Parents’ Bill of Rights for Data Privacy and Security

In accordance with New York State Education Law Section 2-d, the Warwick Valley Central School District hereby sets forth the following Parents’ Bill of Rights for Data Privacy and Security, which is applicable to all students and their parents and legal guardians.

1. A student’s personally identifiable information cannot be sold or released for any commercial purposes;
2. In accordance with FERPA, Section 2-d and Board Policy 72400 Student Records: Access and Challenge, parents have the right to inspect and review the complete contents of their child’s education record;
3. The District has the following safeguards in place to protect student data, including personally identifiable information stored or transferred by the District.
   1. All databases that have student information are protected by a secure password and login. These logins are monitored and kept up to date.
   2. Student information is only accessible by those who are deemed warranted of having the information.
4. New York State, through the New York State Education Department, collects a number of student data elements for authorized uses. A complete list of all student data elements collected by the State is available for public review online.. Parents may also obtain a copy of this list by writing to the Office of Information & Reporting Services, New York State Education Department, Room 863 EBA, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, N.Y. 12234.
5. Parents have the right to submit complaints about possible breaches of student data or teacher or principal APPR data. Any such complaint must be submitted, in writing, to: Meghan McGourty, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, PO Box 595, Warwick, NY 10990. Additionally, parents have the right to have complaints about possible breaches of student data addressed. Complaints should be directed to: Chief Privacy Officer, New York State Education Department, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234; the e-mail address is cpo@mail.nysed.gov. SED’s complaint process is under development and will be established through regulations from the department’s chief privacy officer, who has yet to be appointed.

Additional student data privacy information

This bill of rights is subject to change based on regulations of the commissioner of education and the SED chief privacy officer, as well as emerging guidance documents from SED. For example, these changes/additions will include requirements for districts to share information about third-party contractors that have access to
student data, including:

• How the student, teacher or principal data will be used;
• How the third-party contractors (and any subcontractors/ others with access to the data) will abide by data protection and security requirements;
• What will happen to data when agreements with third-party contractors expire;
• If and how parents, eligible students, teachers or principals may challenge the accuracy of data that is collected; and
• Where data will be stored to ensure security and the security precautions taken to ensure the data is protected, including whether the data will be encrypted.

Please click here for a list of software that the district utilizes and their privacy policies