3つの重要なポイント
- Move from “Wild West” to Workflow: Formalizing your app vetting process brings consistency, transparency, and better alignment with instructional goals.
- Transparency Builds Trust: Actively communicating with teachers and parents about what’s approved—and why—creates buy-in and confidence.
- Data-Driven Decisions Pay Off: Tracking usage and compliance not only protects students, but can also save districts significant dollars.
Last week, I had the pleasure of joining Monica Lopez Watts from 1EdTech and Matt Jackson from Fayette County Public Schools (GA) for a lively conversation about what student data privacy actually looks like in action. With over 2,000 digital apps in use per district on average, it’s no wonder so many K-12 schools are feeling the pressure to get app vetting and privacy right.
➡️ If you’d like, you can 今すぐウェビナーをオンデマンドで視聴してください。
Whether you’re just starting your privacy journey or you’re leveling up your existing processes, here are some of the biggest lessons we shared:
From Chaos to Clarity: Fayette’s App Vetting Evolution
Matt’s story was instantly relatable: “Before it was definitely the wild, wild West…there was no consistency whatsoever across our school district.” Teachers could bring in their own favorite apps, schools purchased resources independently, and there was little oversight for privacy or instructional alignment. “We were newbies to it as well,” Matt admitted. Sound familiar?
Fast forward to today, and Fayette County has turned that chaos into a clear, step-by-step workflow:
- Teachers now start with a school-level conversation: does this app fill a real gap, or do we already have something that works?
- Principals must sign off before a request is submitted.
- Requests are reviewed for privacy (using the 1EdTech rubric), security, instructional value, and standards alignment.
- Every approved app is shared on a public dashboard for total transparency.
If a request is denied, teachers see a clear explanation. As Matt put it, “We don’t want it to just be a punitive thing or something like a roadblock. We want them to learn。」
A Partnership Approach: Vendor Vetting & Approvals
Evaluating a new app or vendor? Privacy policies are non-negotiable. Fayette County uses the 1EdTech Privacy Rubric—a standardized framework that evaluates whether apps meet student data privacy standards around encryption, data sharing, advertising, and compliance with COPPA and FERPA.
“Nothing goes through that doesn’t meet the 1EdTech rubric,” Matt explained. His team reviews every app through the 1EdTech platform and within ライトスピードインサイト™, which integrates directly with 1EdTech to display rubric scores and certifications in the same place he’s approving apps and maintaining Fayette’s public approved apps list.
If a vendor’s privacy policy is vague or fails to meet expectations, Fayette contacts the vendor directly and often requires them to sign their own district privacy agreement.
The gold standard? Vendors with 1EdTech Privacy Certification. “That definitely accelerates the review process for us and helps teachers get to the resource much faster,” Matt said.
Keeping Pace: Staying Ahead of Privacy Changes
The work doesn’t stop once an app is approved. Policies and terms can change at any time. With Lightspeed Insight, Fayette receives real-time alerts on any updates to vendor privacy policies, so they can review and respond quickly, not just once a year. “It helps us to be proactive…rather than reactive,” Matt shared.
The dashboard of approved apps is public, so parents and staff can see exactly which apps are approved and why. “We want the parents to feel good about that and definitely the students as well.”
ROI: Student Data Privacy and Efficiency Go Hand in Hand
A robust vetting process doesn’t just safeguard privacy; it’s smart business. By tracking app usage, Fayette discovered a $140,000 annual subscription that was barely being used and eliminated it. “That paid for a lot of other things,” Matt noted.
Now, content coordinators use usage data to guide renewals, and the district is starting to connect usage with student achievement, making sure every dollar spent supports real learning.
Building a Culture of Student Data Privacy
Change is never instant. “This has been a several year process, not overnight. So much is also starting with culture,” Monica observed. Fayette’s journey shows that training, communication, and transparency are just as important as policies.
They host parent nights, share tips during Data Privacy Week, and make sure every stakeholder (from teachers to families) knows how and why decisions are made.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you’re curious about how your district stacks up, Lightspeed is offering a no-cost app audit to help you review compliance and spending. It’s a great first step toward building your own proactive, transparent privacy culture.
A huge thank you to Matt and Monica for sharing their expertise, and to everyone who joined us live. Let’s keep the conversation going—what’s working in your district? What challenges are you facing? Join the 1EdTech Communities to share your story!
Q&A Highlights from the Student Data Privacy in Action Webinar
- Q: Do you provide professional development for teachers about privacy and legal requirements?
- 答え: Yes! “We get out into the schools… usually do a presentation and pull up a privacy policy example and go through it with them and point out some of the big red flags. We also use the KnowBe4 dashboard to send out quiz questions and do simulated phishing attempts.” (Matt)
- Q: How do you work with vendors to ensure compliance?
- 答え: “We evaluate all the apps with the 1EdTech rubric. If the privacy policy is vague, we reach out directly to the vendor. Sometimes, we even require vendors to sign our own privacy agreement.” (Matt)
- Q: How do you keep parents informed and build trust with the community?
- 答え: Fayette hosts parent nights, shares resources during Data Privacy Week, and maintains a public dashboard of approved apps. “We want the parents to feel good about that and definitely the students as well.” (Matt)
- Q: Are you connecting app usage data to student achievement?
- 答え: “That’s where we’re headed. If a resource is being used a lot and we also see students excelling in a certain area, we can dive deeper into that connection. Content coordinators now request usage information about the resources they purchase.” (Matt)
- Q: What questions are teachers and principals asked when requesting an app?
- 答え: Teachers must discuss the need at the school level and with their principal, answer questions about overlap with other resources, and explain the instructional gap they’re trying to fill. They’re also directed to privacy policies so they can quickly see if an app is likely to pass vetting.
Jiana Khazma is Product Marketing Manager at Lightspeed Systems and passionate about helping schools get the most from their edtech investments.
