Overwhelming majorities of parents support schools’ right to collect and use student data when those mothers and fathers believe it is tied to educational purposes, according to a survey released last week by the Future of Privacy Forum.
Ninety-four percent of parents back collecting and using information on student-attendance records; 91 percent for taking in data on special needs; 88 percent for schools taking and using data related to standardized-test scores; and 86 percent for the collection and use of disciplinary records.
Parents’ support drops, however, when it comes to collecting information about students’ backgrounds, such as Social Security numbers, 24 percent, and race/ethnicity, 39 percent.
Just 42 percent favor giving ed-tech companies access. Similarly, just 34 percent are comfortable giving nonprofit organizations access to students’ educational records.
