WOBURN — In recognition of Data Privacy Week, Superintendent Dr. Matthew Crowley wishes to reaffirm Woburn Public School’s commitment to safeguarding student and staff data.
Data Privacy Week, organized by the National Security Alliance, began Monday, Jan. 24 and ends Friday, Jan 28. The campaign is an international effort to empower individuals and encourage organizations to respect privacy, safeguard data, and enable trust. It also aims to raise awareness about how personal data is used, collected and shared.
Data collection and analysis enable districts to effectively evaluate programs and resources, as well as ways to achieve staff, student, school, and overall district success.
“The collection of data is an important part of the modern digital learning environment. It enables us to track how well students are doing and develop personalized learning decisions that support student success,” Superintendent Dr. Crowley said. “At the same time, we recognize that cybersecurity is the district’s responsibility, and we acknowledge our role as gatekeepers of this crucial data.”
To protect the data of students and staff, Woburn Public Schools joined The Education Collaborative (TEC) Student Data Privacy Alliance. TEC works with more than 240 school districts in New England and provides administrative and legal support to districts when negotiating privacy terms with software vendors.To date, the alliance has helped Woburn Public Schools with more than 120 agreements for online software applications. These legally enforceable agreements outline vendors’ responsibilities and duties, ensuring compliance with applicable federal and state privacy statutes.
“We are encouraged to see so many school districts demonstrating a real commitment to the safety and security of their students’ information,” TEC Executive Director Liz McGonagle said.
Additionally, the district’s Director of Technology & Innovation Jennifer Judkins recently completed the 10-month data privacy Train-the-Trainer program sponsored by the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF), a nonprofit focused on promoting privacy leadership and principled data practices.The goal of the training program is to develop student privacy experts who can help stakeholders and train peers in the changing legal and education technology privacy landscape.
“The training program was an incredible experience that had an immediate and positive impact on my role as a Technology Director. FPF convened experts in the field and encouraged participants to discuss workable solutions to real data challenges faced in our schools,” Director Judkins said.
For more information about Woburn Public Schools, please visit the district’s website.
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