Student Data Privacy

At Northbridge Public Schools, protecting student data privacy is a top priority. As we embrace innovative digital tools to enhance learning, we are committed to ensuring the privacy and security of all student information.

To support this mission, we have partnered with the Massachusetts Student Privacy Alliance (MSPA) and The Education Cooperative (TEC) to secure Data Privacy Agreements (DPAs) with vendors whose tools collect student data that may include personally identifiable information (PII).

These DPAs require vendors to:

• Comply with all applicable student data privacy laws, including CIPA, COPPA, FERPA, and PPRA.

• Ensure Northbridge Public Schools retains ownership of all student data, regardless of where it is stored.

• Notify the district promptly in the event of a data breach within an agreed-upon time frame.

• Prohibit the resale or use of student data for any purposes beyond the intended educational service.

• Follow best practices for data privacy and security.

Important Reminder for Staff
If you plan to use a digital application, website, or browser extension that requires students to log in with their school-issued email accounts, you must submit a request through Fresh Desk.

Before submitting your request, please check the list of NPS Online Resources to see if the tool has already been approved. Many commonly used resources are already vetted and listed.

Please note:

• If a DPA already exists within our Student Data Privacy Consortium, the approval process typically takes 1–3 days.

• If a new DPA is required, it can take several weeks or more to finalize, depending on vendor response times.

NPS Online Resources