Welcome to Connecticut Unites for Student Privacy- CUSP
This site is meant to provide a place for parents, college students, educators, community members and leaders to share information and advocate for changes within the State of Connecticut policies and legislation surrounding the collection, storage, and sharing of student data that is accumulated at school through the use of technology and school databases that is shared across state agencies and outside of our state borders through P20-WIN with greater notice, transparency and protection than our children currently have today.
For our newcomers, P20-WIN stands for Preschool to 20 Workforce Information Network. It is a statewide, mandatory database that collects information on children beginning in preschool, through k-12, college and into the workforce.
We advocate for bi-partisan changes to CT law pertaining to the collection, storage and sharing of student data at school including:
1) Full Transparency of data points collected disclosed to parents and college students
2) Limits or bans on certain kinds of data, including biometrics. Some believe religious group, sexual orientation, political party affiliation, parent income, amongst others should also be excluded.
3) A way for parents and college students to access P20-WIN to ensure content accuracy and prevent misuse or corruption so prevalent in other nations who have similar databases.
4) The requirement for a parent or eligible students to be notified in the possibility or actual occurrence of a breach
5) Responsibility placed on those parties that have access to correct misinformation and rectify any breach that may have caused damages to children and college students.
6) Notice of who has had access to P20WIN given to parents and college students through annual disclosure
7) For privacy policies to be shared with parents and college students regarding any software programs, assessments and external links that are used in school where a child is required to log in to utilize before creating their account, with an accounting of who that information is shared with outside of the school building.
8) Systems to be held to their original intent, and not be allowed to evolve into a decision making resource in terms of an individuals worth, character, financial status, employability or admission purposes to an institution of higher education by public or private entities.
9) Should privacy law be enacted , that the privacy legislation be retroactive upon current contracts within the state to any private or public agency, company, or 3rd party vendor and therefore contracts be amended to reflect the conditions of the newly enacted legislation. Current contracts are to not be left as they are until termination or renewal dates.
We encourage action to move our leaders to act on this most important issue. They are children being put into a system without their knowledge or parental consent. 36 states have put forth 110 bills thus far to safeguard children's privacy as it pertains to their respective databases for good reason. Bi-partisan Federal Legislation: The Protecting Student Privacy Act of 2014 has also been put forth to update FERPA. As Connecticut has not done so we must simply catch up to protect the children and college students of Connecticut from our current practices and policies. We look forward to working with our state representatives and senators as we look to balance the usefulness of data in education while better protecting our children's privacy and preserving parental rights in the process.
Since P20-WIN was created in Connecticut by executive order, consider sharing your thoughts and concerns with your state representatives regarding a review of the P20 WIN policies and a bill to address the lack of legislation surrounding student privacy in our state. You may find your legislators here: http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/CGAFindLeg.asp
Our goal is a collaboration with all segments of our community while calling for action amongst our members and our legislators to work together on a number of bills that will allow for us to take pause, review our practices and policies and move forward on legislation which provides the children of Connecticut with greater protection more aligned with what other states have already passed. We thank you in advance for your voice, your input and your advocacy!
This site is meant to provide a place for parents, college students, educators, community members and leaders to share information and advocate for changes within the State of Connecticut policies and legislation surrounding the collection, storage, and sharing of student data that is accumulated at school through the use of technology and school databases that is shared across state agencies and outside of our state borders through P20-WIN with greater notice, transparency and protection than our children currently have today.
For our newcomers, P20-WIN stands for Preschool to 20 Workforce Information Network. It is a statewide, mandatory database that collects information on children beginning in preschool, through k-12, college and into the workforce.
We advocate for bi-partisan changes to CT law pertaining to the collection, storage and sharing of student data at school including:
1) Full Transparency of data points collected disclosed to parents and college students
2) Limits or bans on certain kinds of data, including biometrics. Some believe religious group, sexual orientation, political party affiliation, parent income, amongst others should also be excluded.
3) A way for parents and college students to access P20-WIN to ensure content accuracy and prevent misuse or corruption so prevalent in other nations who have similar databases.
4) The requirement for a parent or eligible students to be notified in the possibility or actual occurrence of a breach
5) Responsibility placed on those parties that have access to correct misinformation and rectify any breach that may have caused damages to children and college students.
6) Notice of who has had access to P20WIN given to parents and college students through annual disclosure
7) For privacy policies to be shared with parents and college students regarding any software programs, assessments and external links that are used in school where a child is required to log in to utilize before creating their account, with an accounting of who that information is shared with outside of the school building.
8) Systems to be held to their original intent, and not be allowed to evolve into a decision making resource in terms of an individuals worth, character, financial status, employability or admission purposes to an institution of higher education by public or private entities.
9) Should privacy law be enacted , that the privacy legislation be retroactive upon current contracts within the state to any private or public agency, company, or 3rd party vendor and therefore contracts be amended to reflect the conditions of the newly enacted legislation. Current contracts are to not be left as they are until termination or renewal dates.
We encourage action to move our leaders to act on this most important issue. They are children being put into a system without their knowledge or parental consent. 36 states have put forth 110 bills thus far to safeguard children's privacy as it pertains to their respective databases for good reason. Bi-partisan Federal Legislation: The Protecting Student Privacy Act of 2014 has also been put forth to update FERPA. As Connecticut has not done so we must simply catch up to protect the children and college students of Connecticut from our current practices and policies. We look forward to working with our state representatives and senators as we look to balance the usefulness of data in education while better protecting our children's privacy and preserving parental rights in the process.
Since P20-WIN was created in Connecticut by executive order, consider sharing your thoughts and concerns with your state representatives regarding a review of the P20 WIN policies and a bill to address the lack of legislation surrounding student privacy in our state. You may find your legislators here: http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/CGAFindLeg.asp
Our goal is a collaboration with all segments of our community while calling for action amongst our members and our legislators to work together on a number of bills that will allow for us to take pause, review our practices and policies and move forward on legislation which provides the children of Connecticut with greater protection more aligned with what other states have already passed. We thank you in advance for your voice, your input and your advocacy!