Click here to see enhanced synergy reports. 

• MCPS is committed to the safety and security of our students, their families, and our staff when working with data and technology.  The responsible use and handling of personally identifiable information and other sensitive data is extremely important.  

• To ensure compliance with state and federal laws, MCPS follows a thorough process to vet any online digital tools used by students. 

• For an online digital tool to be “Approved”, the tools must protect student data, comply with legal standards, and align with our educational goals. An online digital tool may also be designated as: “Use Responsibly” or “Prohibited”.  

• Before the use of an online digital tool with students, staff must verify the tool is approved for use.  It is important that teachers follow these guidelines to protect the information of students and ensure their digital safety.

• Please review this MCPS Tech Short and visit the Data Privacy and Security webpage for more information on the Online Digital Tools process. 

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If you have any questions about the online digital tools process, please reach out to Carla_E_Garcianajle@mcpsmd.org or Beth_A_McKay@mcpsmd.org.

Additional information regarding student privacy and federal laws:

Family and Educational Rights Protection Act (FERPA) Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA) Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)

In recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, we want to share some healthy computing tips and a few reminders of things to watch out for to protect your information. 

It is important to be aware of the common techniques used to trick you and gain access to your organizational resources.

Look Out For:

• Phishing – scams can deceive you into revealing sensitive information or downloading harmful attachments, putting your device and data at risk

• Malware – an umbrella term for any software designed to harm or exploit a device or network

Measures to Protect Yourself:

• Password Protection - The average person has around 100 passwords to remember. Passwords are the key to accessing personal information

• Multi-Factor Authentication - MFA provides an extra layer of security in addition to a password when logging into accounts and apps, like a face scan or a code sent by text

Things to Ask:

• Is the email from an unknown sender or misspelled email address?

• Does the email contain grammatical errors and misspelled words?

• Does the message create a scene of urgency, “immediate action?” 

• Are there unexpected attachments or suspicious links?

Hackers are constantly updating new ways to attack and a cybercrime happens every 29 seconds! Recognize the warning signs of an attack and report any suspected attacks to abuse@mcpsmd.org. Visit the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) website for more information. 

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) 

New Student Screen Tab: Graduation Validation

A Graduation Validation tab was added to the Student screen to integrate with the Graduation Validation Dashboard.  This tab is only available for high school administrators and secondary counselors to enter additional courses needed for graduation.

If you are not able to see data as expected on new internal dashboards, please follow these steps to clear the browsing data in the browser used to access the new dashboard.

Clear Browsing Data in Google Chrome:

Click the 3 dots in the top right corner of the screen

Select menu item: Clear Browsing Data

• Quick Guide