District Privacy & Information Security
Clinton Public Schools is committed to protecting the information privacy of our students. The district complies with State and Federal legislative regulations such as the Act Concerning Student Data Privacy (PA:16-189 & PA:18-125), the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Although many regulations apply only to students, the district is committed to protecting the privacy of all of our data. Clinton Public Schools works to develop policies and practices that give our students and staff members powerful and safe educational experiences both online and in our classrooms. Our vendors have already taken, or have been encouraged to commit to the Student Privacy Pledge.
Student Safety
CPS maintains several layers or up-to-date, modern network protections to ensure the safety of all users when using online resources. The district also implements content filtering on all staff and student devices in and out of school, as part of protecting students and complying with mandates.
At School:
- These protections help prevent access to inappropriate content such as malicious software, hacking, and pornography. These tools are configured in compliance with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA).
- Digital Citizenship and Safety curriculum aligned with state and national standards.
At Home:
- Parents/guardians are encouraged to be an active part of their student's use of these devices (Students in grades 5-12 are allowed to take school-issued devices home).
- Applications and Extensions are installed on Student Chromebooks to reduce access to pornography and other malicious websites when devices are used at home. Even though these tools have proven to be mostly effective on their own, they are not intended to replace parent involvement.
Instructional Practices, Software, and Tools
Student Chromebooks function on the Google Workspace for Education platform. Students and parents are expected to review Acceptable Use and Consent information at the start of each school year.
Teachers are only allowed to promote the usage of applications/websites that have been vetted and approved by district administration and adhere to the State of Connecticut's Act Concerning Student Data Privacy. Students are not allowed to install application on their Chromebooks or Google Workspace profiles without prior permission.
The district provides a variety of tools and resources to students both individually or for group collaboration and exploration. Applications include:
- Google Workspace Core Apps including Google Classroom, Docs, and Slides
- BrainPop
- Screencastify
- Solidworks Automated Design
- Adobe Creative Suite
Resources