same course (regardless of whether such students are enrolled in the same class section) that has been audio or video recorded by the District, for instructional and educational purposes only:
1) name to the extent it is referenced or captured during the audio or video recordings;
2) any photograph or image of the student captured during the audio or video recording;
3) any audio or video recording of the student participating in the course; and
4) any online chats or other recorded communications among participants in the course captured during the audio or video recording.

To protect the privacy of other students, parents/students are not permitted to make their own recordings of class sessions or to share or distribute school recordings of class sessions.

If you, as a parent do not want Davis Connect K-12 Online School to disclose limited directory information of your child without your prior written consent, you must notify the school in writing annually.

Parents who believe their rights have been violated may contact the school’s administration or file a complaint with:

Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO)
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C.  20202-5920
 (202) 260-3887

Informal inquiries may be sent to FPCO via the following email address: FERPA@ED.Gov

For additional information please visit the SPPO website at the following address: https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/

Complaints should be reported as soon as possible, but not later than 180 days from the date you learned of the circumstances of the alleged violation.

DSD Student Acceptable Use Agreement

The use of technology resources is a privilege, not a right. Inappropriate use of these resources may result in disciplinary action (including the possibility of suspension or expulsion), and/or referral to legal authorities. The principal, teacher/supervisor or systems administrator may limit, suspend, or revoke access to technology resources at any time.

Any student who in a school building, in a school vehicle, on District property, or in conjunction with any school activity, possesses, controls, sales, arranges for the sale of, uses or threatens use of a real weapon, explosive, noxious or flammable material, or actually uses or threatens to use a look-alike or pretend weapon with the intent to intimidate another person or to disrupt normal school activities, shall be expelled from all District schools, programs, and activities for a period of not less than one calendar year; unless the District Case Management Team determines, on a case-by-case basis, that a lesser consequence would be more appropriate. The terms “weapon,” “explosive,” and “noxious or flammable material” includes but are not limited to: guns, starter pistols, cap guns, knives, martial arts accessories, bombs, bullets and ammunition, fireworks, gasoline, or other flammable liquids, matches, and lighters.