In this live case study in ed tech and student privacy that is unfolding before us, Piazza makes some changes in response to recent criticism of their practices.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
University Responses to Piazza: Some good, some bad, some web site changes
After our reporting from Nov 10 on “Popular Discussion Platform Piazza Getting Pushback For Selling Student Data”, I was invited by Piazza CEO Pooja Sankar to visit the Piazza offices. During my visit, we had an open conversation where I got to meet pretty much the entire staff and have a direct conversation with Sankar […]
Piazza Response To Blog Post On Student Privacy
Based on Thursday’s blog post “Popular Discussion Platform Piazza Getting Pushback For Selling Student Data”, Piazza’s CEO Pooja Sankar invited me to meet at their offices Friday afternoon. Given the nature of Thursday’s post, I offered to publish any statement that Piazza had in response here at e-Literate, an offer they accepted. I will defer further […]
Popular Discussion Platform Piazza Getting Pushback For Selling Student Data
Update– Please see follow-on posts addressing changes since this post: Nov 13, 2016: “Piazza Response To Blog Post On Student Privacy” Nov 21, 2016: “University Responses to Piazza: Some good, some bad, some web site changes” Dec 21, 2016: “Piazza Makes Three Significant Changes To Deal With Privacy Issues” Piazza is a collaborative question-and-answer platform […]
Protecting the Security of Student Data: CollegeNet v XAP, A Case Study
In her blog “Law, Policy and IT” Tracy Mitrano expressed a concern: protecting student privacy as colleges and universities outsource information processing with external servicers. To ensure education records are protected, she writes, outsourcing contracts must explicitly detail the protection to be provided student data. She suggested contract provisions should require an entity comply with […]
A “Bold Idea” Essential for Student Privacy
In Tracy Mitrano’s October 31, 2001 blog “FERPA, GLBA and HIPAA In Vendor Contract,” there was “a bold proposal.” She posited that most important action that can be taken to protect student privacy is a contractual requirement that contractors follow the same privacy requirements—including FERPA (Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act)—as colleges and universities themselves […]
Restructuring higher education: NCES Stats-DC 2010 Conference
This is a guest post by Jim Farmer. As you know, the Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems program is funding states’ work to improve their data systems. Over the past four years, 41 states and the District of Columbia have received more than half a billion dollars from this program. It has supported states as they […]