CoSN today awarded the national Trusted Learning Environment (TLE) Seal to Cypress-Fairbanks ISD in Houston, TX. The district, which is the third school system in Texas to receive the Seal, earned the distinction for demonstrating a commitment to protecting student data through modern, rigorous policies and practices.
 
Located in the northwest corner of Houston, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD has 91 campuses and provides instruction to 116,500 students. It is the third largest district in Texas and the 23rd-largest in the United States.
 
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD joins 16 other school districts in small, large, urban and rural communities that have earned the Seal: Baltimore County Public Schools (MD); Boulder Valley Public Schools (CO); Butler County Schools (AL); Cambridge Public Schools (MA); Denver Public Schools (CO); Fulton County Schools (GA); Highland Local Schools (OH); Lewisville Independent School District (TX); Loudoun County Public Schools (VA); Miami-Dade County Public Schools (FL); Park Hill School District (MO); Raytown Quality Schools (MO); Round Rock ISD (TX); Satsuma City Schools (AL); Zionsville Community Schools (IN); and Bozeman Public Schools (MT).  
 
“Cypress-Fairbanks is honored to have received the Trusted Learning Environment Seal distinction. We have worked diligently with district leadership, staff and students to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to secure information,” said Dr. Mark Henry, Superintendent of Schools, CFISD. “Our team understands that earning this distinction is not the end of this process, but only the beginning. We will continue to implement and improve security measures regularly in order to deliver a ‘Trusted Learning Environment’ for our community.”
 
“Congratulations to Cypress-Fairbanks for their proven leadership in carrying out critical, impactful privacy work. They join a unique group of districts that have earned this national Seal, and we are excited about the Seal’s continued growth in Texas and across the country,” said Keith Krueger, CEO CoSN.
 
The school district’s mission is to maximize every student’s potential through rigorous, relevant learning experiences that prepare students to be 21st-century global leaders. The district received the Seal for demonstrating strong student data privacy practices in the following areas:
 
  • Leadership, by providing the guidance, frameworks and resources to direct the use and governance of student data in a manner that is transparent to all stakeholders.
  • Business, by establishing vetting processes and contracts for technology providers that, at minimum, address applicable compliance with laws while supporting innovation.
  • Data security, by implementing strong data protection practices across all media and auditing regularly to maintain high thresholds over time.
  • Professional development, by requiring school staff to conduct privacy and security training and offering related resources to all stakeholders in the community.
  • Classroom, by implementing educational procedures and processes to ensure transparency and build privacy knowledge while advancing curricular goals.
 
As a Seal recipient, the district will be required to maintain their commitment to improving their student data privacy practices and reapply for the TLE Seal every two years.
 
Developed for K-12 school systems of all governance structures, the TLE Seal was formed through decades of experience and expertise from 28 school system leaders nationwide, as well as the Program’s lead partners: AASA, The School Superintendents Association; the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO); and ASCD. Their collective input identified the steps schools should take – in addition to regulatory compliance – to help ensure student data privacy and security.
 
Learn more about the TLE Seal Program at: trustedlearning.org.
 
 
CONTACT
For CoSN: Michael Kaplun, 202-822-9491, mkaplun@fratelli.com
 
About CoSN 
CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking) is the premier professional association for school system technology leaders. CoSN provides thought leadership resources, community best practices and advocacy tools to help leaders succeed in the digital transformation. CoSN represents over 13 million students in school districts nationwide and continues to grow as a powerful and influential voice in K-12 education. cosn.org