Laptop Spying

What future will we as a society choose? A future based on free software, or one where high school students have to cover their webcams with tape?

If you're with us, here's the plan: Create a listing of all school systems that provide every student with a laptop that includes:

1. OS the laptops run
2. Any security or monitoring software that's included
3. Whether students are prohibited from using their own computers running free software
4. A list of any additionally nasty characteristics on the provided laptops (beyond simply including proprietary software) like locked out features or remote monitoring software.

Example:

Lower Merion School District

1. Mac OS X
2. LANRev
3. Students prohibited from using any other computer, or installing their own software on provided computers.
4. Administrators can take screenshots, take photos from webcam, browse files. Administrators allegedly used webcam photos they took in students' homes as a basis for disciplinary measures.

Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation

1. Microsoft Windows XP
2. There is some for sure, working on finding out what it is
3. Students prohibited from using any other computer, or installing their own software on provided computers.
4. Administrators can take control of the laptop, and take screenshots. Students subject to laptop checks.
5. Website: http://www.evscschools.com/

Yuma Catholic High School

1. Compaq laptops running Windows
2. No idea, sorry.
3. I believe they are prohibited, but it's been a long time since I've been involved with the school.
4. Website: http://yumacatholic.org/index.asp

School District 92 (Nisga'a)

1. iBooks and Macbooks on OS X Leopard
2. Apple Remote Desktop version 3
3. Group policy prevents installation of software that requires admin privileges, but students are not prohibited from installing applications, and can ask teachers to authenticate if required. F/OSS applications are encouraged, and mobile applications are not prohibited or restricted. Students (and staff) are permitted the use of personal devices after a brief examination by the IT dept. to ensure they are malware-free and have up-to-date anti-virus software. Laptops are only confiscated from students for egregious behaviour or willful damage.
4. Teachers and administration can use Remote Desktop to observe students' screens, but cannot interact other than to lock their screen if the student is off-task. Screenshots can be captured manually by the observer, but cannot be automatically taken. There is no spy software or other type of "theft-recovery" system in place. In addition, Remote Desktop access is limited to LAN use only; when student laptops are off-premises, they are not accessible to staff or administration. Students can purge local history for privacy of home surfing records (in the schools, all web traffic is recorded by the proxy server, for ALL connected devices). Use of laptops is not mandatory, and is subject to parental agreement to the Acceptable Use Policy (http://www.nisgaa.bc.ca/documents/aup.pdf). All users are subject to the same policy regardless of position (student, staff, faculty, or guest).
5. Website: http://www.nisgaa.bc.ca