STUDENT DATA PRIVACY

Mahomet-Seymour takes the privacy of our student's data seriously. This page intends to make transparent and is working diligently to be compliant with the Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA) when it goes into effect July 1, 2021.

IMPORTANT DATA PRIVACY LAWS

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)	Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
Governs information in a student’s education record, restricting access and use of student information.	Restricts the collection of personal information from children under 13 by companies operating websites, games, mobile applications, and digital services that are directed to children or that collect personal information from individuals known to be children.
Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA)	Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
Guarantees that student data is protected when collected by educational technology companies, and that data is used for beneficial purposes only.	Imposes certain requirements on schools that utilize the federal E-Rate program to receive discounts for internet access and other technology services, or that receive federal grants for other technology expenses.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

Governs information in a student’s education record, restricting access and use of student information.

Restricts the collection of personal information from children under 13 by companies operating websites, games, mobile applications, and digital services that are directed to children or that collect personal information from individuals known to be children.

Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA)

Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA)

Guarantees that student data is protected when collected by educational technology companies, and that data is used for beneficial purposes only.

Imposes certain requirements on schools that utilize the federal E-Rate program to receive discounts for internet access and other technology services, or that receive federal grants for other technology expenses.

WHAT IS SOPPA?

What happens to the student data that we send to a third party vendor? Information like names, birthdates, etc... may be provided by Mahomet-Seymour to a third party like Skyward, Fastbridge, etc... What protections do those companies have in place to make sure that our student's data is not sold or freely given to others? This is exactly what SOPPA looks to address.

As part of SOPPA, these companies must enter into Data Privacy Agreements (DPA) with each district they work with. These agreements outline what data is stored, how it is protected, what the company can and cannot do with that data, and what they will do in the event of a data breach.

DATA PRIVACY AGREEMENTS (DPA)

Mahomet-Seymour leverages the Student Data Privacy Consortium (SDPC), which is an unique collaborative of schools, districts, regional, territories and state agencies, policy makers, trade organizations and marketplace providers addressing real-world, adaptable, and implementable solutions to growing data privacy concerns. If you would like to read more about the SDPC, click here. Through the SDPC we enter into contracts with 3rd party vendors who handle our student's data. If you would like to view the DPAs that Mahomet-Seymour current holds, please click the following link.

Mahomet-Seymour's DPAs

SOPPA 101