Updated Illinois Version of National Data Privacy Agreement is Released

 

Updated Illinois Version of National Data Privacy Agreement is Released to Help Districts Implement SOPPA Contracting Requirements

On July 1, 2021, significant amendments to the Illinois Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA), will go into effect, impacting how districts manage online student data. Among the law’s many new requirements, districts will be required to have written agreements with educational technology vendors that contain certain prescribed terms. 

The January/February 2020 Illinois School Board Journal offers a general overview of the SOPPA requirements.

To assist districts with these new contracting requirements, the Learning Technology Center of Illinois (LTC), a grant-funded program of the Illinois State Board of Education, has established the Illinois Student Privacy Alliance (ISPA) and made an updated Illinois version of a model National Data Privacy Agreement (IL-NDPA) available. The new version, released on March 15, 2021, was developed by a working group from the Illinois Council of School Attorneys.

Districts can join the ISPA at no cost to streamline and manage their agreements through a database hosted by the national Student Data Privacy Consortium. More information about the model agreement and ISPA can be found on the LTC website.

ISBE also recently adopted IASB’s PRESS 7:345, Use of Educational Technologies; Student Data and Security suite of sample policy reference materials as its SOPPA “model” policy and procedures. Boards that are current PRESS subscribers can obtain the samples online via their IASB member account. IASB PRESS Plus subscribers have access to their locally-adopted policy 7:345 through their PRESS Plus dashboards, but should still access the sample administrative procedures and exhibits through PRESS Online. Boards that are not current subscribers can obtain copies of the materials by following the instructions on ISBE’s website.