Colleen Quinn reports:
Parents and technology experts asked lawmakers Thursday to protect children’s privacy as school districts contemplate using cloud technology that would store vital student data.
Massachusetts is one of five states willing to participate in the development and pilot testing of inBloom, a Gates Foundation initiative aimed at helping schools simplify computer systems to record student information, administer tests, analyze performance, train teachers and gather data.
The goal is to reduce districts’ efforts and costs associated with maintaining student information and connecting databases to educational software products, according to state education officials.
Everett public schools committed to participate in the pilot program. But city school officials have not yet signed a contract or uploaded any live data, according to a spokesman for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
In the wake of concerns from parents and privacy advocates, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is still weighing the state’s full involvement with the inBloom project.
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