Posts Tagged ‘Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)’

school privacy data

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2020/11/student_data_future_criminals_pasco_privacy.html

Using Student Data to Identify Future Criminals: A Privacy Debacle

Under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), schools can share student records with a contractor or outside party to whom the school has outsourced certain functions, if that outside party (like a designated school resource officer) meets all three of these conditions:

  1. The outside party is performing a service that would otherwise be performed by school employees.
  2. The outside party’s use of education records is under the direct control of the school.
  3. The outside party does not use the education records for anything other than the reason they were originally shared, and does not share the education record with anyone else unless it secures written consent from the parent of the student.

FERPA for Faculty

FERPA for Faculty

http://www.academicimpressions.com/webcast/ferpa-faculty

Join us for an online training program that will provide faculty with critical information about FERPA, the federal statute that governs nearly all student records. Beginning with an overview of the FERPA framework, we will address issues that faculty commonly face—often without realizing the implications and risks—including:

  • Posting grades
  • Emailing with, and about, students
  • Writing recommendation letters
  • Using online tools and collaborative pedagogies
  • Speaking with (helicopter) parents
  • Administrators requesting student information

If you are searching for relevant scenarios and practical tips for better understanding how FERPA applies to everyday work of faculty, this online training is right for you.

Bonus Training Material and Quiz

Included in registration is a bonus lesson covering specific nuances of FERPA as it relates to faculty and an accompanying quiz which will provide a chance for you and your team to test your knowledge immediately before or after the webcast. This 20-minute training will cover:

  • Taking attendance, posting grades, and other course communication
  • The Do’s and Don’ts of identifying students online, in person, and on paper

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more on FERPA in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=ferpa

big data in ed

New Report Examines Use of Big Data in Ed

By Dian Schaffhauser  05/17/17

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/05/17/new-report-examines-use-of-big-data-in-ed.aspx

new report from the National Academy of Education “Big Data in Education,” summarizes the findings of a recent workshop held by the academy

three federal laws: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA).

over the last four years, 49 states and the District of Columbia have introduced 410 bills related to student data privacy, and 36 states have passed 85 new education data privacy laws. Also, since 2014, 19 states have passed laws that in some way address the work done by researchers.

researchers need to get better at communicating about their projects, especially with non-researchers.

One approach to follow in gaining trust “from parents, advocates and teachers” uses the acronym CUPS:

  • Collection: What data is collected by whom and from whom;
  • Use: How the data will be used and what the purpose of the research is;
  • Protection: What forms of data security protection are in place and how access will be limited; and
  • Sharing: How and with whom the results of the data work will be shared.

Second, researchers must pin down how to share data without making it vulnerable to theft.

Third, researchers should build partnerships of trust and “mutual interest” pertaining to their work with data. Those alliances may involve education technology developers, education agencies both local and state, and data privacy stakeholders.

Along with the summary report, the results of the workshop are being maintained on a page within the Academy’s website here.

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more on big data in education in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=big+data

On social media, privacy, etc.

Twitter, Rape and Privacy on Social Media – The Cut
http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/03/twitter-rape-and-privacy-on-social-media.html?mid=facebook_nymag

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Three thoughtful and thought-provoking essays about teaching social media use:

“Why students should not be required to publicly participate online” online at http://prpost.wordpress.com/2010/04/25/why-students-should-not-be-required-to-publicly-participate-online/

“Notes on Student Privacy and Online Pedagogy” online at http://joshhonn.com/?p=65

“Why the Loon does not assign public social-media use” online at http://gavialib.com/2014/02/why-the-loon-does-not-assign-public-social-media-use/

I don’t necessarily advocate the point of view expressed in these posts, but I do think they merit both attention and discussion in a course focused on social media.

Keith Ewing

Professor, Library Systems & Digital Projects