Data Privacy for Schools and Districts

​​​​​The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) is committed and dedicated to protecting the privacy rights of students, teachers and administrators in public schools throughout the state. KDE provides information and technical assistance to help staff use best practices in their use and management of confidential information. 

​Training

Register now for quick, practical sessions on FERPA, data security, and ed-tech vetting

​​​The Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO), through its Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), will host the National Fall Webinar Series in December. The series will cover the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), incident response, vetting educational technology, and include a special session addressing frequently asked questions. Whether you’re new to these topics or need a refresher, the sessions offer actionable insights to help protect student data and ensure compliance. Reserve your spot today! To register, click the hyperlinked titles below. 

• Dec. 2, 2-4 ET: FERPA 101 and Data Security Best Practices - ​​​Learn the basics of FERPA and receive training on current data security best practices for education data systems.
• ​Dec. 9, 2-4 p.m. ET: Transparency and FERPA 201​ - Explore PTAC’s research on transparency and review real-world scenarios that schools and districts face.
• Dec. 11, 1-2 p.m. ET: FFAQ: FERPA’s Frequently Asked Questions​ - Have questions? We have answers! This one-hour webinar will address the most common questions received by SPPO and PTAC.
• Dec. 16, 2-4 p.m. ET: Incident Response and Vetting Educational Technology​ - Participate in a simulated data breach and learn how to assess online educational technology for privacy protections and FERPA compliance. ​

Videos​​​

• Disclosure Avoidance Best Practices​ 35 min. (9/15/2025)
  
• Responding to Ransomware Attacks 3mm:10sec (11/9/2022)
  
• Student Privacy 101​
• FERPA 101 for Local Education Agencies
  
• FERPA 201: Data Sharing under FERPA
  
• Data Ethics Course
  
• The A-B-C’s of Student Directory Information
  
• School Volunteers and FERPA
  
• Developing a Privacy Policy for your district
  
• How to use your district’s website to communicate with parents about data use and security
• Email and Student Privacy
• Protecting Student Privacy while using online educational services
  
• iKeepSafe – Educator Training Courses
  
• Be Internet Awesome 
• Intel Security Digital Safety Program, Think Before You Link
  
• Transparency Best Practices for Schools and Districts
  

Other Resources​

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Photos and Videos under FERPA​ (9/15/2025)
• The Educator's Guide to Student Data Privacy​ 
  
• Data Management Checklist​ 
  
• USDE Annual Notice to Chief State School Officers, Superintendents​ ​
  
• Model Notifications
  
• FERPA Notification of Rights​
  
• ​​Notice for Directory Information
  
• Form for Disclosure to Parents of Dependent Students and Consent Form for Disclosure to Parents​
  
• PPRA General Notice of Rights
  
• PPRA Notice & Consent Opt-Out for Specific Activities
  
• Best Practices for Data Destruction
  
• Protecting Student Privacy guidance documents, training materials and more​ (searchable by type, topic and audience)
  
• Protecting Privacy in Connected Learning Toolkit​
• Protecting Student Privacy​ (additional guidance documents, training materials, policy letters searchable by audience and topic)​
  
  

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