Education Week - April 13, 2022 - 8

Key Data Privacy Questions
7 questions that parents should be asking their
children's schools about student data privacy-
offering a roadmap for the issues that K-12 leaders
should be prepared to discuss.
the massive operational and privacy consequences the
attacks leave behind, " the CoSN report said.
A privacy seal of approval for districts follows a
rigorous application process
One area where CoSN is trying to promote stronger pro1.
Which
websites, services, and
apps will my child's classroom
use this year?
2.
3.
How does my school handle
directory information?
What is my school's approach
to school safety, and what
does it mean for my child's privacy?
4.
5.
Does my child's school
administer surveys?
What are the rules for
recording devices in my
child's school?
GUIDE: For a link to the full guide
for parents, see the article titled,
Data-Privacy Questions From
Parents That Schools Should Be
Ready to Answer.
> edweek.org
6.
7.
How is my child's information
secured?
How does the school train
teachers and staff to protect
student information?
SOURCE: Future of Privacy Forum
tections of student data privacy at the school district level
is with its Trusted Learning Environment Seal program. It
was developed with the input of 28 school systems nationwide
and AASA, The School Superintendents Association,
the Association of School Business Officials International,
and ASCD, formerly known as the Association for Supervision
and Curriculum Development.
The TLE seal program requires an extensive application
process focused on five areas of school district practice-
leadership, business, data security, professional development,
and the classroom.
Krueger says the process is valid for two years and encourages
best practices.
" It really gives you a roadmap to get to continuous improvement, "
he said.
The Rockingham County Public Schools, an 11,900-student
rural district in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia,
earned the TLE distinction in June 2021.
Oskar Scheikl, the superintendent and a former teacher
and technology director in the district, said the current tech
director, Kevin Perkins, came to him with the idea of applying
for the TLE seal.
Perkins said that with the pandemic, " all of a sudden we
are [shifting] over to digital resources. They require student
data. There is authentication. Teachers are able to track student
progress. We want to make sure we were positioning
ourselves to protect student data as best we could. "
Teachers are used to taking advantage of free offers, he
said, so some were signing up for classroom apps without
going through the district's vetting process.
" We have to take a pause and say, 'Hey, wait,' " Perkins
said. The district developed a digital resources request
process. It also created a 14-page agreement for technology
vendors. And the district tests its own staff members
by sending fake phishing emails, such as one that tells employees
that the district has signed them up for COVID-19
prevention training.
" To sign in, please use your email address and your network
password, " one such email stated.
" The first campaign had a 30 percent click rate, " said Perkins.
" Now it's down to about 10 percent. One of the components
of the TLE process is cybersecurity. Our people need
to be aware that when you are online, you have to be careful. "
Scheikl said that while he has tech credentials that relatively
few other superintendents have-an advanced degree
in cybersecurity and service as the district's technology
chief-those aren't the most important characteristics for
a superintendent to have for effective student data privacy.
Instead, it is a commitment from top district leadership to
effective data privacy strategies at all levels, he said.
" Inevitably, you are going to wish you had a plan in place, "
Scheikl said. " Something [challenging] is going to happen,
and when you have a framework in place, it makes it easier. " n
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Education Week - April 13, 2022

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