Student Data Privacy & Security

Speaker:  Hi, I’m Chris Sprowls. I’m a former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and chair of the advisory board of the UF Lastinger Center. Today, I’m just here as a parent. I want to talk to you about something that matters deeply to all of us: How schools use and protect our children’s data.

Many of us have questions about data privacy and data sharing, particularly when it’s our children’s data. What data is being shared? Do I want my child’s data to be shared? Who would it be shared with? How might it be used to help my child learn and grow? I hope I can answer some of those questions today.

Let’s start with data privacy. As parents, we worry: Is my child’s data being shared without my consent? Could it be used the wrong way? Could I be denied access to their records? Those are real concerns, and it’s why strong protections for you and your child really matter. To break it down, there are two main types of student data: De-identified data and personally identifiable information.

De-identified data is anonymous. This is like when 100 students take a test and we don’t know the names of the students. We just know their scores. These data help schools see trends like how fourth graders are doing with reading without connecting the data to one child, personally identifiable information or PII includes names, birthdays, and other private details like when your child is enrolled in school.

PII is sensitive and protected by state and federal law. It is only shared if it’s absolutely necessary for academic purposes and only after it’s been reviewed to meet strict legal and ethical requirements. Student data should only be used to support your child’s learning and never put them at risk.

When data is shared responsibly, it helps schools personalize lessons to fit our children’s needs, identify learning gaps so we can give teachers the best tools to teach our children, and improve the quality of education for all of our kids. So, who receives this data? There are two main groups who receive it.

First, educational service providers: These are the folks who create the math tools our kids use or the reading programs that help them read the right books at the right time. The second are the researchers like the folks here at the Lastinger Center at the University of Florida who are studying what’s working and what’s not to help schools make better decisions.

We all want to protect our children, and that includes protecting their personal information. We also want our kids to succeed. Responsible use of data for strictly academic purposes can help make that possible. When it’s shared privately and securely, student data is a tool for better teaching.

The University of Florida Lastinger Center is leading the way to protect our children’s information and ensure that academic data is used to give our children the very best educational experience. Let’s keep working together to make schools safer, smarter, and more supportive of our kids. Visit data privacyforstudents.org to learn more.