Internet Filtering - FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why is the Internet being filtered?

Congress passed HR 4577, better known as the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), which included a series of new requirements for K-12 schools and libraries that receive certain types of federal funding and provide Internet access. The school district does receive these federal funds and is therefore required to purchase and install a technology protection measure that blocks or filters Internet access.

2. What web sites are being blocked?

Access to websites is determined by the username. If you log in as a guest or student, the strictest policy is in effect. This is the default setting for Websense. If you login with your own username, filtering is done using the Teacher policy. This setting will only block sites identified as sexually explicit or gambling.

3. I sometimes get a notice stating the page I want to visit is not work related and should be deferred until after work. What if I want to visit this site during my lunch hour?

The Business and Finance category has a deferred setting. This category includes banking, stock trading, and online shopping sites. When the warning page is shown, you have an option to continue at any time.

4. When a student does an Internet search, some of the blocked sites are important for their research. Is there a way to bypass the filter?

Currently we are using the default policy for students. Unfortunately, this is a strict policy that does block many useful sites. If your students need access to a restricted site, contact the technology department and the site will be opened. The quickest way to contact us is through the Live Help page. The District Technology Department will review the opened sites and determine if the sites should be left open.

5. Is someone keeping track of the web sites I visit?

Logs are kept of all the Internet traffic that enters our district network. This is also true of all e-mail and other files on our network. You can read more about our district policies regarding technology on line.

Please e-mail additional questions to Mike Breidenstein.

This Page was last update: Sunday, March 30, 2003 at 8:24:35 PM
This page was originally posted: 7/11/05; 10:20:18 PM.
Copyright 2009 Rock Island School District Technology Department

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