Protecting the safety of children and their school records online, while ensuring access to high quality digital educational opportunities, is critical in the 21st century. Meaningful education data can provide positive benefits to students’ academic growth and can assist teachers and families in creating more personalized learning plans to meet the needs of every child. Despite the advantages of educational information and technology, parents are concerned about the protection of their child’s personal information. National PTA supports policies that ensure children’s identities are protected online, and families and students have reasonable control over the collection, storage and use of relevant personal education information.
National PTA also recognizes that much of learning today takes place online, and it is essential for every student to be able to continue their education at home. Unfortunately, there are still far too many children in the U.S. who lack access to adequate internet services when they leave school. According to a 2018 report from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), nearly 39% of households in the U.S. with school-age children lack access to the internet [1]. National PTA will continue to support policies that shrink the digital divide and expand student access to broadband services at home and outside of the school building.