(Washington, D.C., Monday, November 15, 2021) – Education technology continues to occupy a large, evolving role in K-12 instruction even as schools make steps toward leaving the pandemic behind. Many technologies adopted to accommodate remote or hybrid learning have been incorporated into districts’ long-term technology platforms, and teachers are seeking ways to apply skills learned in the past year and a half.
The new normal for schools include a mix of both in-person and online learning, making it more important than ever to ensure that policies and practices are put in place to safeguard student privacy and support the responsible use of education data and technology.
Parents, teachers, and students, the three key stakeholder groups with the most to gain — and lose — from the way these tools are implemented, are paying attention to the privacy and equity implications of these technologies.
The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) has released the findings of a new report on student privacy. The CDT surveyed parents, teachers, and students about their views toward student privacy, security, data use, and equity issues. The surveys, conducted this past summer, follow up on previous CDT research conducted in the summer of 2020 and spring of 2021.
The data looks at how schools are incorporating technology, from student activity monitoring software to identify violations of school policies to using online learning to deliver instruction when students cannot attend class for disciplinary reasons. The research shows parents, teachers, and students want a more active role in protecting their privacy.
As parents’ concerns are growing, they, along with teachers, are now more engaged on student privacy issues, and students themselves want to participate in decisions about their data. However, parents and students find limited avenues to make their voices heard regarding privacy decisions.
CDT is a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., and Brussels, Belgium, that works to strengthen individual rights and freedoms by defining, promoting, and influencing technology policy and the architecture of the internet that impacts our daily lives. Founded in 1994, CDT promotes democratic values by championing policies, laws, and technical designs that empower people to use technology for good and insisting online platforms be transparent, accountable, and respect human rights. Information about CDT is available at www.cdt.org.