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Student-Data-Privacy-FAQu

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Student	
  Data	
  Privacy	
  Frequently	
  Asked	
  Questions	
  




What	
  kind	
  of	
  data	
  is	
  collected	
  about	
  students?	
  
Our	
  district	
  collects	
  demographic	
  information	
  (names,	
  parents’	
  or	
  guardians’	
  names,	
  address,	
  gender,	
  
date	
  of	
  birth,	
  etc.),	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  information	
  such	
  as	
  test	
  scores,	
  copies	
  of	
  assignments	
  and	
  homework,	
  
report	
  card	
  grades,	
  student	
  attendance,	
  eligibility	
  information	
  for	
  free	
  or	
  reduced	
  price	
  lunch	
  and	
  
other	
  programs,	
  information	
  about	
  special	
  needs	
  and	
  services,	
  graduation	
  and	
  remediation	
  rates,	
  
and	
  disciplinary	
  actions.	
  Some	
  additional	
  data	
  about	
  students	
  we	
  may	
  collect	
  includes	
  student	
  use	
  of	
  
school	
  provided	
  software,	
  networks	
  and	
  technology	
  devices,	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  the	
  use	
  of	
  school	
  provided	
  
communications	
  services	
  such	
  as	
  email.	
  

What	
  kind	
  of	
  information	
  is	
  collected	
  about	
  parents?	
  
We	
  collect	
  name,	
  address,	
  and	
  contact	
  information	
  from	
  parents	
  and	
  may	
  also	
  collect	
  income	
  
information	
  to	
  verify	
  eligibility	
  for	
  programs	
  such	
  as	
  free	
  and	
  reduced	
  price	
  lunch.	
  We	
  may	
  also	
  store	
  
information	
  about	
  your	
  communications	
  with	
  district	
  staff	
  (e.g.	
  in	
  a	
  teacher’s	
  or	
  administrator’s	
  
email	
  archive).	
  Our	
  district	
  does	
  not	
  collect	
  or	
  store	
  sensitive	
  information,	
  such	
  as	
  parents’	
  or	
  
guardians’	
  social	
  security	
  numbers,	
  driver’s	
  license	
  numbers,	
  political	
  views	
  and	
  religious	
  affiliations.	
  
	
  
How	
  is	
  student	
  data	
  used?	
  
        Administrative	
             Student	
  registration,	
  Course	
  scheduling,	
  Guidance	
  counseling,	
  
                                     Attendance,	
  School	
  lunch	
  programs,	
  Busing	
  services	
  
        Instructional	
              Homework	
  assignments,	
  Instructional	
  tools	
  and	
  learning	
  apps,	
  Working	
  
                                     collaboratively	
  online,	
  Engaging	
  with	
  teachers	
  and	
  classmates,	
  Tailored	
  
                                     course	
  curricula,	
  and	
  Support	
  services	
  
        Assessment	
  and	
          Measuring	
  the	
  quality	
  of	
  education,	
  Standardized	
  tests,	
  Course	
  
        Measurement	
                assessments,	
  Reshaping	
  classroom	
  materials,	
  Measuring	
  effectiveness	
  of	
  
                                     student	
  learning	
  
        Optional	
  and	
  Non-­‐    School	
  yearbooks,	
  Class	
  photos,	
  PTA	
  fundraising,	
  School	
  paraphernalia	
  
        Educational	
  

	
  

       	
  
       	
  
       	
  
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           Student	
  Data	
  Privacy	
  Frequently	
  Asked	
  Questions	
  -­‐	
  Continued	
  
           	
  
What	
  is	
  the	
  difference	
  between	
  personally	
  identifiable	
  data,	
  de-­‐
identified	
  and	
  aggregate	
  data?	
  
       •          Personally	
  identifiable	
  information	
  refers	
  to	
  any	
  information	
  that	
  could	
  identify	
  your	
  child.	
  This	
  
                  includes,	
  but	
  is	
  not	
  limited	
  to:	
  their	
  name,	
  parent	
  or	
  family	
  members’	
  names,	
  address	
  of	
  student	
  or	
  
                  family,	
  birth	
  date,	
  email	
  address,	
  telephone	
  number,	
  social	
  security	
  number,	
  geolocation	
  
                  information,	
  screen	
  names,	
  user	
  names,	
  photographs,	
  and	
  videos.	
  	
  	
  
       •          De-­‐identified	
  data	
  refers	
  to	
  the	
  process	
  of	
  anonymizing,	
  removing	
  or	
  obscuring	
  any	
  personally	
  
                  identifiable	
  information	
  from	
  student	
  data	
  to	
  prevent	
  the	
  unintended	
  disclosure	
  of	
  the	
  identity	
  of	
  
                  the	
  student	
  and	
  information	
  about	
  him/her.	
  	
  
       •          Aggregated	
  data	
  is	
  summarized	
  information	
  about	
  a	
  group	
  of	
  students	
  and	
  does	
  not	
  include	
  any	
  
                  identifiable	
  information	
  on	
  individual	
  students.	
  	
  
                  	
  
Who	
  has	
  access	
  to	
  data	
  about	
  my	
  child?	
  
Our	
  district	
  has	
  developed	
  policies	
  that	
  limit	
  access	
  to	
  personally	
  identifiable	
  data	
  based	
  on	
  an	
  individual’s	
  
role	
  within	
  the	
  district	
  and	
  what	
  is	
  referred	
  to	
  as	
  their	
  “legitimate	
  educational	
  interest”	
  in	
  information	
  
about	
  a	
  student.	
  For	
  instance,	
  a	
  bus	
  driver	
  needs	
  to	
  know	
  a	
  child’s	
  address	
  and	
  possibly	
  limited	
  health	
  
information	
  in	
  order	
  to	
  get	
  students	
  home	
  safely,	
  but	
  access	
  to	
  information	
  about	
  student	
  test	
  scores	
  is	
  
not	
  needed	
  for	
  the	
  bus	
  driver	
  to	
  properly	
  carry	
  out	
  his	
  or	
  her	
  job.	
  
	
  
Teachers,	
  principals	
  and	
  other	
  administrators	
  will	
  have	
  access	
  to	
  the	
  widest	
  range	
  of	
  information	
  about	
  
your	
  child	
  in	
  order	
  to	
  monitor	
  their	
  progress	
  in	
  school.	
  Outside	
  service	
  providers	
  to	
  the	
  school	
  receive	
  only	
  
the	
  information	
  about	
  your	
  child	
  needed	
  to	
  provide	
  particular	
  services.	
  This	
  could	
  mean	
  letting	
  a	
  tutor	
  
know	
  what	
  a	
  child	
  needs	
  help	
  on	
  or	
  providing	
  a	
  student’s	
  name	
  to	
  a	
  math	
  software	
  company	
  so	
  the	
  child	
  
can	
  log	
  in	
  and	
  their	
  teacher	
  can	
  monitor	
  their	
  progress.	
  
	
  
School	
  board	
  members,	
  the	
  state	
  department	
  of	
  education	
  and	
  the	
  U.S.	
  Department	
  of	
  Education	
  receive	
  
aggregated	
  information	
  that	
  allows	
  them	
  to	
  understand	
  how	
  our	
  schools	
  are	
  performing	
  and	
  make	
  
decisions	
  about	
  programs	
  and	
  resources.	
  Personally	
  identifiable	
  information	
  may	
  be	
  shared	
  in	
  limited	
  
situations	
  such	
  as	
  to	
  review	
  appeals	
  of	
  school	
  decisions	
  or	
  to	
  audit	
  and	
  monitor	
  programs.	
  	
  	
  
	
  
Who	
  is	
  responsible	
  for	
  protecting	
  student	
  data?	
  
Our	
  schools	
  and	
  district	
  officials	
  closely	
  safeguard	
  education	
  records	
  and	
  the	
  personally	
  identifiable	
  
information	
  that	
  make	
  up	
  those	
  records.	
  Access	
  to	
  this	
  data	
  is	
  restricted	
  to	
  trained,	
  qualified	
  individuals	
  
who	
  only	
  have	
  access	
  to	
  the	
  specific	
  data	
  they	
  need	
  in	
  order	
  to	
  do	
  their	
  jobs.	
  Our	
  district	
  has	
  a	
  
comprehensive	
  student	
  data	
  privacy	
  policy	
  that	
  all	
  staff,	
  faculty	
  and	
  service	
  providers	
  are	
  required	
  to	
  
follow.	
  This	
  policy	
  outlines	
  security	
  mechanisms	
  that	
  protect	
  student	
  data	
  and	
  also	
  governs	
  who	
  has	
  
access	
  to	
  data	
  and	
  how	
  it	
  can	
  be	
  used.	
  
	
  


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        Student	
  Data	
  Privacy	
  Frequently	
  Asked	
  Questions	
  -­‐	
  Continued	
  
        	
  
What	
  kind	
  of	
  security	
  measures	
  are	
  used?	
  
In	
  order	
  to	
  ensure	
  that	
  our	
  students’	
  data	
  is	
  properly	
  protected,	
  our	
  district	
  has	
  contracted	
  with	
  
independent	
  information	
  security	
  experts	
  to	
  review	
  our	
  policies	
  and	
  practices	
  to	
  protect	
  student	
  data.	
  We	
  
have	
  also	
  deployed	
  strategies	
  to	
  protect	
  our	
  information	
  systems	
  such	
  as	
  encryption,	
  firewalls,	
  intrusion	
  
detection	
  software,	
  activity	
  logs	
  and	
  regular	
  training	
  of	
  staff	
  with	
  access	
  to	
  sensitive	
  information.	
  
	
  
Are	
  there	
  existing	
  laws	
  that	
  protect	
  student	
  data?	
  
Yes,	
  there	
  are	
  multiple	
  federal	
  and	
  state	
  laws	
  that	
  are	
  designed	
  to	
  protect	
  student	
  data	
  and	
  prohibit	
  any	
  
misuse.	
  If	
  student	
  information	
  is	
  misused	
  or	
  compromised,	
  school	
  districts,	
  including	
  our	
  own,	
  can	
  be	
  
subject	
  to	
  strict	
  penalties.	
  
	
  
How	
  do	
  schools	
  hold	
  outside	
  service	
  providers	
  accountable	
  for	
  
maintaining	
  the	
  confidentiality	
  of	
  the	
  student	
  data	
  they	
  receive?	
  
Our	
  school	
  district	
  is	
  responsible	
  for	
  holding	
  outside	
  service	
  providers	
  accountable	
  and	
  ensuring	
  they	
  have	
  
the	
  appropriate	
  protections	
  in	
  place	
  to	
  safeguard	
  the	
  student	
  data	
  they	
  receive.	
  Our	
  contracts	
  with	
  
service	
  providers	
  include	
  protections.	
  And,	
  just	
  like	
  any	
  member	
  of	
  the	
  school/school	
  district	
  staff	
  or	
  
faculty,	
  outside	
  service	
  providers	
  are	
  expected	
  to	
  adhere	
  to	
  our	
  student	
  data	
  privacy	
  policy.	
  Companies	
  
working	
  with	
  schools	
  and	
  the	
  district	
  are	
  only	
  permitted	
  to	
  use	
  student	
  information	
  for	
  its	
  authorized	
  
purpose.	
  Any	
  misuse	
  of	
  the	
  data	
  would	
  constitute	
  a	
  breach	
  of	
  contract	
  and	
  may	
  also	
  violate	
  state	
  and	
  
federal	
  laws,	
  which	
  may	
  result	
  in	
  penalties.	
  
	
  
Who	
  owns	
  student	
  data?	
  
Our	
  schools	
  and	
  school	
  district	
  retain	
  ownership	
  of	
  student	
  data	
  and	
  are	
  the	
  stewards	
  of	
  this	
  data.	
  	
  
	
  
Can	
  parents	
  access	
  their	
  child’s	
  education	
  records?	
  
Yes.	
  Under	
  federal	
  law,	
  parents	
  have	
  the	
  right	
  to	
  review	
  their	
  child’s	
  education	
  records.	
  Please	
  contact	
  
Colchester Public School	
   to	
  request	
  access	
  to	
  and	
  a	
  copy	
  of	
  your	
  child’s	
  record.	
  	
  
	
  
If	
  you	
  wish	
  to	
  learn	
  more	
  about	
  the	
  software	
  and	
  tools	
  used	
  in	
  your	
  child’s	
  classroom,	
  please	
  contact	
  their	
  
teacher	
  who	
  will	
  provide	
  access	
  to	
  a	
  parent	
  account	
  or	
  share	
  relevant	
  reports	
  about	
  your	
  child’s	
  use	
  of	
  
these	
  tools	
  with	
  you.	
  

        	
  
        	
                                            	
  




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