Press Release

WASHINGTON (April 29, 2015) — The Education Trust issued the following statement on the bipartisan Student Digital Privacy and Parental Rights Act of 2015 introduced today by Reps. Luke Messer (R-Ind.) and Jared S. Polis (D-Colo.).

“The Education Trust applauds Congressional efforts to protect student information while allowing for the effective use of data in today’s technology-driven classrooms. Data are a key tool to raising achievement for all students. But current laws on student data privacy are nearly 40 years old, were written before the Internet even existed, and badly need updating. We believe a balanced effort focusing on privacy, strategic data use, and educational innovation is the right approach.

“The Student Digital Privacy and Parental Rights Act of 2015, introduced today, begins to address that concern. In addition to tackling the need for updated laws regarding operators of education technology, which Reps. Messer and Polis do in their bill, we also hope the effort to update the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) continues.

“As this conversation advances, we look forward to supporting efforts to ensure student data privacy while advancing innovation and the effective, appropriate use of data.”

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 The Education Trust is a nonprofit advocacy organization that promotes high academic achievement for all students at all levels, pre-kindergarten through college. Its goal is to close the gaps in opportunity and achievement that consign far too many young people — especially those from low-income families or who are black, Latino, or American Indian — to lives on the margins of the American mainstream.