Helping School Districts Address FERPA Compliance June 4, 2019By Katie Onstad Student Privacy Laws ferpa The conversation surrounding student privacy often comes down to safety. Parents want assurance that their children are safe while at school, both physically and virtually. They want a greater understanding of what is going on in the classroom, what digital tools are being used, what information is being collected from them, and for what purpose. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law written to protect the unauthorized sharing of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in student education records. It allows parents the right to access their child’s education records, to have those records amended, and to have control over the release of any of their child’s PII. FERPA spells out exactly what schools can and cannot do with student data in their own systems as well as the limitations imposed on third parties, such as edtech vendors, acting on behalf of schools and districts. FERPA Regulations and PII In recent years, in response to parental concerns about information security, many states have passed student data privacy laws that provide greater privacy protections than FERPA does. However, FERPA establishes a minimum federal standard that governs the privacy of education records and the PII they contain for all students in public educational institutions that receive federal funds.[1] FERPA regulations contain a “school official exception” for consent. This exception allows school districts to disclose FERPA-protected information for vendor services that would otherwise be performed by school employees. However, these edtech vendors must have “a legitimate educational interest, be under the direct control of the school, and not use the information for any other reason than for which it was disclosed.”[2] Managing Student Privacy Ensuring FERPA compliance and managing student privacy is no simple task. Implementing a successful student privacy initiative takes a lot of work. It involves considerable amounts of time, commitment, and resources— three things most schools and districts are already running short of. It is vital that educators understand the importance of student privacy and make concerted efforts to ensure student information is safe, secure and protected. Fortunately, there is a tool to help districts manage the process of FERPA compliance, keep student data safe and secure, and ensure that vendors are properly handling sensitive student information. Student data privacy experts have developed EdPrivacy, a software platform that vets the safety and security of online applications and digital resources based on compliance with FERPA, COPPA, and state privacy requirements. EdPrivacy takes the worry out of FERPA compliance by managing the entire process for schools and districts. Designed to protect students from data abuse, EdPrivacy: • Ensures that schools and districts are in complete compliance with federal and state regulations • Engages parents in the privacy conversation and ensures their participation • Lessens the risk of costly fines and penalties associated with the mismanagement of student information. EdPrivacy assists administrators, IT staff and teachers to proactively manage their student privacy obligations with transparency and accountability. Specifically, EdPrivacy helps parents to understand if vendors will allow them to review their student’s data, amend the data, and determine with whom the data is shared. Requests for the data must have the written consent of parents or students over 18. EdPrivacy also maintains records of PII disclosures for school and parental review. By working with the trusted data privacy experts at EdPrivacy, schools and districts minimize the risk of violating FERPA and other student data privacy laws. Take a proactive approach to safeguarding your students’ online presence and instill parental confidence that the district is adequately protecting their student’s data. Sign up for a free trial at https://educationframework.com/services/edprivacy ________________________________________ [1] https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/sites/default/files/resource_document/file/SRO_FAQs_2-5-19_0.pdf [2] http://www.siia.net/blog/index/Post/77426/SIIA-Joins-Other-Organizations-to-Call-for-Guidance-on-Intersection-of-COPPA-and-FERPA--Dec%2026 Related Posts How Schools Can Manage COPPA Compliance School and district leaders are adopting new technologies quickly - learn how to make sure your school is meeting COPPA compliance. What is PII? What Districts and Families Need to Know Personally identifiable information, or PII, is any data point that can be used to identify a specific individual. Understanding how to protect student PII begins with knowing what data is being collected. Learn more about the federal and state data privacy laws that govern the protection of student information, and how EdPrivacy helps districts proactively protect PII. Student Data Privacy Policy for Schools—How to Ensure Your Data Stays Private Keeping students’ PII can be complicated - learn how to create a student data protection policy for your school today. NY State Educators Approach July 1st Deadline to Demonstrate Compliance with Ed Law 2-d Part 121 Public school districts in New York state have until July 1, 2020 to complete the requirements of Education Law 2-d Part 121. The law protects student data privacy and security by limiting access to students’ personally identifiable information (PII) in all public schools and education agencies throughout the state. Learn how EdPrivacy helps district leaders quickly and easily identify safe technologies for the classroom and meet their obligations under the law. Is Your School District at Risk for a Data Breach? Cybercrime continues to increase across all industries, including education. As district leaders work to protect student privacy and avoid a school data breach, criminals are finding creative ways to access student and faculty personal information. Read about how to proactively protect student data and learn best practices to keep personally identifiable information safe and secure. Managing Student Data Privacy: How One District is Doing it Right Learn how a school district in Georgia is effectively supporting their student data privacy policy with EdPrivacy, a comprehensive privacy management tool that vets vendor privacy policies, monitors policies for changes, and protects sensitive student information.