Elementary and secondary schools increasingly face an onslaught of ransomware and other cyberattacks, which jeopardize sensitive data and the integrity of their digital infrastructure. The consequences of these attacks can be severe and costly, eroding community trust, disrupting learning, and permanently damaging equipment. The alarming scope and…

This eighth edition provides a current and comprehensive discussion of counselors' legal and ethical responsibilities, an examination of state and federal laws as they relate to practice, and helpful risk management strategies. Attorney Nancy Wheeler and Burt Bertram, a private practitioner and counselor educator, offer real-world practical tips…

In April 2015, U.S. House Representatives Luke Messer and Jared Polis introduced the bipartisan Student Digital Privacy and Parental Rights Act of 2015, designed to significantly restrict how online education vendors can exploit the personal data of students who use their products. For some, the bill does not go far enough. It is evident that…

This guide is designed to provide important resources and recommendations to support teacher implementation of digital learning. Digital learning is defined as "any instructional practice that effectively uses technology to strengthen a student's learning experience and encompasses a wide spectrum of tools and practices." This guide will…

Technology, when used appropriately, can empower learning, engage and motivate students, and help make learning interactive. Students can benefit from educational technology because it can personalize instruction and adapt to their strengths and weaknesses. Today's digital tools and resources support and enhance learning at home and in the…

This guide is the Spanish version of the "Parent and Family Digital Learning Guide". Technology, when used appropriately, can empower learning, engage and motivate students, and help make learning interactive. Students can benefit from educational technology because it can personalize instruction and adapt to their strengths and…

This article addresses the question of what app or website is appropriate for teachers to use for classroom instruction. While most school districts have safety policies related to the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) implemented by means of software and district firewalls, this…

In its role helping the nation's schools connect to the Internet and other telecommunications services, the "E-rate" has been among the most consistent of federal programs. Funding for the "education rate" program has held at about $2.25 billion a year since it was created under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and it covers…

The Department of Education Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2018-2022 describes the policy and operational priorities for the agency. The Plan details the Department's strategic goals and objectives over the next four years. The Plan also provides an overview of our Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Agency Priority Goals.

This document, "Book Three of Four: Effectively Managing LDS Data," is the third installment of this Forum series of guides on longitudinal data systems (LDS). This third book in the guide series discusses organizational issues aimed at moving the project forward and ensuring that the data are of high quality so that users may leverage…

Under security breach response laws, businesses--and sometimes state and governmental agencies--are required to inform individuals when the security, confidentiality or integrity of their personal information has been compromised. This resource provides a state-by-state analysis of security breach response laws. [The Data Quality Campaign has…

This article discusses the implementation this year of the Department of Education's Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA), which requires accreditors to ensure that an institution that offers distance or correspondence education has a process in place to establish that a student who registers in a course or program is also the same…

Since the signing of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) in August 2008, providers of distance education courses and programs have been looking into procedures and technologies that will satisfy the accrediting agencies responsible for enforcing the law. Continuing education administrators are at the forefront because of the pervasiveness…

The Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006 authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish an educational assistance program for information security. The Information Security Education Assistance Program is envisioned as a means for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to attract and retain individuals…

One of the most important topics for today's information technology professional is the study of legal and regulatory issues as they relate to privacy and security of personal and business data and identification. This manuscript describes the topics and approach taken by the instructors that focuses on independent research of source documents and…