Short Answer
Sharing sensitive student identifiers like names, dates of birth, or SSIDs with ADE breaches privacy laws such as FERPA. To protect privacy, it is crucial to recognize sensitive information, avoid privacy violations, and implement measures like blurring names in shared documents. Regularly reviewing privacy policies is also important for compliance.
Step 1: Recognize Sensitive Information
Understanding what constitutes sensitive information is key to protecting student privacy. This includes personal identifiers such as:
- Student name – Full names can easily identify individuals.
- Date of birth – This information, when combined with a name, can uniquely identify a student.
- SSID (Student State Identifier) – This is a critical piece of identifying information that must be safeguarded.
Step 2: Identify Privacy Violations
It is important to recognize actions that may violate student privacy laws. The following actions should be avoided:
- Sharing a student’s name and date of birth via email to ADE, which clearly violates privacy.
- Disclosing the SSID during communication with ADE, putting the student’s identity at risk.
- Sending screen captures that include sensitive information directly exposes personal data.
Step 3: Implement Protective Measures
To ensure compliance with regulations such as FERPA, implement proper protective measures. For instance:
- Blur out names on images or documents shared with ADE to obscure personal identifiers.
- Limit the sharing of any sensitive information unless absolutely necessary and authorized.
- Regularly review privacy policies to stay informed about compliance and best practices.