Parents' Bill of Rights

Education Law § 2-d requires each educational agency in the State of New York to develop a Parents’ Bill of Rights for Data Privacy and Security and publish it on its website.

The purpose of the Parents’ Bill of Rights is to provide information to parents (which also include legal guardians or persons in parental relation to a student, but generally not the parents of a student who is age eighteen or over) and eligible students about certain legal requirements that protect personally identifiable information pursuant to state and federal laws.

EDUCATION LAW §2-D BILL OF RIGHTS FOR DATA PRIVACY AND SECURITY

Parents (includes legal guardians or persons in parental relationships) and Eligible Students (student 18 years and older) can expect the following:

  • A student’s personally identifiable information (PII) cannot be sold or released for any commercial purpose. PII, as defined by Education Law § 2-d and FERPA, includes direct identifiers such as a student’s name or identification number, parent’s name, or address; and indirect identifiers such as a student’s date of birth, which when linked to or combined with other information can be used to distinguish or trace a student’s identity. Please see FERPA’s regulations at 34 CFR 99.3 for a more complete definition.

  • The right to inspect and review the complete contents of the student’s education record stored or maintained by an educational agency. This right may not apply to parents of an Eligible Student.

  • State and federal laws such as Education Law § 2-d; the Commissioner of Education’s Regulations at 8 NYCRR Part 121, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ("FERPA") at 12 U.S.C. 1232g (34 CFR Part 99); Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA") at 15 U.S.C. 6501-6502 (16 CFR Part 312); Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment ("PPRA") at 20 U.S.C. 1232h (34 CFR Part 98); the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”) at 20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq. (34 CFR Part 300); protect the confidentiality of a student’s identifiable information.

  • Safeguards associated with industry standards and best practices including but not limited to encryption, firewalls and password protection must be in place when student PII is stored or transferred.

  • A complete list of all student data elements collected by NYSED is available at View NYSED Student Data Inventory and by writing to: Chief Privacy Officer, New York State Education Department, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234.

  • The right to have complaints about possible breaches and unauthorized disclosures of PII addressed. Complaints may be submitted to NYSED at View NYSED Report an Improper Disclosure, by mail to Chief Privacy Officer, New York State Education Department, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234, by email to privacy@nysed.gov, or by telephone at 518-474-0937.

  • To be notified in accordance with applicable laws and regulations if a breach or unauthorized release of PII occurs.

  • Educational agency workers that handle PII will receive training on applicable state and federal laws, policies, and safeguards associated with industry standards and best practices that protect PII.

  • Educational agency contracts with vendors that receive PII will address statutory and regulatory data privacy and security requirements.

  • Inventory of Data Elements as per NYSED: NYS Education Law Section 2-d Inventory of Data Elements

Parent FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About Data Privacy and Security:

APPENDIX

Supplemental Information Regarding Third-Party Contractors

In the course of complying with its obligations under the law and providing educational services to District residents, the Alden Central School District has entered into agreements with certain third-party contractors. Pursuant to these agreements, third-party contractors may have access to "student data" and/or "teacher or principal data," as those terms are defined by law and regulation.

For each contract or other written agreement that the District enters into with a third-party contractor where the third-party contractor receives student data or teacher or principal data from the District, the following supplemental information will be included with this Bill of Rights:

The exclusive purposes for which the student data or teacher or principal data will be used by the third-party contractor, as defined in the contract;

How the third-party contractor will ensure that the subcontractors, or other authorized persons or entities to whom the third-party contractor will disclose the student data or teacher or principal data, if any, will abide by all applicable data protection and security requirements, including but not limited to those outlined in applicable laws and regulations (e.g., FERPA; Education Law Section 2-d);

The duration of the contract, including the contract’s expiration date, and a description of what will happen to the student data or teacher or principal data upon expiration of the contract or other written agreement (e.g., whether, when, and in what format it will be returned to the District, and/or whether, when, and how the data will be destroyed);

If and how a parent, student, eligible student, teacher, or principal may challenge the accuracy of the student data or teacher or principal data that is collected;

Where the student data or teacher or principal data will be stored, described in a manner as to protect data security, and the security protections taken to ensure the data will be protected and data privacy and security risks mitigated; and

Address how the data will be protected using encryption while in motion and at rest.