Page 12 - TIPJar Winter 2018

Shielding

Student Data

BY
MEGAN MACY
AND
PENELOPE R. GLOVER

oday’s parents face tough state and federal laws designed to
questions when it comes protect information privacy and
Tto their children’s use of ensure information security. Laws
technology: Is my child being governing information privacy are
tracked by malicious or harmful designed to ensure that users are
cookies? Could my child’s fully aware of how their personal
personal information become information will be collected,
public? Could this technology used, retained, and disclosed. For
expose my child to pornography example, the federal Protection
or other harm? Parents are of Pupil Rights Amendment
understandably cautious about (PPRA) regulates student surveys
their children using technology: related to protected categories
Student privacy matters. of information, including income,
political and religious beliefs, and
Parents entrust schools with sexual behavior. School districts
monitoring and controlling must provide notice to parents
their children’s use of education before administering such a
technology products or services survey and either obtain parent
(EdTech) in the classroom. As consent or allow parents to opt
schools increasingly use EdTech out for their children. Other
to enhance student learning and laws governing information
improve classroom management, security are designed to prevent
they authorize third parties third parties from accessing and
to store, access, and manage using personal information in
students’ personally identifiable unauthorized ways.
information. Under state and
federal law, school districts The laws governing information
must take steps to ensure that privacy and security of student
student data is protected. That is records are extensive. While
one reason why student privacy many EdTech providers are aware
matters to school districts, too. of the requirements of well-
established federal privacy laws
Know the Laws such as the Children’s Online
Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA)
School districts and providers and the Family Educational
of EdTech are subject to various Rights and Privacy Act of 1974

TIPJar - Winter 2018 12