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Data Privacy
Data Privacy
New Bedford Public Schools is committed to safeguarding student data through smart vetting practices, trusted technologies, and a district-wide culture of digital responsibility. Beyond meeting compliance, we prioritize transparency, ethical use, and trust—ensuring every educator and student is empowered to handle data securely and responsibly in support of personalized, future-ready learning.
Goal 1: Implement a FERPA-Aligned Data Sharing and Governance Policy
By February 2026, New Bedford Public Schools will implement a districtwide, FERPA-aligned data sharing and governance policy that classifies all data by privacy level, regulates third-party and internal sharing, and limits access to only what is necessary for educational use.
Action: Identify all internal and external data repositories
Timeline
Summer 2025
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Learning, MIS Managers
Action: Create a classification framework for district-held data (e.g., PII, instructional, operational).
Review current practices for sharing data with third-party vendors.
Timeline
Fall 2025
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Learning, MIS Managers
Action: Draft and review the new policy, including privacy tagging, restricted access, and role-based permissions.
Timeline
Winter 2025 - 2026
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Learning, MIS Managers
Action: Finalize and publish the policy. Provide training to relevant staff on implementation.
Timeline
Spring 2026
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Learning, MIS Managers
Goal 2: Complete a Full Internal and External Data Access Audit
By May 2026, complete a full audit of all internal and external data access, identifying excessive data storage or sharing, and reducing unnecessary access across all district systems by at least 75%.
Action: Inventory all district systems and tools storing or processing student/staff data.
Timeline
Summer 2025
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Learning, MIS Managers
Action: Audit access permissions across departments and third-party apps.
Identify instances of over-collection or over-storage of data.
Timeline
Fall2025
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Learning, MIS Managers
Action: Adjust or remove access where not aligned with district role/responsibility or compliance need.
Timeline
Winter 2025
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Learning, Senior Tech Team
Action: Report findings to district leadership. Update vendor contracts and internal permissions accordingly.
Timeline
Spring 2026
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent for Technology & Learning and Technology admin assistant, Senior Tech Team
Goal 3: Ensure Compliance of Third-Party Apps with Privacy Standards
By June 2026, ensure 100% of approved third-party applications used across the district meet district data privacy standards, with annual review and renewal of data privacy agreements.
Action: Audit all data shared with third-party applications.
Identify apps with missing or outdated privacy agreements.
Timeline
Summer - Fall 2025
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Learning, MIS Managers
Action: Review and evaluate vendor privacy policies and terms of service for FERPA and COPPA compliance.
Timeline
Winter 2025 - 2026
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Learning, MIS Managers
Action: Remove or replace non-compliant tools.
Initiate new vendor privacy agreements with aligned terms.
Timeline
Spring 2026
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Learning, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning or designee, CDAMs, Network Manager, MIS Managers
Action: Implement a renewal and review process for all third-party privacy agreements on an annual cycle.
Timeline
Summer 2026
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent for Technology & Learning and Technology admin assistant, Senior Tech Team
Goal 4: Build Staff Capacity Through Annual Data Privacy Training
By June 2026, 100% of staff will complete annual data privacy and security training to ensure compliance with district policies and promote responsible data use practices.
Action: Create a “why critical” document to share with staff
Timeline
Summer 2025
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent for Technology & Learning and MIS managers
Action: Launch training for staff to complete
Timeline
Winter 2025
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent for Technology & Learning and MIS managers
Action: Monitor completion rates and provide reminders and support.
Timeline
February 2026
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent for Technology & Learning and MIS managers
Action: Offer refresher sessions and targeted training for high-risk roles (e.g., registrars, counselors).
Timeline
March 2026
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent for Technology & Learning and MIS managers
Action: Analyze impact and gather feedback to improve for the following year.
Timeline
June 2026
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent for Technology & Learning and MIS managers
Long Term Goal 1 : ·Establish a Districtwide Data Governance Dashboard
By December 2027, implement a centralized, real-time data governance dashboard to monitor access levels, audit trails, data requests, and privacy compliance across all digital systems.
Action: Evaluate dashboard tools and define desired data sets.
Timeline
Summer 2025
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent for Technology & Learning and MIS managers
Action: Secure vendor and launch limited-access pilot.
Timeline
Fall 2025
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent for Technology & Learning and MIS managers
Action: Expand dashboard functionality to include role-based alerts and automated compliance checks.
Timeline
2026
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent for Technology & Learning and MIS managers
Action: Fully integrate dashboard with SIS, LMS, and app approval workflows.
Timeline
202
Point Person(s)
Assistant Superintendent for Technology & Learning and MIS managers
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