Guidelines For Web Publishing

Statement of Purpose

Websites representing all or part of the school system must adhere to certain guidelines and all related policies. Failure to do so could result in the loss of web site privileges. The decision is left to the discretion of the Office of Computer Related Instruction.

General Guidelines

• Schools can develop web sites that can be composed of a single page or several pages linked together. The maximum size will be determined by Office of Computer related Instruction. 
• A staff member will be designated as a webmaster, and this staff member will be assigned to maintain and be responsible for the site at his or her school.
•  The Board of education will ensure that the content of the web sites contain educationally sound materials. They are not responsible for connecting sites on the Internet.

Website Requirements

• Contents must be school, curriculum, or system-related. Specific web site content will be determined by the web site applicant, as long as it does not conflict with school system policy or guidelines.
•  All copyright laws and regulations must be followed. Further, written permission must be obtained and kept on file by the site's webmaster before using copyright materials. 
• Parent or guardian permission to use a student's picture must be obtained and kept on file by the webmaster.
• Parent or guardian permission to use unique student-generated content or products must be obtained and kept on file by the webmaster.
• Students should only be identified by first name and initial of last name. 
• The staff member supervising a student's work via telecommunications is responsible for sending, receiving, and distributing student mail generated as a result of a web site. 
• Names and/or images of staff will only be posted with written consent. 
• No commercials from private businesses are allowed. 

Creating Web Pages 

Style 

Listed below are specific style guidelines relevant to sites housed on the school system's web server.

• Site pages must have an acceptable appearance when viewed with any of the major WWW browser (Netscape, Explorer, Mosaic, etc.). 
• Each site's home page must load in less than a minute from another School System site. 
• Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) code must be consistent with current standards and practices. The "Internet Resources" section of the school system's Web Site contains links to a variety of HTML tutorials. 
• Each site will have a homepage with the option of links to other pages that contain information on subject-specific topics (e.g., school newspaper, partnerships, student projects, special events, etc.). The choice of topics is a school-based decision. 

Required Home Page Elements

• Each site's home page will have a link to the Board of Education of Washington County's home page. 
• Each page at a site will have a link back to its home page. 
• As a part of a statement welcoming comments from site visitors, each home page will provide viewers with the name, school mail address, and e-mail address of the site's Webmaster. 
• Each home page will contain a statement indicating the date that the site was last updated Web page style guides should be consulted. The "Internet Resources" section of the school system's Web site contain slinks to a collection of sites that contain additional style tips. 

Links 

Listed below are specific style requirements to sites housed on the school system's server. 

• Links to outside locations should be tested prior to posting on a page to insure that they are still active and they do not lead to areas that are inappropriate for K-12 school environments. The links should be tested quarterly. 
• Links to download audio, graphic, and movie files should indicate the type (e.g., audio, graphic or video), format ex. wav, jpeg, mpeg, QuickTime, etc.) and size of file. 

Web Site Maintenance 

The Webmaster is responsible for maintaining the site. The Webmaster may delegate responsibility for maintaining various aspects of the site. A committee composed of the Webmaster, students, teachers, administrators, parents and community members can support the Webmaster in maintaining the website and approving its content. The composition of the committee will be a school-based decision. Content should be checked quarterly to ensure accuracy, timelines and relevance. Submitting Web Sites or Web Pages for Publication Original or revised web pages should be submitted to the Office of Computer Related Instruction for posting on the Web Server. Contact the Office prior to submission for instructions on how to transfer your HTML files.