The Data Quality Campaign Statement on K–12 School Service Provider Pledge to Safeguard Student Privacy

Washington, D.C. — The Future of Privacy Forum and The Software & Information Industry Association today announced a pledge to safeguard student privacy. Following are the remarks of Aimee Rogstad Guidera, founder and executive director of Data Quality Campaign, a national nonprofit that advocates for the effective use of education data to improve student achievement:

“We know data won’t be used effectively if there is no trust that they will be safeguarded. I applaud the efforts of the service provider community to outline a clear set of commitments to protecting the privacy and security of our students’ personal information.

“School service provider signatories pledge not to sell student information, not to use student data for behavioral targeting of advertising, and to use data only for authorized education purposes. Education benefits from innovation; the creativity and new tools and resources developed by school service providers are critical to reaching our goal of preparing every child in this country for success. This pledge reinforces their commitment to the laws that guide them and the effective practices that ensure the success of the schools they support.

“When education data is used as a flashlight and not a hammer, parents can make the best education choices for their kids, teachers can tailor instruction and target interventions where needed, and education leaders can decide what resources each school needs. This will ensure every student is on track to success and that scarce education resources are well spent. Without data, we are flying blind.”

Featured

  • Opportunity by Design Framework

    Opportunity by Design

    Educational improvement efforts often focus on curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development, and intervention systems while treating the physical school building as background. But school design is not a passive backdrop to learning — it is a structural lever for equity.

  • University of Mary Washington Selects Builder for New Theater, Dance Facility

    The University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va., recently announced that it has selected construction and development firm Skanska to lead a series of renovations and upgrades to fine arts facilities, according to a news release.

  • Texas A&M Opens First Building at Fort Worth Campus, Breaks Ground on Research Facility

    The Texas A&M University System marked a major milestone in the development of its Fort Worth campus by opening its first completed academic building and breaking ground on a second facility designed to expand research and industry collaboration.

  • Esports are Growing in Popularity

    Video games and esports are a popular social hobby, and it’s one that’s accessible to a wide variety of physical ability levels. Some esport student-athletes have started to earn scholarship opportunities, and high schools are beginning to form teams equipped with the same degree of resources as their physical sports teams. However, the two have very different needs.