Homer Central School District

Homer CSD adheres to the following federal and state laws:

• CIPA - Child Internet Protection Act (FederaL)

• COPPA - Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (Federal)

• FERPA - Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (US Dep of Ed)

• HIPPA - Health Information Privacy Protection Act (US Dep of Health)

• NYS Ed Law 2d and Regulations 121 - Student data privacy protection law

The NYS Education Department’s Education Law §2-d

Bill of Rights for Data Privacy and Security

1. A student's personally identifiable information cannot be sold or released for any commercial purposes;
2. Parents have the right to inspect and review the complete contents of their child's education record;
3. State and federal laws protect the confidentiality of personally identifiable information, and safeguards associated with industry standards and best practices, including but not limited to, encryption, firewalls, and password protection, must be in place when data is stored or transferred;
4. A complete list of all student data elements collected by the State is available for public review at:
   http://www.p12.nysed.gov/irs/sirs/documentation/NYSEDstudentData.xlsx , or by writingto the Office of Information & Reporting Services, New York State Education Department, Room 863 EBA, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12234.
5. Parents have the right to have complaints about possible breaches of student data addressed. Complaints should be directed in writing to the Chief Privacy Officer, New York State Education Department, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12234. Complaints may also be directed to the Chief Privacy Officer via email at: CPO@mail.nysed.gov.

Supplemental Information Regarding Third-Party Contractors

In the course of complying with its obligations under the law and providing educational services to District residents, the Homer Central School District has entered into agreements with certain third-party contractors. Pursuant to such agreements, third-party contractors may have access to "student data" and/or "teacher or principal data," as those terms are defined by law. 

Each contract the District enters into with a third party contractor where the third party contractor receives student data or teacher or principal data will include the following information:

1. The exclusive purposes for which the student data or teacher or principal data will be used;
2. How the third party contractor will ensure that the subcontractors, persons or entities that the third party contractor will share the student data or teacher or principal data with, if any, will abide by data protection and security requirements;
3. When the agreement expires and what happens to the student data or teacher or principal data upon expiration of the agreement;
4. If and how a parent, student, eligible student, teacher or principal may challenge the accuracy of the student data or teacher or principal data that is collected;
5. Where the student data or teacher or principal data will be stored (described in such a manner as to protect data security), and the security protections taken to ensure such data will be protected, including whether such data will be encrypted.

"Parent" means a parent, legal guardian, or person in parental relation to a student. These rights may not apply to parents of eligible students defined as a student eighteen years or older. "Eligible Student" means a student 18 years and older.

"Personally identifiable information," as applied to student data, means personally identifiable information as defined in section 99.3 of title thirty-four of the code of federal regulations implementing the family educational rights and privacy act, section twelve hundred thirty-two-g of title twenty of the United States code, and, as applied to teacher or principal data, means "personally identifying information" as such term is used in subdivision ten of section three thousand twelve-c of this chapter.

Information about other state and federal laws that protect student data such as the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, and NY’s Personal Privacy Protection Law can be found at http://www.nysed.gov/student-data-privacy/federal-laws-protect-student-data.

Here is how we do our best to keep the network and data safe at Homer:

1. Utilize the most up to date firewall system .

2. Installed one of the industry leaders in antivirus and anti malware software on all district computers.

3. We do not allow anyone to download and install software without IT.

4. Internet traffic is filtered (CIPA) for staff and students for inappropriate material.

5. Student Chromebooks are filtered at home and at school for inappropriate material (CIPA).

6. When signed into Chrome on other devices, safe search is enforced in Google.

7. Our servers are maintained regularly and security patches are applied when needed.

8. Our servers are backed up both virtually and physically offsite.

9. Depending on a student's age, they cannot receive email from outside the district to keep them safe from phishing scams and unsolicited outside communication.

10. We do not allow the use of online sites unless the vendor adheres to EdLaw2d by signing an agreement with Homer or BOCES that they will not share student information outside the company. (See state and federal law section)

All staff with access to email are being trained in security awareness and data privacy laws once a year.