Data Security & Privacy

In the Public Schools of Brookline, we care deeply about safeguarding the privacy of student, staff, and family information. We work closely with all vendors to ensure that their confidentiality and security practices meet or exceed industry standards and adhere to the expectations contained in the federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA).

 

 

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that affords parents the right to have access to their children’s education records, the right to seek to have the records amended, and the right to have some control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the education records.  When a student turns 18 years old, or enters a post-secondary institution at any age, the rights under FERPA transfer from the parents to the student. Further information can be found here.

 

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) is a federal law the specifically requires parental consent for student surveys that ask about particular and sensitive topics or behaviors, including political affiliations, illegal behavior, sex attitudes, or income. Further information can be found here.

 

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a federal law that protects the online privacy of children under the age of 13. COPPA imposes requirements on operators of websites or online services regarding the collection and use of personal information about children. Further information can be found here.

 

The Public Schools of Brookline is required to provide notice to all parents and students regarding their rights under FERPA. The Annual FERPA Notice is available here.

 

FERPA allows the PSB to release certain information (known as “directory information”) about students without parental consent. Additonal information about the District's permissions and consents is available here.

 

The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the District to celebrate the accomplishments of its students by sharing information with the community. This may take the form of, among other things, press releases to the local media, public announcements at School Committee meetings, and the posting of information on social media (including Twitter, Facebook, and official district websites).

 

Directory information can also be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent’s prior written consent. Outside organizations include, but are not limited to, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks, colleges and universities, and scholarship providers. Additionally, the Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act requires the District to provide all branches of the military with names, addresses, and telephone listings for students unless parents/guardians have advised that they do not want this information disclosed for this purpose.

 

If you do not want the Public Schools of Brookline to disclose directory information or share your child's information with internal and external media without your prior written consent, you must notify the District by completing the Student Contact Data Verification form for your child through the Aspen Parent Portal. Instructions are available for the Data Verification process here.

 

 

All questions can be directed to: datateam@psbma.org 

 

Employees that are granted access to student records are provided this access on a “need to know” basis. Role-based permissions are utilized to ensure that everyone has just the amount of access that they need to do their job well. All database access is password-protected and updated routinely. All vendors must provide statements to document that they meet the highest standards for data privacy and technology security.