Illinois Participation in TLE State Partnership Program Advances Student Data Privacy in Districts Statewide

 

Washington, D.C. (September 30, 2026) — CoSN — The Consortium for School Networking today announced that Lincolnshire–Prairie View School District 103 in Lake County, Illinois, has been awarded the Trusted Learning Environment (TLE) Mini Seal for the Business Practice. The district is one of seven in Illinois to earn a TLE Seal or TLE Mini Seal.

The CoSN TLE Seal is a national distinction awarded to school districts that uphold high standards for protecting student data privacy across five key practice areas: Leadership, Business, Data Security, Professional Development, and the Classroom. The TLE Mini Seal allows districts to demonstrate progress in one or more of these areas as they work toward earning the full Seal.

In September 2024, Illinois joined the TLE State Partnership Program, providing all districts in the state with unlimited free TLE Seal applications and renewals, statewide benchmarking across 25 core privacy and security practices, and targeted resources to close identified gaps. Through this state initiative, Lincolnshire–Prairie View School District 103 joined one of two pilot cohorts focused on the leadership and business practices and earned the TLE Mini Seal for Leadership in October 2025.

To qualify for the Mini Seal in the Business Practice, districts must:

  • Implement a process for vetting online services for data privacy and security;
  • Regularly educate staff on the importance of and expectations for using the vetting process for online services;
  • Incorporate student data privacy and security expectations into contract language and data-sharing agreements; and
  • Apply enforceable privacy and security standards to all business processes associated with student data.

“Earning one TLE Mini Seal is an important milestone. Earning two demonstrates a sustained commitment to student data privacy,” said Keith Krueger, CEO, CoSN. “We congratulate Lincolnshire–Prairie View School District 103 on achieving recognition in both Leadership and Business Practices and for its continued work to strengthen the policies, processes and culture that help safeguard student information.”

“Privacy and security are essential components of the fabric that makes up D103. This achievement is dedicated to every member of the D103 community who contributes to our privacy and security practices, whether in big or small ways, to help keep everyone’s data safe,” said Craig Chatham, Ed.D., Director of Technology & Assessment, Lincolnshire-Prairie View School District 103.

The CoSN TLE Seal is the only privacy framework designed specifically for school systems. Earning the TLE Seal requires that school systems have taken measurable steps to implement, maintain, and improve organization-wide student data privacy practices. All TLE Seal recipients are required to demonstrate that improvement through a reapplication process every two years. To date, TLE Seal recipients nationwide have improved privacy protections for over 1.4 million students.

CoSN released a case study, “Improving Data Privacy in Illinois With CoSN’s TLE State Partnership Program,” showcasing how Illinois school districts — including Lincolnshire–Prairie View School District 103 — are using the TLE framework to accelerate progress in student data privacy and security across the state.

To learn more about the TLE Seal Program, visit: www.cosn.org/trusted

About CoSN
CoSN, the world-class professional association for K-12 EdTech leaders, stands at the forefront of education innovation. We are driven by a mission to equip current and aspiring K-12 education technology leaders, their teams, and school districts with the community, knowledge, and professional development they need to cultivate engaging learning environments. Our vision is rooted in a future where every learner reaches their unique potential, guided by our community. CoSN represents over 13 million students and continues to grow as a powerful and influential voice in K-12 education. www.cosn.org

About the CoSN Trusted Learning Environment Seal Program
The CoSN Trusted Learning Environment (TLE) Seal Program is the nation’s only data privacy framework for school systems, focused on building a culture of trust and transparency. The TLE Seal was developed by CoSN in collaboration with a diverse group of 28 school system leaders nationwide and with support from AASA, The School Superintendents Association, the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO), and ISTE+ASCD. School systems that meet the program requirements will earn the TLE Seal, signifying their commitment to student data privacy to their community. TLE Seal recipients also commit to continuous examination and demonstrable future advancement of their privacy practices. www.cosn.org/trusted

About Lincolnshire-Prairie View School District 103
Lincolnshire–Prairie View School District 103 is a nationally recognized, award-winning elementary district located in Lake County, IL. The school district serves approximately 1,800 students in grades early childhood through eighth from the communities of Lincolnshire and Prairie View and portions of Buffalo Grove, Vernon Hills, Mettawa, Riverwoods and Lake Forest. Students attend Laura B. Sprague, Half Day and Daniel Wright Junior High Schools. In all, the D103 schools have received nine blue ribbon awards since 1986. www.d103.org

MEDIA CONTACTS:
For CoSN: Makenzie Carlin, mcarlin@fratelli.com
For Lincolnshire–Prairie View School District 103: Margaret Van Duch, mvanduch@d130.org