Background
As digital learning expands, school districts increasingly adopt online tools and services. With that growth comes risk: student data privacy has become a critical concern for educators, administrators, parents, and policymakers. Forsyth County Schools (Georgia) undertook a comprehensive strategy to ensure student data privacy in the face of rising complexity, numerous vendors, wide adoption of educational apps, and evolving legal requirements.
Challenge
- Scale of vendor tools: Teachers and staff needed access to many online tools (apps, websites, digital content), but not all had strong privacy practices or compliance with laws.
- Legal compliance complexity: Ensuring alignment with federal and state laws governing student data privacy was difficult, especially in contract and vendor management.
- Educator autonomy vs. oversight: Teachers desired autonomy to select and use online learning resources, yet the district needed oversight to ensure any tool used met privacy and security standards.
Strategy / Intervention
Forsyth County’s response included the following components:
- Adoption of a privacy-management system – The district adopted EdPrivacy by Education Framework, a tool that helps to vet online educational apps and services.
- Centralized vetting process with accessible database – A searchable privacy score database of online resources was made available for teachers and staff.
- Policy and contract oversight – The district sharpened its standards for contracts with third-party vendors.
- Training and awareness – Teachers and staff were provided training to understand student data privacy and how to use vetting tools effectively.
Outcomes
- Improved efficiency: The vetting process became less burdensome, reducing duplicative review.
- Greater transparency and accountability: Teachers can see privacy scores, enabling consistent adoption decisions.
- Risk mitigation: Strong vendor agreements and consistent privacy practices lowered exposure to risks.
Lessons Learned
- Tools that combine automation and human judgment are powerful.
- Empowering end-users (teachers) increases adoption of compliant tools.
- Contracts and legal agreements form the foundation of privacy protection.
- Ongoing review and updating are necessary to keep up with evolving laws and technology.
Implications & Recommendations for Other Districts
- Establish clear privacy standards for all vendors.
- Use or build a centralized vetting system that is transparent and accessible.
- Review and strengthen vendor contracts for compliance.
- Provide training and ongoing support for educators.
- Monitor, audit, and iterate policies and practices regularly.
Conclusion
Forsyth County Schools offers a model for balancing educational innovation with responsibility for protecting student data. Through policy, tooling (EdPrivacy), vendor oversight, and educator involvement, they achieved a more scalable and transparent way to handle student data privacy. Their experience provides valuable guidance for other districts facing similar challenges.
