The purpose of this guidebook is to assist education agencies and organizations--which include state education agencies or state departments of education, school districts, and schools--in the development, maintenance, and standardization of effective Web sites. Also included is a detailed examination of the procedures necessary to provide adequate security for the Internet "node" (connection point) and the network that sends information from computer to computer in the education agency. The book opens with a discussion of the possible content for Web sites at various levels of the education environment. The first chapter emphasizes that the content is the first consideration when the agency decides it wants to build a Web site. Practical considerations necessary for the development and maintenance of a Web site are discussed in chapter 2, including the rationale for Web publishing standards and guidelines for Web site content. Chapter 3 discusses some policy issues to be addressed when considering federal, state, and local regulations. Chapter 4 explores issues that face an agency as it decides whether to develop and host a Web site internally or to outsource the process, and presents guidelines to assist in selecting qualified vendors for outsourcing as well as the hardware and software that will be needed. Chapter 5 describes the procurement process and outlines three approaches to developing bid requests: technical specifications, request for qualifications, and request for proposals. Chapter 6 sorts out the complexities of network security and addresses hardware, operating system, and software security protocols. The first five chapters are intended primarily for administrators, while the sixth chapter is written primarily for network administrators and others who are responsible for ensuring that the agency's data are secure and the equipment operational. Several appendixes provide definitions of and information on: the Internet, local area networks, connecting to the Internet, Internet addresses and domains; sample policies and procedures; World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines; information on how a secure local area network receives a "packet" from the Internet; and references. A glossary is also provided. (Contains 23 references.) (AEF)