Education is changing. New technologies are allowing information to flow within schools and beyond, enabling new learning environments and providing new tools to improve the way teachers teach and the way students learn. Data-driven innovations are bringing advances in teaching and learning but are accompanied by concerns about how education data, particularly student-generated data, are being collected and used.
The Future of Privacy Forum believes that there are critical improvements to learning that are enabled by data and technology, and that the use of data and technology is not antithetical to protecting student privacy. In order to facilitate this balance, FPF equips and connects advocates, industry, policymakers, and practitioners with substantive practices, policies, and other solutions to address education privacy challenges at both the K-12 and higher ed levels.
For more information and resources, please visit Student Privacy Compass, a one-stop shop for information, news, and analysis on maintaining student data privacy.
19 Times Data Analysis Empowered Students and Schools
Which Students Succeed and Why? “Thoughtful use of education data has tremendous potential to improve and address inequities in America’s education system. Scientists better understand how the brain incorporates new information and skills. Educators have a more accurate sense of student progress and potential risk for dropping out. Students and teachers use more detailed […]
Google Responds to Sen. Franken
Google provided a response this week to Senator Franken’s request for information on their policies and practices with regards to their Google Apps For Education (GAFE) suite of services. Ed Week reviewed Google’s letter, and asked FPF to comment on the response. Full article here.
ACLU, Tenth Amendment Center Join Forces on Data Privacy
“In consultation with the center—a think tank that advocates strict limits on federal power—the ACLU wrote model legislation that both organizations are urging legislators around the country to support. … “The Future of Privacy Forum—a Washington-based think tank and a co-author of the Student Privacy Pledge, a commitment by ed-tech companies to safeguard data—offered a […]
FPF Supports Connect Safely for Safer Internet Day
Our friends at Connect Safely have put together an amazing program to support student awareness and education as part of Safer Internet Day on Tuesday, February 9, 2016. Below is their writeup – we invite you all to participate and spread the word – particularly to the students in your life and their educational institutions […]
SXSW Edu – FPF and Colleagues Take on "Trust" Question
I am heading to SxSW Edu to join the US Department of Education Chief Privacy Officer Kathleen Styles, Common Sense Media’s Bill Fitzgerald, Data Quality Campaign’s Aimee Guidera, and several other distinguished education and privacy speakers for this session on student data privacy. Sponsored by CoSN, this is not just a panel but a full […]
States and the District of Columbia Introduce ACLU Sponsored Legislation to Address Student Privacy
Recently, the ACLU, in partnership with the Tenth Amendment Center, created model legislation for states to “take control of their privacy in a digital age.” On January 20th, 2016 the ACLU coordinated with legislators in 16 states and the District of Columbia to roll out a variety of privacy bills simultaneously, many of which addressed […]
Student Privacy Boot Camp for Ed Tech Vendors
FPF is continuing its series of Boot Camp training sessions for ed tech start-ups and small to medium companies – with the next event scheduled for March 3 in San Francisco. Slots are limited, so apply to attend now! Need a fast and furious intro to what it takes to do privacy – and security […]
Who Exactly IS a "School Official" Anyway?
School Officials and Ed Tech Vendors The School Official exception to FERPA, the federal student privacy law, allows schools to provide student data to principals, teachers and school employees to use for educational purposes. But what about contractors who may work for the school, like a bus company or an email service provider? The original […]
Passing the Privacy Test as Student Data Laws Take Effect
On January 1, 2016, “ SOPIPA”—the recently passed California student data privacy law that defines how edtech companies can use student data became effective. About 25 other states have passed similar laws that are already in effect, or will become effective. At the same time, more than 200 school service providers have now signed the Student Privacy […]
Parent’s Guide to Student Data Privacy Now Available in Spanish!
The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF), Connect Safely, and the National PTA are proud to announce that the Parent’s Guide to Student Data Privacy is now available in Spanish, both on-line and in hard copy formats. Last year, FPF partnered with ConnectSafely and the National PTA to create the Parent’s Guide to Student Data Privacy. […]