Launched this month as a subscription service for state education agencies, the Trusted Learning Environment (TLE) State Partnership Program for student data privacy allows participating states to have CoSN measure and improve the student data privacy practices of their constituent school districts. The service is an expansion of CoSN’s existing TLE Seal program, which allows individual school districts to contract with CoSN for tailored guidance as they work to earn or maintain the TLE Seal. The seal is a credential for school districts that have met CoSN’s rigorous standards across five core areas: leadership, business, data security, professional development and the classroom.
Under a TLE state partnership, each district in a subscribed state completes a detailed survey to assess its strengths and weaknesses across the five core practice areas for student data privacy. From there, CoSN supports the school system in making any necessary improvements, then re-evaluates each practice area, repeating the process until the district meets the TLE Seal standards. The state education agency pays CoSN to provide that support, but the cost of the program is flexible and depends upon the number of districts in the state.
Only about 30 school districts nationwide have received the TLE Seal since its inception in 2016, according to CoSN's website, but CoSN officials hope to see that number rise with the state partnership program in place.
“Protecting student data privacy has never been more important or more complex. From securing internal systems to assessing vendor technologies and providing adequate training for employees, the work takes expertise, persistence and an organizational culture that prioritizes privacy,” CoSN CEO Keith Krueger said in a public statement. “The Carolinas are leading the charge to support their school districts in maintaining and improving privacy practices. Through participation in CoSN’s TLE State Partnership Program, they are ensuring that their school districts are equipped with the tools, training and resources to more effectively safeguard student information.”
Dr. Ashley McBride, digital learning initiative section chief at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, said the time is ripe for a program like this.
“With the increasing threat of bad actors attempting to access and misuse student information, it’s crucial that our schools have every possible advantage and tool at their disposal to protect sensitive data,” McBride said in a public statement.
