Dive Brief:
- In response to a lawsuit filed by the California Concerned Parents Association, which alleges the state isn't effectively requiring that adequate special education services be provided by districts to students in need, records related to 10 million students will be released to attorneys for a private review.
- The records include information including addresses, test scores, disciplinary records, health and mental health records, and more, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
- Parents, however, can request an exemption from the court order by April 1 so that their children's information isn't released.
Dive Insight:
Initially, the group, which has members in 80 different school districts across the state, asked for the student data in order to supplement its case. It contends that it wanted to have private data like Social Security Numbers excluded or redacted, but that the state's Department of Education apparently failed to do so.
Privacy advocates have expressed concerns over the data release. In California and beyond, student privacy is a hot topic and a source of concern for many. The nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation in December filed a formal complaint with the FTC over Google's alleged collection of student data. Districts should pay close attention to what happens in the suit, as the situation in California could set a broader precedent on the matter.
Pennsylvania is also setting an example in the student privacy realm, considering a pair of bills that would require school districts to inform parents when they use technology that doesn’t meet certain pre-established student data privacy protection requirements.