Is your district protecting students' data?

Key points:

Protecting student data is essential for IT leaders of the School District, but many cite the leadership and training gap, together with time and labor, as obstacles in that search, according to the National Data Privacy Report for Students 2025 of Arena.

The report is based on the results of a survey by edtech leaders of the school district throughout the country. The report, divided into two parts, provides an unprecedented look on how the districts administer the critical task of safeguarding students' data.

With more than 130 State Data Privacy Laws of students who have proliferated throughout the country and a constant flow of headlines that highlight data violations in schools, the importance of safeguarding students' data has become more critical than ever. The report examines how those responsible for the students' privacy programs evaluate the privacy practices of their district, the tools and resources available for them, the additional supports found valuable and barriers for improvement.

“The 2025 National Student Data Privacy Report Underscores The Urgent Need for Stronger Leadership, Training and Resources to Protect Student Data In An Increasing Digital While COSN'S Trusted Learning Environment (TLE) Seal in Fostering Leadership Alignment and Cross-Department Colloborration, ”Said Keith Krueger, Cosn's CEO.

COSN survey more than 400 edtech leaders of 39 states and the Columbia district. The key results of the report include:

Leadership and training gaps: Almost 90 percent of edtech leaders who participated in the survey said they supervised the student data privacy program of their district, but 73 percent say that it is not part of their work description and that 17 percent have never received a relevant privacy training. A quarter of the trained paid in your pocket.

Barriers to improvement: Time and labor (60 percent), orientation on federal laws (47 percent), state laws (46 percent) and experience in privacy in general (38 percent) were most frequently summoned as barriers than financial resources (36 percent).

Employee -related concerns: The eighty -nine percent cites the problems related to employees as extremely or very worrying, including the challenges that manage behavior (76 percent), controlling the influx of free and low -cost classroom technologies (69 percent), applying policies (55 percent) and demanding training in privacy (49 percent).

Program performance disparities: Districts that have earned the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cosn.org/edtech-topics/trusted-learning-environment/”>COSN TRUST LEARNING ENVIRONMENT SEAL (TLE)Or they have indicated that they are working to obtain one, they are much more likely to overcome other districts with respect to the amplitude and maturity of their student data privacy programs.

Improvement opportunities: Although the leaders of the edtech district are committed to the privacy of students' data, the organizational structure necessary to develop, implement and maintain a privacy program can not yet be in their place in all districts. The reports of the report indicate the importance of strengthening a commitment to the privacy of the data of leadership students as a central priority while providing the leaders of the edtech district for training and implementation support to strengthen privacy practices.

“The protection of the privacy of students' data has never been more important. The report demonstrates, for the first time, that school districts really need to succeed in their privacy efforts and the steps that each district can take to improve,” said Linnette Attai, project director of the Data Privacy Initiative of COSN Students and the reliable learning environment program, and president of Playwell, LLC.

He <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cosn.org/edtech-topics/trusted-learning-environment/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Cosn tle spell and the new TLE state association program They are designed to close these holes by equipping the districts with processable resources, training and a verified rubric of 25 data privacy practices.

States like Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina and South Carolina They are already being associated with COSN to empower districts through this initiative. When achieving the TLE label, the districts not only reinforce their commitment to protect students' information, but also generate confidence within their communities, establishing a standard for excellence in privacy and the safety of data that benefits both students, families and educators.

This press release Originally appeared online.

The media staff of Eschool covers educational technology in all its aspects, from legislation and litigation, to best practices, to learned lessons and new products. Published for the first time in March 1998 as a monthly printed and digital newspaper, Eschool Media provides the necessary news and information to help K-20 decision makers to successfully use technology and innovation to transform schools and schools and achieve their educational objectives.

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