We are committed to maintaining the safety and security of our students. In this digital age, that commitment includes the protection of our students' data and personal information. 

Effective July 1, 2021, the Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA) requires every Illinois school district to provide additional guarantees that student data is protected when collected by educational technology companies and used for beneficial purposes only (105 ILCS 85). 

What does this mean, specifically? 

All digital tools and applications that collect student data — which includes a wide range of personally identifiable information — will be reviewed, approved, and have a data privacy agreement in place before use by any faculty or staff. Personally identifiable information collected by companies through these applications will be for the benefit of educational purposes only. 

While we have always made and will continue to make every effort to protect the privacy of our students, SOPPA requires us to implement additional safeguards, including a more rigorous vetting process of digital solutions that capture students' personal information. 

How does this impact our students and families? 

Moving forward, the District will publicly post a database of information related to the digital solutions used in our classrooms. The database, which updates in real-time, includes a list of applications used at Exceptional Learners Collaborative, vendor agreements, and captured data elements.

Students and families can review that information anytime here. 

The SOPPA regulations we adhere to will not impact the teaching and learning experience in any way. If you have any questions about SOPPA or our data security measures, don't hesitate to contact us.