Author name: Amelia Vance

Data Privacy Laws Follow Lead of Oklahoma and California

Data Privacy Laws Follow Lead of Oklahoma and California May 2016 Amelia Vance Republished courtesy of the National Association of State Boards of Education© Across the country, states have engaged in the sincerest form of flattery in passing student data privacy laws that echo provisions first laid down in two states. Since 2013, one or both of the student data privacy laws passed in Oklahoma and California have shaped bills that were introduced in 35 state legislatures and became law in 14 states. The Oklahoma law, passed in 2013, focuses on actions of staff at the school, district, and state

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Policymaking on Education Data Privacy: Lessons 3-5

Lessons 3-5 Lesson 3: More Transparency = More Trust Building parents’ support for quality data care and use is not possible without transparency about what data are collected. States and districts must clearly convey to families and the public what data are being collected and for what purpose, who gets to see them, and what happens to them once the student leaves the system.14 In the more than 300 bills addressing student data privacy to reach state legislatures in the past three years, very few require that schools, districts, and the state put forward understandable information for the general public.

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Policymaking on Education Data Privacy: Lessons 1 & 2

Lessons 1 & 2 Lesson 1: State Boards Shape Data Privacy Policy Significantly As education leaders and policymakers, SBEs have a responsibility to ensure that state and local data collection is secure and protects individual rights. SBEs should take action if state policy falls short of these criteria for effectiveness. They have a further responsibility to use their state platforms to call for changes in federal law and industry standards that would ensure appropriate collection, use, and security of education data. State boards are well positioned to act. As noted above, 36 already have some legal authority over student data

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Policymaking on Education Data Privacy: Lessons Learned

Policymaking on Education Data Privacy: Lessons Learned April 2016 Amelia Vance Republished courtesy of the National Association of State Boards of Education© Introduction When teachers and schools use data and technology to tailor instruction to individual needs, students benefi t through enriched, accelerated learning. Teachers and schools can use education data to measure whether particular teaching methods are promoting student learning. State policymakers can use data to make judgments about the eff ectiveness of standards implementation and then improve policies or allocate additional state funds or technology support in response. Parents can have timely information about whether their child is

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Policymaking on Education Data Privacy: Lessons 6 & 7

Lessons 6 & 7 Lesson 6: Student Data Privacy Legislation Can Easily Cause Unintended Consequences, so States Should Take Caution and Provide Guidance to Clarify Laws or Regulations Analyzing the effects of laws and policies in other states can help policymakers craft good data protection plans in their own. Other states’ laws sometimes off er cautionary tales of language that proves to be imprecise or implementation issues that were not fully thought through. Frequently, these issues arise when key stakeholders do not get a chance to weigh in on the legislation’s potential impact before its drafting. Words Matter Legislation on

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West Virginia’s Steady Course on Student Data Privacy

West Virginia’s Steady Course on Student Data Privacy February 2016 Amelia Vance Republished courtesy of the National Association of State Boards of Education© State policymakers in 47 states introduced almost 300 education data privacy bills in 2014 and 2015, and 33 states passed new laws over the last three years. Before this flurry of legislation began, West Virginia’s Board of Education (WVBE) had already become a leader in ensuring that the privacy of student data was protected while allowing for the innovative use of data to help students succeed. Amid the earliest alarming headlines about data security breaches at major

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