Through this course, participants will become familiar with topics related to student privacy. The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requires proper protection of sensitive and confidential information, including student information and records. FERPA regulations govern the collection, access and use of personally identifiable information. Anyone in the school who may come across a student’s personally identifiable information, whether intentionally or by accident, is responsible for ensuring that confidentiality is protected. If you enrolled in SASA Resources: Human Resources, you already know that all new employees, including casual hires, must view a training video about FERPA.
The DOE’s Data Governance Office periodically monitors schools and complex area offices to assess how well staff in DOE understand the need to protect student information and if they are complying with procedures. One area previously identified for improvement is ensuring vendor contracts include appropriate language about protecting student information to ensure compliance with FERPA. Principals and vice principals receive training yearly about Information Security and Privacy.
This course is about the actions the SASA and other school office staff should take if an outside organization, including vendors, wants to collect student information.
