Technology

Many times people in the education community approach us with the basic question of “Why Chromebooks?” or “Why iPads?”. Rather than arguing for or against a device, we respond with an answer along the lines of “We did not base our decision simply on a technology product, but rather concentrated on how to best implement our district’s curriculum with technology being one of the resources to help us meet our learning goals.” While D205 strives to be on the cutting edge of technology, we have never lost focus of our goals as a district, ensuring all students learn and grow, to accept shared responsibility for growth, make decisions based on what is best for our students, and remain a future-focused community for learners.

The Mobile Learning Initiative (MLI) began in 2008 in elementary classrooms across D205 with the introduction of classroom laptops to support the Reading Street literacy program. Over 600 laptops were deployed in carts of four or five in every classroom from kindergarten through grade 5. Today, efforts continue to be made transitioning Elmhurst to a true 1:1 student program.  

• Visit the  Devices Page (Chromebooks, iPads)  to learn more about the 1:1 student devices supported by D205, troubleshoot problems, and/or request assistance. 
• Learn more about the history of our 1:1 program at Elmhurst by visiting the  Technology Integration at Elmhurst 205 Page.

The District’s privacy standards are established in accordance with applicable federal and state law and Board policy, and are intended to reflect the District’s mission and values. These guiding concepts are intended to provide direction about many elements of the District’s practice, including the educational value of instructional technology, the primacy of children’s safety, and the importance of family rights.

The district uses filters and firewalls to prevent students from accessing harmful information on the Internet as well as to protect the privacy of student information. To further determine whether websites, software, or apps are safe to use as part of instructional programming, the district is also leveraging an updated Data Processing Agreement (DPA) to determine whether or not the particular website, software, or app has adequate privacy measures to protect student data. 

The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) was enacted to address concerns about children's access to obscene or harmful content over the Internet. CIPA imposes certain requirements on schools that receive discounts for Internet access or through the e-rate program, which is a program that makes certain communications services and products more affordable for eligible schools. To be eligible to receive discounts, a school must have an Internet safety policy that includes protection measures to block or filter Internet access to pictures that are obscene, child pornography, or harmful to minors. A school is also required to include in its Internet safety policies that the school will monitor the online activities of children and educate children about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms, and cyber bullying awareness and response. More information is available at www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/childrens-internet-protection-act47 U.S.C. §254(h), (i); 47 C.F.R. §54.520.) 

The Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA) also deals with children’s online privacy. The primary goal of COPPA is to place parents in control over what information is collected from children under age 13. COPPA applies to commercial websites and online services. The term “online service” broadly covers any service available over the Internet (including mobile apps), or that connects to the Internet or a wide-area network. COPPA imposes requirements on: operators of websites and online services directed to children under 13 that collect, use, or disclose personal information from children; operators of general audience websites or online services with actual knowledge that they are collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children under 13; and operators of websites or online services that have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information directly from users of another website or online service directed to children. More information is available at www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/privacy-and-security/children%27s-privacy. (15 U.S.C. §§6501-6505; 16 C.F.R. Part 312.) 

The Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents/guardians important rights concerning their children's school student records and the personally identifiable information in those records. FERPA gives parents/guardians the rights to: (1) inspect and review the student's records maintained by the school; (2) request that a school amend the student’s records; (3) consent in writing to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the student's records, except under certain permitted situations; and (4) file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Family Policy Compliance Office regarding an alleged violation under FERPA. More information on FERPA is available at https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/ and https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/sites/default/files/resource_document/file/ferpa-hipaa-guidance.pdf. (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 C.F.R. Part 99.)

Annual Notice for SOPPA.

The Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA) protects the privacy and security of student data when collected by educational technology companies operating online websites, online services, or online/mobile applications. Pursuant to SOPPA, school districts must “implement and maintain reasonable security procedures and practices that otherwise meet or exceed industry standards designed to protect covered information from unauthorized access, destruction, use, modification, or disclosure". The SOPPA allows data to be used to benefit students, including as a way to provide personalized learning and educational technology. The SOPPA bars the use of student data for targeted advertising and prohibits the sale of student information gathered during the students’ use of educational technology.  The SOPPA requires that school districts entered into data sharing agreements with educational technology vendors with whom the school district shares certain covered information. The SOPPA also requires that school districts publish information about any Data Breach affecting 10% or more of students. (105I ILCS 85/1 et.seq.)

Click Here for D205 Approved Resources and our process for reviewing various applications and other online content. 

• Learn more about the federal laws, state laws, and D205 board policies guiding online student safety efforts at D205.
• Visit the  Content Filtering page to learn more about how D205 ensures a safe Internet experience for its students.
• The Suspicion of Data Breach page is established in alignment with SOPPA. If a data breach were to occur, information will be reported here. 
• Click Here for D205 Approved Resources and our process for reviewing various applications and other online content. 
• The Digital Citizenship  page introduces curricular elements in use at D205 regarding online presence, behavior, and safety.
• Check out the  Family Resources page for more information on individual efforts you can take at home to protect your family online.

• Elmhurst 205 employees, for Technology Information and tips, please visit the Elmhurst CUSD Instructional and Assistive Technology website . 
• Select the Teacher Resources page for access to Ongoing Professional Development, Hardware Supports (such as Clevertouch, iPads, etc), and Technology Committee updates.

To register as a technology vendor at D205, please visit the Vendor Registration page.

*Note, vendors handling student data must complete the associated Data Privacy Agreement in alignment with  the Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA) - Illinois 105 ILCS 85/27.

Registration does not guarantee a response from, or contact by, Elmhurst CUSD 205.