New Program Helps Build and Improve School Districts’ Student Data Privacy Programs

 

 

Washington, D.C. (November 7, 2024) – CoSN recently launched the Trusted Learning Environment (TLE) State Partnership Program, designed to equip K-12 education institutions across the country with the necessary tools, training and guidance to implement and improve student data privacy programs.

Early adopters of the CoSN TLE State Partnership Program include the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, South Carolina Department of Education, Illinois Learning Technology Center, a program of the Illinois State Board of Education, and Indiana Department of Education.

The CoSN TLE State Partnership Program provides state education agencies with three options for supporting their districts:

  • Plan A: Measure and Improve
    • Receive a benchmarking report comparing aggregated results of a statewide district student data privacy survey against the performance of TLE Seal recipients across 25 specific privacy and security requirements.
    • Receive guidance to support districts in improving privacy practices that the benchmarking report indicates are common challenges.
    • Receive access to an unlimited number of free applications and renewals for the CoSN TLE Seal program.
  • Plan B: Measure, Train and Improve
    • Receive everything in Plan A at a discounted rate, plus:
    • 10 private sessions for CoSN’s facilitated privacy training and discounts on the purchase of each subsequent 10 seats.
  • Plan C: Measure, Train and Improve Through CETL®
    • Receive everything in Plan A and Plan B, plus:
    • Up to 10 seats in a state cohort for a facilitated online CETL Foundation course and exam to earn CoSN’s flagship CETL certification, with discounts on the purchase of each 10 additional seats.

“With the increasing complexity of today’s technological environment, protecting student data is critical to safeguarding their futures and maintaining trust within our educational communities,” said Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN. “Through participation in CoSN’s TLE State Partnership Program, state education agencies are ensuring that their school districts are equipped with the tools, training and resources to more effectively safeguard student information.”

By participating in the CoSN TLE State Partnership Program, state education agencies will be providing free TLE Seal applications to all districts in their state and be in a position to better measure and support improvements in student data privacy protections over time. The CoSN TLE Seal is a national distinction awarded to school districts demonstrating a tangible commitment to protecting student data privacy through modern, rigorous policies and practices. It requires school systems to implement high standards for protecting student data privacy across five core practice areas: Leadership, Business, Data Security, Professional Development and the Classroom.

As the only privacy framework designed specifically for K-12 school districts, earning the CoSN TLE Seal requires that districts 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.

“Protecting student privacy is a top priority in Illinois. By joining CoSN’s Trusted Learning Environment State Partnership Program — a program backed by one of the leaders in the K-12 technology space — we can enhance our understanding of district privacy needs and offer stronger support,” said Tim McIlvain, Executive Director of the Illinois Learning Technology Center. “We’re excited to provide 851 districts with access to CoSN’s expert guidance and resources, which will strengthen privacy protections for all Illinois students.”

“We are grateful for the opportunity to leverage the industry-leading TLE Seal Program and expertise of CoSN while partnering with the Indiana CTO Council and participating schools to empower educators and school leaders to acquire knowledge, implement best practices and protect student data,” said Brad Hagg, Director of Educational Technology at Indiana Department of Education.

“The top priority for North Carolina schools is safeguarding our students. From a Digital Teaching and Learning perspective, this includes ensuring the safety of our student’s data,” said Dr. Ashley McBride, Digital Learning Initiative Section Chief at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. “Through the North Carolina Digital Learning Initiative funds and our collaboration with CoSN’s Trusted Learning Environment State Program, the Department of Public Instruction has been able to offer valuable resources and training to ensure student data protection is prioritized when using any technology. With the increasing threat of bad actors attempting to access and misuse student information, it’s crucial that our schools have every possible advantage and tool at their disposal to protect sensitive data.”

“In South Carolina, we prioritize building and maintaining high standards of privacy and security across all of our school districts. By partnering with CoSN through the Trusted Learning Environment State Partnership Program, we are ensuring that every district in South Carolina has the opportunity to access the tools and guidance necessary to help build robust student data privacy programs,” said Valarie Byrd, Senior Consultant-School District Technology Services with the Division of Data, Technology & Agency Operations at the South Carolina Department of Education. “This subscription reinforces our commitment to keep our students safe as they access digital platforms.”

For further details on the CoSN TLE State Partnership Program, visit https://www.cosn.org/tools-resources/tlepartner/.

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. cosn.org

About the CoSN Trusted Learning Environment State Partnership Program
The CoSN Trusted Learning Environment (TLE) State Partnership Program is designed to measure and improve district student data privacy practices across all districts in the state. Through survey-based benchmarking, CoSN is able to aggregate district privacy performance across the 25 requirements of the CoSN Trusted Learning Environment Seal Program. CoSN provides comparisons of these results to the aggregated results of TLE Seal recipients. CoSN then provides each state with resources that are ready-made for its districts, providing guidance to improve the top three areas of weakness. The process is repeated on a cycle to continuously build up privacy practices across all districts. States are also provided with free TLE applications for all districts, providing the opportunity for districts to gain additional, customized feedback on their privacy programs and earn recognition for their efforts. For more information, visit CoSN.org/TLEpartner.