At school
General principles to protect student privacy:
• Transparency
Parents must be notified by their children’s school or district in advance of any disclosure of personal student information to any persons, companies or organizations outside of the school or district.
• No commercial uses
Selling of personal student data and;or use for marketing purposes should be banned. NO advertising should be allowed on instructional software or websites assigned to students by their schools, since ads are a distraction from learning and serve no legitimate educational purpose.
• Security protections
At minimum, there must be encryption of personal data at motion and at rest, required training for all individuals with access to personal student data, audit logs, and security audits by an independent auditor. Passwords should be protected in the same manner as all other personal student information.
• Parental/ student rights
No re-disclosures by vendors or any other third parties to additional individuals, sub-contractors, or organizations should be allowed without parental notification and consent (or students, if they are 18 or older).
Technology tools and apps are making it possible for educators and students to collaborate, create, and share ideas more easily than ever. When schools use technology, students’ data—including some personal information—is collected both by educators and often the companies that provide apps and online services. Educators use some of this data to inform their instructional practice and get to know their students better. It is just as essential for educators to protect their students as it is to help them learn.
Tools you can use to protect student data:
• Only use educational apps and platforms vetted . If a tool isn’t approved, get your school’s approval before integrating it into your lessons.
• Be careful when using non-educational tools, such as writing software, since they may not have the necessary privacy settings to protect student data.
• Always use strong passwords for educational apps and platforms. Keep your passwords in an encrypted vault or use a password manager.
• Don’t use personal email to transfer student data. When adding students to a virtual classroom, always confirm identities.