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.
Featured
A New Year’s Resolution For Your New Devices
A New Year’s Resolution For Your New Devices Still thinking about your New Year’s resolutions? If so, the Future of Privacy Forum has a practical suggestion: Get to know the privacy implications of your new electronics. Early in the New Year, take a few moments to set up privacy features so you can be comfortable […]
FPF Releases Guide to Disclosing Information During School Emergencies
The Future of Privacy Forum released a guide to help school officials understand their ability under the law to share information about students in an emergency situation.
School Safety Report Neglects Privacy Concerns
Yesterday, the Federal Commission on School Safety released a report detailing its conclusions, after holding a series of meetings and hearings in the wake of school shootings. Nearly every aspect of the Commission’s report focuses on sharing data and, thus, has privacy implications for students, teachers, and the public.
New Resource on FERPA's Health and Safety Emergency
The Future of Privacy Forum has released a new guide, Disclosing Student Information During School Emergencies: A Primer for Schools, which offers four best practices for information disclosure and answers five frequently asked questions about FERPA’s requirements for sharing information during health or safety emergencies. Read more about this guide in the Future of Privacy Forum’s […]
The Top 10: Student Privacy News (Feb – July 2018)
The Future of Privacy Forum tracks student privacy news very closely, and shares relevant news stories with our newsletter subscribers.* Approximately every month, we post “The Top 10,” a blog with our top student privacy stories.
FPF Testifies Before Federal Commission on School Safety
John Verdi, the Future of Privacy Forum’s Vice President of Policy, testified today before the Federal Commission on Student Safety meeting, “Curating a Healthier & Safer Approach: Issues of Mental Health and Counseling for Our Young.”
Free Student Privacy Bootcamp in Chicago on June 26
FPF has partnered with the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) to continue our series of free privacy bootcamps for ed tech companies during the ISTE conference in Chicago. Slots are limited, so RSVP to attend now!
New Study on “the Marketplace for Student Data”
Fordham University’s Center on Law and Information Policy (CLIP) just released the study, “Transparency and the Marketplace for Student Data,” which examines the practices of data brokers who buy and sell information about students. In the study, the authors describe existing privacy laws, map the commercial marketplace, and describe the challenges of understanding how data about students is collected and used.
Ensuring School Safety While Also Protecting Privacy: FPF Testimony Before the Federal Commission on School Safety
Amelia Vance, FPF’s Director of Education Privacy, spoke today at the Federal Commission on Student Safety’s Listening Session. She asked that any Commission recommendations include the need for privacy “guardrails” around school safety measures to ensure that student privacy and equity are protected.
Dept of Ed: Parents, Not Minor Students, Must Consent to College Admissions Pre-Test Surveys and Data Sharing
Ed Tech vendors that use student data to provide services in schools must navigate a complicated legal landscape, including intertwining state and federal laws, all of which are designed to protect student privacy.