Understanding Student Data Privacy: A Guide for Educators

This accessible guide offers educators strategies and tools for protecting student data, meeting legal obligations and fostering a secure learning environment.

Educational technology offers easy access to resources, empowering students to shape their learning experiences. But it also brings challenges, such as managing student data privacy, that must be addressed. This guide explains the basics of student data privacy, dispels some common myths and offers steps that teachers and administrators can take to prevent and respond to cyberattacks, data breaches and other digital threats.

The guide includes:

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  An overview of U.S. laws pertaining to student data privacy.
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  Specific considerations for emerging technologies and activities related to artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, and eSports.
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  Connections between student data privacy and digital citizenship.
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  Examples drawn from real-world incidents.
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  A Supplemental Padlet presentation with continually updated resources.

(ISTE Jump Start Guide, 8.5" x 11", 3 laminated panels, 6 pages)

Audience: Elementary and secondary educators, pre-service teachers, teacher trainers and educational leaders.


About the Author
Laurel Aguilar-Kirchhoff (@LucyKirchh) is a digital learning specialist, adjunct university professor, curriculum writer and educational consultant. Her areas of expertise include student data privacy, digital citizenship, media literacy, educational technology and innovation. Aguilar-Kirchhoff is passionate about educating, inspiring and empowering educational professionals to create a culture of learning for all students. She is the co-author of Bring History and Civics to Life: Lessons and Strategies to Cultivate Informed, Empathetic Citizens (ISTE, 2022).