Administrative Procedure 0707 - Procurement, Installation and Development of Software

I. Purpose

To serve as a guideline for all users (staff and students) regarding the purchase, installation, use, or development of any type of software on PGCPS equipment or network.

This Administrative Procedure applies to any software or online resource used by any entity of the school district. This Administrative Procedure will cover the following areas:

1. The purchase of any type of software.
2. The installation of any type of software.
3. The use of any freeware or shareware.
4. The development of any software.
5. The use of any software on the PGCPS network.

II. Information

PGCPS respects all computer software copyrights and is committed to adhering to the terms and conditions of all software used and/or purchased by the school district.

III. Definitions

1. Freeware - software that is available free of charge.
2. Shareware - software that is available free of charge and often distributed informally for evaluation, after which a fee may be requested for continued use.
3. Software - the programs and other operating information used by a computer.

IV. Procedures

1. User Education: PGCPS will provide a software education program in the form of documented rules and guidelines accessible to all users. PGCPS will also provide an online database of all approved instructional software available for purchase: https://www.pgcps.org/offices/information-technology.
2. Acquisition of Software: All software purchases, installations, or use of webbased applications must be reviewed (evaluated and certified) and approved by the Division of Information Technology. This requirement is to ensure that software will operate properly on the PGCPS network and equipment and that PGCPS has a complete record of all software purchased, installed or used on our network. This process also provides information to ensure all software is registered and support can be provided for future upgrades, support for the product, and possible training on the use of the product.
3. Registration of Software: When software is received, the Division of Information Technology will ensure that registration is complete. Schools and Offices must register and keep a record of all school-based software purchased or freeware used. This information needs to be shared with the Division of Information Technology by sending an email to T3@pgcps.org, which will be entered into PGCPS Software Inventory database.
   
   Registration of a product should be completed before or when the software is installed. If the product is being used systemically, the Division of Information Technology will be responsible for completing the registration of the product and will maintain a register of systemic software and online resources.
   
   The Software register will contain:
   1. Title and Publisher of the software.
   2. Date and source of software acquisition.
   3. Location of each installation as well as the number of licenses.
   4. Existence and location of back-up copies.
   5. Software product’s serial number and access key.
   6. Supporting documentation that accompanied the software such as user manuals.
4. Installation of Software: After the evaluation of the software has been completed, a recommendation (Approval or Disapproval) will be issued for the requesting school or office. If approved, the school or office should contact the Helpdesk to submit a request to install the software. The original media must be kept in a safe storage area maintained by the department.
5. Instructional Software: In addition to the requirements set forth in this procedure, the approval of instructional software is facilitated by IT. IT leads the testing of the software and assesses the data needs of the application. If the application passes IT assessment, it is then passed to the content supervisor to assess for pedagogy. If approved, IT submits a letter of approval justification to Purchasing.
6. Shareware/Freeware: Shareware and Freeware products are copyrighted software distributed via the Internet. Any school or office that requests permission and is approved to utilize Shareware or Freeware must ensure that shareware fees are paid for the use of the products. Under this procedure, acquisition and registration of shareware and freeware products will be handled the same way as commercial software products.
7. Personal Use: PGCPS computers are PGCPS assets and must be protected against the unlawful use of software, software incompatibilities with existing approved applications, software that is not aligned with instructional standards, and attack from software viruses, malware, netbots, etc. Students may not install their personal software on computing devices or the network owned by PGCPS. Staff must obtain permission by the Division of Information Technology and their supervisor and show proof of ownership before applications can be installed on PGCPS equipment.
   
   Additionally, PGCPS licensed software may not be installed on any staff or student’s home computer unless the license agreement explicitly allows such usage. Users requesting installation rights on personal computers should consult with the Division of Information Technology to receive permission and an appropriate copy of the software. Schools and Offices should keep a record of any software installed on personal devices on the school’s software register.
8. Downloading Software: To ensure security of our network, once approved, users shall download the software from a PGCPS software repository or directly from the vendor website as advised.
9. Software Audits: The IT Governance Team will initiate regular informal and formal software audits and will review the results for compliance. The purpose of the audit is to monitor legitimacy of usage and to detect problems such as virus infections, malware, and bots. This information will also inform future technology plans. Audits will require proof of systemic licenses by the Division of Information Technology and software licenses used by schools and offices.
10. Data Security and Development of Software Applications: Data breaches jeopardize the confidentiality of student, parent, and staff data resulting in significant loss of trust and financial impact. To ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability of PGCPS data, all databases and applications that are used to collect and disseminate business, student, parent and staff information will be managed by the Division of Information Technology.
    
    Application development outside the Division of Information Technology is prohibited unless it is utilized for instruction or an academic course. All Offices that require customized information systems must work with the Division of Information Technology to develop the requirements necessary for their particular use of the data. The Division of Information Technology will secure information systems, maintain back ups for all PGCPS-hosted systems, and work with all district offices to ensure data is available through the data warehouse or one of the transactional systems maintained by the district.
    
    External agencies / cloud providers hosting PGCPS Information Systems will be required to be SOC 2 compliant and approved by the Division of Information Technology.

V. Monitoring and Compliance

Authorized staff in the Division of Information Technology will actively scan devices connected to the PGCPS network to ensure compliance with this procedure. Scanning may take place remotely or physically by technical support staff. Installed software identified as being out of compliance with this procedure will be uninstalled/removed from the device.

Best efforts will be made to contact the responsible user to verify compliance prior to the removal of the software. However, if the user cannot be contacted within a reasonable time, the software will be removed without further attempts to notify user(s).

VI. Related Procedures

Administrative Procedure 0700, Information Technology Services – Acceptable Usage Guidelines

VII. Maintenance and Update of These Procedures

These procedures originate with the Division of Information Technology and will be updated as needed.

VIII. Cancellations and Supersedures

This procedure cancels and supersedes the version dated November 1, 2010.

IX. Effective Date

July 1, 2019

About This Procedure

Revised:  July 1, 2019

Documents

Administrative Procedure 0707 - Procurement, Installation and Development of Software.pdf