Skip to main content

Data Privacy & Security

Departments:

 
Meet the Board
 

 

Protecting student and staff information is one of our most important responsibilities. This page explains what data we protect, how we protect it, your rights as a parent or guardian, and how to report a concern.

Your Rights as a Parent or Guardian:

New York State Education Law 2-d gives parents and guardians specific rights over their child's data, including the right to know what is collected, to review their child's records, and to file a complaint about a possible breach.

Report a Privacy Concern:

Parents have the right to file a complaint about a possible breach or improper disclosure of student data. The District will promptly acknowledge your complaint, investigate, and respond with its findings within 60 days.

District Data Protection Officer:

Charles Dwyer

171 Ralph Avenue
Babylon, NY 11702

631-893-7983

Improper Disclosure Reporting Form → (opens in a new tab)

Please don't include student personal information in the form.

New York State Education Department:

Chief Privacy Officer

For complaints about the State Education Department or its vendors.

89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234

privacy@nysed.gov

518-474-0937

What Data We Protect:

Personally identifiable information (PII) is any information that, alone or combined, could identify a student. It includes, but is not limited to:

  • Student name
  • Parent names
  • Student ID number
  • Student email
  • Home address
  • Date of birth
  • Photos and video
  • Medical information
  • Special education information
  • Other indirect identifiers

Teacher & principal data:

Confidential information from the annual professional performance reviews (APPR) of teachers and principals is also protected under Education Law 2-d.

How We Protect It:

Following federal & state law:

We manage student data in accordance with FERPA, PPRA, COPPA, IDEA, and New York State Education Law 2-d.

Reviewing every vendor:

Software and services that use student data are reviewed for privacy and covered by data privacy agreements before they are approved.

Training our staff every year:

Staff with access to student data complete annual privacy and security training on:

  • Laws, regulations, policies, and procedures
  • Recognizing and avoiding threats
  • Good habits and best practices

NIST Cybersecurity Framework:

New York State Education Law 2-d requires every school district to align its data security and privacy program with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework, a nationally recognized standard for managing cybersecurity risk. The framework is organized around six core functions:

Govern:

Set the strategy, policies, roles, and oversight for managing cybersecurity risk.

Identify:

Understand the systems, data, and risks that need protecting.

Protect:

Put safeguards in place to protect data, accounts, and devices.

Detect:

Watch for and quickly recognize potential security events.

Respond:

Take action to contain and address an incident when one occurs.

Recover:

Restore normal operations and apply lessons learned.

How we use the framework:

  1. Where we are:

    A Current Profile captures the outcomes our program achieves today.

  2. Where we want to be:

    A Target Profile sets the outcomes we are working toward, based on our needs and risks.

  3. How we get there:

    We compare the two, identify gaps, and follow a prioritized action plan to close them.

Continuous improvement: The framework's implementation tiers describe how mature a program is, from Partial (Tier 1) to Adaptive (Tier 4). Our goal is to keep moving from reactive responses toward a proactive, risk-informed approach. Learn more on the NIST website (opens in a new tab).

District Software Inventory:

Our inventory lists the approved software, apps, and online services the District uses that may receive student or teacher data. For each product, it includes the vendor's supplemental information required by Education Law 2-d.

Don't see a tool your child uses? Call our office at 631-893-7983.

Policies & Laws:

The Board of Education policies and laws that guide technology use and student data privacy.

Questions about student data?

Our office is happy to help.

☎  Call 631-893-7983

panther pride