The Tech Edvocate

Top Menu

  • Advertisement
  • Apps
  • Home Page
  • Home Page Five (No Sidebar)
  • Home Page Four
  • Home Page Three
  • Home Page Two
  • Home Tech2
  • Icons [No Sidebar]
  • Left Sidbear Page
  • Lynch Educational Consulting
  • My Account
  • My Speaking Page
  • Newsletter Sign Up Confirmation
  • Newsletter Unsubscription
  • Our Brands
  • Page Example
  • Privacy Policy
  • Protected Content
  • Register
  • Request a Product Review
  • Shop
  • Shortcodes Examples
  • Signup
  • Start Here
    • Governance
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • The Edvocate
  • The Tech Edvocate Product Guide
  • Topics
  • Write For Us
  • Advertise

Main Menu

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Lynch Educational Consulting
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • The Tech Edvocate Product Guide
    • Contact Us
    • Books
    • Pedagogue
    • Edupedia
    • The Edvocate Podcast
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • Topics
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development Tech
    • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech
    • EdTech Futures
    • EdTech News
    • EdTech Policy & Reform
    • EdTech Startups & Businesses
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • Online Learning & eLearning
    • Parent & Family Tech
    • Personalized Learning
    • Product Reviews
  • Advertise
  • Apps
  • Tech Edvocate Awards
  • The Edvocate
  • P-20 Ed Careers

logo

The Tech Edvocate

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Lynch Educational Consulting
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
        • My Speaking Page
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • The Tech Edvocate Product Guide
    • Contact Us
    • Books
    • Pedagogue
    • Edupedia
    • The Edvocate Podcast
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • Topics
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development Tech
    • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech
    • EdTech Futures
    • EdTech News
    • EdTech Policy & Reform
    • EdTech Startups & Businesses
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • Online Learning & eLearning
    • Parent & Family Tech
    • Personalized Learning
    • Product Reviews
  • Advertise
  • Apps
  • Tech Edvocate Awards
  • The Edvocate
  • P-20 Ed Careers
  • Product Review of 5 Dice: Order of Operations Game

  • Product Review of Toontastic 3D

  • Product Review of ToonDoo

  • Product Review of Too Noisy

  • Product Review of Tommy the Turtle

  • Product Review of Todo Math

  • Product Review of Titans of Space

  • Product Review of TinyTap

  • Product Review of TINgr

  • Product Review of TimeSavr

Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechHigher Education EdTech
Home›Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech›9 Steps to Keep Student Data Safe

9 Steps to Keep Student Data Safe

By Matthew Lynch
May 21, 2017
18844
2
Spread the love

Technology makes accessing student data rather easy. However, all student data needs to be maintained in a confidential manner to protect students’ rights, security, and dignity. At the same time, federal and state laws and guidelines may have certain rules regarding the type of safety precautions that must be taken regarding this data, but they might not specify specific tasks. Unfortunately, not all school districts may provide a higher level of interpretation of those guidelines and laws. Therefore, there some steps need to be considered when protecting student data.

  1. Establish Transparency with Laws and Guidelines

When federal and state laws do not provide a clear picture of how data needs to be protected, school districts’ administration needs to provide clarity before a breach of information is made.

  1. Understand the Risks – Paper

When it comes to being secure with student data information, there are many risks at hand. If paper trails are being created, then those papers need to be locked away from prying eyes, so having a method to protect against this factor is essential. File drawers and file folder systems need to be used effectively to make sure paperwork is protected in a confidential manner.

  1. Understand the Risks – Electronic

Any computers teachers use for accessing student information should be lockable with a password. Programs that allow access to this information should be encrypted for access in some way, so two levels of authentication for entry would be a good idea. These applications and programs should also not be left open on any computer screen to avoid tempting prying eyes.

  1. Establish Transparency with Students, Parents, and Guardians

Information needs to be available to parents to some point, so they need to understand what their children and other guardians can have access to and why. School websites can house this data just as much as a student’s handbook can, too. Either way, transparency of what happens to this data need to be blatantly available.

  1. Define Who Can and Cannot Have Access

Third-party vendors providing systems to convey student data might want access to certain aspects of an electronic database for student information. However, a decision needs to be made about how much access they need to have to perform their tasks. Also, information needs to be delegated their individual entitlements based solely on what information they need to perform their jobs and nothing more.

  1. Technical Support Access

Third-party vendors need to equally be trained in ethics and efficacy for handling student data. This situation is mostly true with their IT departments for when concerns arise. Therefore, school districts need to refer to transparency when it comes to defining what they can and cannot have access to.

  1. Train Staff

There is much responsibility that comes with accessing student data. A school district cannot assume that staff members automatically understand certain aspects of handling this information. Staff members need to know how to access information responsibly, know how to use a notification system for breaches, and should understand what to do in case of a breach.

  1. Have Protocol for Notification Purposes

There should be some sort of notification process in place if a breach happens. People need to know who to report breaches to if they happen. Then, all parties involved with the data need to be made aware of the situation, too. A press release would be a good idea to put parents and the community on a protective, proactive front that works in-line with attempts to fix the problem.

  1. Have a Plan for Data Breeches

The best thing to do with a security breach is to plan ahead as much as possible so one does not happen. A breach can be rather chaotic, especially when the cause is not known. However, work must be done as fast as possible to contain the breach.

Conclusion

Understanding the importance of protecting student data is essential to surviving in education. There are so many levels of ethics and efficacy that need to be considered, so being overly prepared for any situation or breach is the best method for protecting against exposing this data to prying eyes.

TagsEdtechedtechchatelearningSTEAMSTEM
Previous Article

Tablets at the Table Can Influence Child ...

Next Article

How Should We Teach Our Kids to ...

Matthew Lynch

Related articles More from author

  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechPersonalized Learning

    Why one Mississippi district ditched textbooks for laptops

    December 2, 2016
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechHigher Education EdTech

    Without teacher guidance, all the tech in the world will be quite useless

    April 10, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Uncategorized

    The Edvocate’s 2017 EdTech 20: A Ranking of 20 Global Edtech Influencers

    April 17, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Online Learning & eLearning

    The Benefits of Browsing: Why Teachers Should Indulge in Online Social Networking

    June 29, 2016
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Uncategorized

    Ask an Expert: Technology and child development

    June 8, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • EdTech NewsHigher Education EdTech

    Why your child’s digital footprints in school matter

    July 14, 2016
    By Matthew Lynch

2 comments

  1. 5 Ways to Protect Your School's Digital Assets and Information Right Now - LocknCharge 29 October, 2019 at 14:37 Reply

    […] [8] 9 Steps to Keep Student Data Safe – The Tech Edvocate […]

  2. 5 Ways to Protect Your School's Digital Assets and Information Right Now - LocknCharge Europe 30 October, 2019 at 12:58 Reply

    […] [8] 9 Steps to Keep Student Data Safe – The Tech Edvocate […]

Leave a reply Cancel reply

  • EdTech & Innovation

    How Audiovisual Equipment Boosts Remote Learning

  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechHigher Education EdTech

    3 Essential Factors for Schools to Consider When Using Predictive Analytics

  • K-12Product Reviews

    Product Review of Word Wizard for Kids

Search

Login & Registration

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Newsletter

Signup for The Tech Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in EdTech news and opinion delivered to your email address!

  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • Product Review of 5 Dice: Order of Operations Game

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 27, 2022
  • Product Review of Toontastic 3D

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 27, 2022
  • Product Review of ToonDoo

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 27, 2022
  • Product Review of Too Noisy

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 27, 2022
  • Product Review of Tommy the Turtle

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 27, 2022
  • 20 Top Virtual Reality Apps that are Changing Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 11, 2017
  • 7 Ways Technology Is Impacting Modern Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 4, 2017
  • Why Mobile Technology Enhances Instruction

    By Matthew Lynch
    December 14, 2016
  • 7 Roles for Artificial Intelligence in Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 5, 2018
  • Digital Literacy is the Most Important Lifelong Learning Tool

    By Matthew Lynch
    December 30, 2017
  • 5 Reasons Why an MBA can Boost Your Career - Appeio
    on
    May 26, 2022

    How Distance Learning Fosters Global Collaboration

    […] and distance learning ...
  • 4 Ways EdTech Companies Can Involve Faculty in Research - WGU Labs | Advancing Innovation in ...
    on
    May 17, 2022

    25 Ways that EdTech Benefits Teachers and Students

    […] EdTech products can ...
  • What is a professional learning network? - What Type Degree
    on
    May 16, 2022

    What is a Personal Learning Network?

    […] What is a ...
  • Digital Branding is Key for Everyone In Education | Edtech Magazine
    on
    May 15, 2022

    Tips To Conduct A Gap Analysis For Your LMS Marketing Strategy

    […] How do you ...
  • 7 Ways to Approach Financial Decluttering in Your Life - Amida Wealth
    on
    May 15, 2022

    The Best External Hard Drives Of 2022: All The Best Options For Backing Up Your Device’s ...

    […] and updating your ...

EdTech Policy & Reform

  • Adaptive LearningCurriculum & InstructionDigital & Mobile TechnologyDigital Age TeachersEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformInstructional Technology

    Exploring New Ideas: Student-Driven Remote Learning

    Spread the loveRemote learning is taking its toll on our students. They miss the social side of school. Not seeing their classmates or teachers is leading to nervousness, anxiety, and ...
  • Digital & Mobile TechnologyEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & Reform

    Implementing Education Technology by Pursuing Technology Education

    Spread the loveTechnology is used for many great things in our world. It’s a powerful tool when used correctly. As such, this powerful tool can be used to transform learning.  ...
  • EdTech Policy & Reform

    How Much Bias Is Okay in Your School?

    Spread the loveThe algorithm has proven itself to be a handy tool when it comes to solving education problems. It’s also not without bias.  You may be wondering how some ...
  • EdTech Policy & ReformFeaturedFresh

    Edtech Should Complement Good Pedagogy, Not Attempt to Replace It

    Spread the loveThe newest generation of edtech is downright amazing; it’s no wonder that various education stakeholders might be a little excited about its potential to transform education. However, edtech ...
  • EdTech Policy & ReformFeaturedFresh

    How to Teach Kids to Communicate in This Digital Age

    Spread the loveWhen even the youngest children are spending the equivalent of a full work day looking at screens, it is perhaps no surprise that parents are wondering how to ...

EdTech Startups & Businesses

  • Digital LeadershipEdTech Startups & BusinessesProduct Reviews

    Product Review of Collegix

    Spread the love This is a comprehensive ERP solution for colleges and universities that provides modular, totally integrated learners services, finance, HR, and advancement. Collegix provides online and offline workarounds ...
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech Startups & BusinessesProduct Reviews

    Product Review of Discovery Education

    Spread the love Discovery Education is a big player in EdTech. The company has established itself as the leading provider of digital curriculum resources, digital content, and professional development for ...
  • EdTech Startups & BusinessesProduct Reviews

    Product Review of AptaFund

    Spread the loveAptaFund is a business management software that provides essential functions to educational institutions, such as web access to educators, parents, and learners. It allows elementary schools and other educational ...
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    Understanding the Fundamentals of a Sales Script in Your Customer Interaction Journey

    Spread the loveSales scripts are crucial to any business and can be the main difference in achieving the set targets. A well-written sales script that factors in customers from different ...
  • Digital & Mobile TechnologyEdTech Startups & BusinessesTeachers

    Top 5 Things to Consider When Designing an LMS

    Spread the loveCovid-19 has changed many things in our world, and education is one of them. More students lean toward using online schooling. Therefore, learning management systems (LMS) are becoming ...

Digital Equity

  • Digital & Mobile TechnologyDigital EquityDigital Literacy

    Teaching Learners Digital Content Creation Skills

    Spread the loveContent curation is nothing new and has always been a coveted skill. It has been this way for hundreds of years — think of art galleries, museums, or ...
  • Digital & Mobile TechnologyDigital EquityEdTech & Innovation

    Promoting Online Access With Hotspots, Laptops, and Planning

    Spread the loveWhen becoming a leader in the field of education, it is important to consider equity. Some students may not have access to devices or the internet from their ...
  • Digital EquityDigital Leadership

    How Can You Assess the Tech Needs of Your Students Outside of School?

    Spread the loveToday, I received an email from the middle school principal in Los Angeles. She explained to me that the school that she ran was in one of the ...
  • Digital Equity

    It Is Time for the Edtech Industry to Stop Denying Its Equity and Race Problem

    Spread the loveThe EdTech industry is dominated by white employees, white leaders, and white entrepreneurs. If you doubt this statement, just attend an Edtech conference. Admittedly, educators and others don’t ...
  • Digital Equity

    How OER Can Help Overcome the Higher Education Equity Barrier

    Spread the loveThe cornerstone of the American dream is the ability to succeed in life regardless of one’s family of origin. And, for most people, that requires a college education. ...

EdTech Futures

  • Adaptive LearningAssistive TechnologyEdTech FuturesInstructional TechnologyTeachers

    Will AI Replace Teachers?

    Spread the loveThrough the years, robots have taken over many jobs. First, they replaced horses and wagons and horses and plows, then they started to replace people. A few examples ...
  • EdTech FuturesHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechUncategorized

    The Future of Higher Education Must Avoid Returning to the Past

    Spread the loveColleges and universities can make higher education safer, smarter, and more accessible through automation and collaboration technologies – if they commit to it. Author: John Hulen, Director of ...
  • EdTech FuturesOnline Learning & eLearning

    IT Trends To Watch As Higher Education Moves Into a New Decade

    Spread the loveEdtech couldn’t have hoped for a better launch into the new decade than the push the industry received from COVID-19. Even the most tech-resistant institutions and individuals have ...
  • EdTech Futures

    4 Emerging EdTech Trends in 2022

    Spread the loveCovid-19 has not only changed education as we know it, but it has forced education technology (EdTech) to up its game. EdTech has been crucial since the start of this ...
  • Adult EducationEdTech & InnovationEdTech FuturesEducation LeadershipEducational LeadershipHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechThe Future of Education

    Education Technology and the Future of Higher Ed Leadership

    Spread the loveEducation Technology (EdTech) has had a more significant impact on education than anyone expected. Now its effects are reaching into the field of higher education. In this article, ...

About Us

Since technology is not going anywhere and does more good than harm, adapting is the best course of action. That is where The Tech Edvocate comes in. We plan to cover the PreK-12 and Higher Education EdTech sectors and provide our readers with the latest news and opinion on the subject. From time to time, I will invite other voices to weigh in on important issues in EdTech. We hope to provide a well-rounded, multi-faceted look at the past, present, the future of EdTech in the US and internationally.

We started this journey back in June 2016, and we plan to continue it for many more years to come. I hope that you will join us in this discussion of the past, present and future of EdTech and lend your own insight to the issues that are discussed.

Newsletter

Signup for The Tech Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in EdTech news and opinion delivered to your email address!

Contact Us

The Tech Edvocate
5322 Markel Road, Suite 104
Richmond, VA 23230
(601) 630-5238
[email protected]

Follow us

Copyright © 2022 Matthew Lynch. All rights reserved.