TREND. State Agency Faults School District. No Data Security Policy.

The state: New York

The NY State Agency: New York Comptroller

The School District: Avon School District

The Avon School District’s data security failings:

  • not adopting policies for managing passwords
  • not backing up data
  • not protecting its employees’ and students’ personal, private and sensitive information
  • making the school district more vulnerable to data breach
  • providing too many employees access to financial information of the school district
  • for failing to implment the recommended data security policies under a 2009 review

Livingston County News | State faults Avon schools’ lack of data security policies

TREND. Student Data Law Changes School Curriculum.

Which state added curriculum changes in its student data protection laws? Delaware

What changes ere made to public school curriculum? data security training

Why train teachers and students on data security? because human error is the largest driver of data breaches

Delaware Public Meda | First State working to incorporate data privacy training into ed prep programs

TREND. Executive Agency for Data Security. 9 Point Data Breach Reporting.

Bonjour to Canada’s Privacy Commission who oversees the data privacy of Canadians. 

The Privacy Commissioner recommended these changes to national data security laws for 2016:

Data security breach reporting should include:

  • The company’s name;
  • Contact information for someone who can answer questions on the company’s behalf;
  • Description of the breach, including:
    • The estimated number of users affected;
    • The personal information leaked;
    • The date of the breach, if known, or an estimated date or date range if unknown;
  • A list of other organizations involved in the breach, such as affiliates or third party processors;
  • An assessment of the risk faced by individuals as a result of the breach;
  • A description of any steps planned or taken to notify affected individuals, including:
    • A notification date;
    • Whether the party has been or will be notified, whether they will be notified directly or indirectly, and if indirectly notified, why (more on this below);
    • A copy of the notification;
  • A list of third party organizations that were notified of the breach;
  • A description of measures the company has taken or will be taking to contain the breach and reduce its risk to affected users;
  • A description of the organization’s related safeguards, taking improvements against future breaches into account.

Lege Trend. 5 Key Points from Student Data Protection laws in the Mountains.

Which state passed student data protection bills in 2016? Colorado

What does the new legislation cover? 

  • the gathering of student data
    • requires notice & consent
  • the storage of student data
    • limits on the length of storage
  • require all contractors to maintain comprehensive information security programs
    • limits contractors from sharing information unless there is express consent
  • no target advertising 
  • no building student profiles

JD Supra | Thompson Coburn LLP| Colorado jumps into student data privacy protection with new privacy law

Lege Trend. 5 Benefits of Student Data Protection Legislation. Procurement. Contracts Impacted.

Connecticut passed student data privacy legislation in 2016.

A group of mothers who started the push for student data privacy reform are touting its benefits:

  • Restricting student information use by contractors providing educational software and electronic storage of student records and by operators of websites, online services, or mobile applications (i.e., apps).
  • Clarifying ownership student data collected for school purposes is not owned by any of these third-party contractors.
  • Parental Notification. Requiring local boards of education to notify parents when they execute a new contract with a software, data storage, or internet service provider.
  • Procurement Contract Requirements. Stipulating data security and privacy provisions that must figure in all contracts between local school districts and software, data storage, and internet service providers.
  • Local Control. Requiring school districts to withhold the release of student directory information if the local or regional board of education determines that a request for such information is not related to school purposes.

Easton Courier | Legislation will protect student data privacy

3 Concerns with Model Student Data Privacy Laws.

What groups are concerned by model student data privacy laws? 24+ civil liberties and advocacy organizations

What’s the model act called? Employee and Student Online Privacy Protection Act

The privacy concerns about the model act:

  • broad and vague

  • does not prevent school administrators & employers from coercing or requiring students and employees to turn over highly sensitive social media account information

  • violates the Fourth or Fifth Amendment

Electronic Fronteir Foundation | EFF and ACLU-led Coalition Opposes Dangerous “Model” Employee and Student “Privacy” Legislation

Lege Trend. 2 Concerns about Student Data Protection. Vouchers Included.

Concerns related to maintaining  data collection: Make certain the state collects enough data necessary  to improve schools

Concerns to protect student data from voucher schools: Student data must be protected from “voucher schools” that would use the data to advertise to public school students

Milwaukee Star Tribune | Legislators to study how to protect student data