School districts throughout the State of Illinois contract with different educational technology vendors for beneficial K-12 purposes such as providing personalized learning and innovative educational technologies, and increasing efficiency in school operations.

Under Illinois’ Student Online Personal Protection Act, or SOPPA (105 ILCS 85/), educational technology vendors and other entities that operate Internet websites, online services, online applications, or mobile applications that are designed, marketed, and primarily used for K-12 school purposes are referred to in SOPPA as operators. SOPPA is intended to ensure that student data collected by operators is protected, and it requires those vendors, as well as school districts and the Ill. State Board of Education, to take a number of actions to protect online student data.

Depending upon the particular educational technology being used, our District may need to collect different types of student data, which is then shared with educational technology vendors through their online sites, services, and/or applications. Under SOPPA, educational technology vendors are prohibited from selling or renting a student’s information or from engaging in targeted advertising using a student’s information. Such vendors may only disclose student data for K-12 school purposes and other limited purposes permitted under the law.

In general terms, the types of student data that may be collected and shared include personally identifiable information (PII) about students or information that can be linked to PII about students, such as:

Basic identifying information, including student or parent/guardian name and student or parent/guardian contact information, username/password, student ID number

• Demographic information
• Enrollment information
• Assessment data, grades, and transcripts
• Attendance and class schedule
• Academic/extracurricular activities
• Special indicators (e.g., disability information, English language learner, free/reduced meals or homeless/foster care status)
• Conduct/behavioral data
• Health information
• Food purchases
• Transportation information
• In-application performance data
• Student-generated work
• Online communications
• Application metadata and application use statistics
• Permanent and temporary school student record information
• Operators may collect and use student data only for K-12 purposes, which are purposes that aid in the administration of school activities, such as:
• Instruction in the classroom or at home (including remote learning)
• Administrative activities
• Collaboration between students, school personnel, and/or parents/guardians

Other activities that are for the use and benefit of the school district

To access the list of operators used by the Tuscola School District and their signed agreement, click on this link below:

Tuscola School District Operators (In Progress)

The contact information for the District’s Privacy Officer or other staff member designated to respond to parent/guardian requests for their child’s covered information follows:

Under the Illinois Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA), you have the right to review your child’s covered information. Covered information means personally identifiable information (PII) or information linked to PII in any media or format that is not publicly available and is any of the following: (1) created by or provided to an operator by a student or the student’s parent/guardian in the course of the student’s or parent/guardian’s use of the operator’s site, service or application; (2) created by or provided to an operator by an employee or agent of the District; or (3) gathered by an operator through the operation of its site, service, or application. Operators are entities (such as educational technology vendors) that operate Internet websites, online services, online applications, or mobile applications that are designed, marketed, and primarily used for K-12 school purposes.

Under SOPPA, you have a right to:

1.Request to inspect and review your child’s covered information, whether it is maintained by the District, the Ill. State Board of Education (ISBE), or an operator.

a. The District will provide you with the opportunity to inspect and review your child’s covered information within the timeframe prescribed by State rules.

b. If the covered information requested includes data on other students, your access will be limited to the covered information relevant to your child.

c. If the covered information you request includes your child’s school student records, the District will permit you to inspect and review any school student records of your child in accordance with the District’s procedures for student records requests. See 7:340-AP1, E1, Notice to Parents/Guardians and Students of Their Rights Concerning a Student’s School Records.

2. Request a copy of your child’s covered information, in electronic or paper form.

a. The District will provide the copy to you within the timeframe prescribed by State rules.

b. If you request an electronic copy, the District will provide you the copy in an electronic format, unless the District does not maintain the information in electronic format and reproducing it in an electronic format would be unduly burdensome to the District.

c. If you request a paper copy, the District will charge you the reasonable cost of copying in the amount authorized by State rules. However, you will not be denied a copy if you have an inability to pay.

d. You are limited to the number and frequency of copying requests provided by State rules.

e. If the covered information you request includes your child’s school student records, the District will provide a copy of your child’s school student records to you in accordance with the District’s procedures for student records requests. See 7:340-AP1, E1, Notice to Parents/Guardians and Students of Their Rights Concerning a Student’s School Records.

3.Request corrections to factual inaccuracies contained in your child’s covered information. Upon receipt of a request, the District will take the following steps:

a. The District will review your request and determine if the factual inaccuracy exists.

b. If the District determines that a factual inaccuracy exists, and the District maintains or possesses the covered information, it will correct the inaccuracy and confirm the correction with you within 90 calendar days after receiving your request.

c. If the District determines that a factual inaccuracy exists and an operator or ISBE maintains the information, the District will notify the operator or ISBE of the factual inaccuracy and the correction to be made. The operator or ISBE is required to confirm the correction with the District within 90 calendar days after it receives the District’s notice. The District will then confirm the correction with you within 10 business days after it receives the confirmation of the correction from the operator or ISBE.

d. If the covered information you are requesting be corrected includes your child’s school student records, the District will follow its procedures for amendment of student records with respect to those school student records. See 7:340-AP1, E1, Notice to Parents/Guardians and Students of Their Rights Concerning a Student’s School Records.

To make a request to inspect and review, copy, and/or correct your child’s covered information, please contact the staff member identified above and specify the nature of your request. You will need to submit your request in writing, utilizing any form the District requires.