Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Your Kids' School Records, For Sale

Send your kids to the publick screwels?


...the most influential new product may be the least flashy: a $100 million database built to chart the academic paths of public school students from kindergarten through high school.

In operation just three months, the database already holds files on millions of children identified by name, address and sometimes social security number. Learning disabilities are documented, test scores recorded, attendance noted. In some cases, the database tracks student hobbies, career goals, attitudes toward school - even homework completion.

Local education officials retain legal control over their students' information. But federal law allows them to share files in their portion of the database with private companies selling educational products and services.

Yah.  Facebook---except you and your kid(s) did NOT consent.

And just who has bought this system?

 ...inBloom officials say they will likely start to charge fees in 2015. So far, seven states - Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Massachusetts - have committed to enter data from select school districts. Louisiana and New York will be entering nearly all student records statewide.

Wait, wait!!  Isn't Louisiana the State governed by a 'Republican policy wonk'?

 HT:  Ticker

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Yah. Facebook---except you and your kid(s) did NOT consent."

Actually, they did consent. As stated, school personnel legally have control of that information, and may, within their discretion, use it as how they see fit.

A simple solution...school districts have a checkbox for parents to indicate whether they want that data to be "sold".

Dad29 said...

Sorry, but no school district has the authority to disclose student information.

Ask anyone who works in a school. Grade info, SSANs (!!!) are big secrets.

Anonymous said...

As you say, please read for meaning..."Local education officials retain legal control over their students' information. But federal law allows them to share files in their portion of the database with private companies selling educational products and services."

Now, of course, it depends WHAT is that information being disclosed.

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html

Dad29 said...

I was right. FERPA does NOT allow distribution of records for the purposes outlined in the article I cited.