Privacy Policies
The safety and security of students, including student data and privacy, are of the utmost importance in Jefferson County Schools. Following is a glossary that explains the processes and policies in place to protect our students. Select each topic to open the section containing descriptions and resources. Questions or additional information may be directed to the Office of the Director of Schools at any time via email (ContactUs@jcboe.net) or phone (865-397-3194).
- Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPPA)
- Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA)
- COPPA Compliance Consent
- Instructional Resources
- Directory Information
- FERPA
- Personally Identifiable Information
- Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)
Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPPA)
What is CIPA
The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) is a law that addresses concerns about children's access to appropriate or dangerous content on the internet.
Review Jefferson County Board of Education Policy
Key Instructional Implication:
Provide for educating minors about appropriate online behavior including:
- Interacting with other individuals on social networking sites and in chat rooms
- Cyberbullying awareness and response.
Digital Citizenship Curriculum
Jefferson County Schools recommends that teachers utilize the Digital Citizenship units designed and provided by Common Sense Media. These comprehensive unites are outlined by grade-bands on the Common Sense Education Website.
FCC Consumer Guide: Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Consumer Guide on CIPA. The site includes a brief description of CIPA and CIPA requirements pertaining to schools.
Download a printable version of the FCC Consumer Guide: Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA)
The Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA) requires that online resources available to children under the age of 13 to adhere to appropriate rules when collecting personal information. These requirements and frequently asked questions can be found on the Federal Trade Commission website.
What is COPPA?
COPPA is a law that addresses how websites, apps, and online services collect information about children under the age of 13. COPPA has been in effect since 2000 and was amended in 2012. COPPA regulations apply directly to online companies, but has increasingly relevant implications for K-12 schools.
COPPA requires that online websites, applications, and services for children under the age of 13:
- Provide a privacy policy that is "clear and comprehensible"
- NOT collect information about children under 13 without parental consent.
- Not use children's data for marketing purposes.
Key Instructional Implication:
- Stay up-to-date on your school and district policies regarding technology resources.
- Use to tools that are recommended or approved by your school or district.
- Don't use products that as you or your students to enter the child's personal information.
- Even approved sites that require personal student data require parental consent.
- Avoid sites and apps that focus on advertising.
- Learn more about COPPA at Common Sense Education.
- Use tools like the Common Sense Education EdTech Reviews & Resources webpage.
Digital Citizenship Curriculum
Help students and parents learn more about protecting their own privacy by integrating a dose of Digital Citizenship into your daily instructional practices. Jefferson County Schools recommends that teachers utilize the Digital Citizenship units designed and provided by Common Sense Media. These comprehensive unites are outlined by grade-bands on the Common Sense Education Website.
Resources
- Common Sense Education: What is COPPA
- Common Sense Education provides a brief and easy to understand article on the role of schools and teachers in protecting students privacy as our classroom connection to the internet grows increasingly stronger.
- FCC Tips & Advice: Complying with (COPPA)
- The Federal Trade Commission's Tips & Advice pages include answers to frequently asked questions about COPPA. Section M: COPPA and Schools provides information about some of the implications of the COPPA rule on K-12 education.
COPPA Compliance Consent
COPPA Compliance Consent
The Jefferson County Schools District (JCS) is committed to ensuring all students have access to high quality, innovative instructional materials and resources in both print and digital formats. Several of web-based sites and applications are operated by third party services. These tools and applications may include, but are not limited to Microsoft Office 365, Canvas, iReady, MasteryConnect, Aspen, BrainPOP, Discovery Education, and Major Clarity. In order to create accounts for our students, we must comply with federal regulations requiring parental consent as outlined below.
For our students to use third party programs and services, basic student information must be provided to the third parties. Under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), these web-based tools and applications must notify parents and obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting this information from children under 13 years of age. In addition, under this law, schools are permitted to consent to the collection of this information on behalf of its students. This eliminates the need for individual parental consent given directly to each website or app provider. For additional information regarding COPPA, please visit: www.ftc.gov/privacy/coppafaqs.shtm
The COPPA Compliance Consent in Registration Gateway serves as verifiable parental consent for our schools to provide personal identifying information for your child that may consist of first name, last name, username, birthdate, and, if applicable, email address in order to create accounts on third party websites and applications. Questions about which third-party apps or websites will be used during the current school year, please contact your student's teacher(s).
How will this affect my child?
With your permission, educational accounts can be created for your child on district-recommended educational websites and applications. The applications and websites vary in content but include learning and practicing skills such as phonics, reading, writing, communication, math, typing, and more.
Instructional Resources
Recommended and Provided Digital Resources
Recommended Resources
The Classlink Public Portal includes lists of digital resources reviewed by Jefferson County Schools for alignment with Tennessee Academic Standards and COPPA compliance. The Classlink Public Portal is organized into several file folders. Students and staff are likely to have individual third-party accounts, created by the Jefferson County Schools Technology Department in accordance with COPPA Consent provided in Registration Gateway, for resources listed in the JCS Provided Resources Folder.
Resources in the JCS Provided Resources Folder are likely to be used in classrooms and are available through each child's Classlink Launchpad using their JCBOE Credentials. Please contact your child's teacher if your child does not know his or her username and password.
Additional folders in the Classlink Public Portal include resources that have been reviewed for use in classrooms. Folder names indicate Privacy Evaluation Rating for the resources listed in the folders.
Individual teachers and/or schools may choose to use resources other than those included in the JCS Provided Resources folder at their discretion. However third-party student accounts should not be created for tools that are not provided by the Jefferson County Schools District without assurance of COPPA and FERPA compliance, principal approval, and collection of parental consent. Student accounts that are created for tools that are not provided by and/or not yet evaluated by the Jefferson County Schools District are the responsibility of the school and/or teacher.
Additional resources may be recommended for review. JCS Educators may use the following links to see if a resource is pending review.
If the resource is not pending review, use the following form link to add it to the review list. Read the introductory description on the form carefully before getting started with the request.
Textbooks
In compliance with House Bill No. 1513, the Textbook Transparency Act, Jefferson County Schools maintains a list of textbooks adopted by the school district.
Jefferson County Virtual Academy curriculum is available in the online Buzz platform available via Classlink.
TN Department of Education Textbook Depository Website.
In compliance with House Bill No. 1513, the Textbook Transparency Act, the Tennessee Department of Education has made available all publishers of textbooks or instructional materials approved by the state board for local adoption on the state textbook depository’s website.
Additional information regarding textbooks and curriculum may be found on our Academics Department page.
Directory Information
FERPA
The Jefferson County Schools District (JCS) is committed to ensuring all students have access to high quality, innovative instructional materials and resources in both print and digital formats. While providing students with the most effective web-based tools and applications for learning, JCS adheres to several federal regulations. These regulations, called Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), protect student privacy and educational records.
Personally Identifiable Information
Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)
The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) affords parents of students certain rights regarding, among other things, participation in surveys, the collection and use of information for marketing purposes, and certain physical exams. Additional information regarding PPRA is available at ED.gov.