Technology Department News

FERPA Resource

FERPA (Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act) is a federal law that all educators must follow. Many teachers are familiar with the general guidelines when posting material within a building. FERPA must be followed in online situations as well. As we move to more and more online materials, all educators must follow FERPA.

There are a couple of acronyms to be familiar with: FERPA and PII.

  • FERPA – Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act
  • PII – Personally Identifiable Information
  • COPPA – Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act
  • PPRA – Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment

Below is nice graphical flowchart that should be considered BEFORE signing students up for an account with any outside vendor.

Application Vetting: An Overview
Understand what data the
Provider collects, uses, and
discloses, and how the data is
protected. 
Review the agreements that
outline the responsibilities
between the Provider and
the School System. 
Communicate the decision
to teachers, students and
parents.
Is Student Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Being Disclosed to a Provider?
Will the Provider Collect the PII Directly from Students?
Is Parental Consent Required to Disclose PII To The Provider?
 Will the PII be used for Marketing Purposes, and not for the School Purpose?
Does the Provider’s Privacy Policy Provide Clear Information About Collection and Handling of PII?
Does the Provider’s Privacy Policy, Terms (or Contract) Provide Sufficient Assurances to Make an Informed Selection?

The original document is posted on the CoSN site.