STRONGLY RECOMMENDED: A coalition of 18 national organizations, including the Data Quality Campaign, the Consortium for School Networking, and the Future of Privacy Forum, has released a set of recommendations around the federal role in safeguarding student data.
The recommendations, which come on the heels of 173 student privacy laws introduced in 43 states so far in 2015, offer background on which federal agencies uphold existing federal laws, like FERPA, PPRA, and COPPA. They also propose three areas where the federal government should develop a stronger role: establishing clear foundational policies around digital privacy and security; coordinating how different privacy laws work together; and supporting state and local efforts to protect student data.