Google Docs and Special Ed Documents

[Susan Van Saun]

Good evening.  A few of my teachers have requested to use our Google Apps account to store and share some special education documents in an effort to save time, paper, and unnecessary emails.  For example, the IEP teacher fills out an accommodations form and then photocopies it and puts it in all of the mailboxes of the teachers who teach the student.  Each time the accommodations get updated, this process is repeated.  They want to upload the accommodations, and share it via Google Docs with the necessary teachers.  Does this violate any laws regarding student privacy since Google houses these documents? 
Can anyone advise?

Susan Van Saun

Technology Integrator

svan...@soudertonsd.org

[Truger, Anne]

I work for a Special Ed Dist who is working towards going Google. Although no one has found any laws that this breaks there is great concern in my district about confidentiality. Until there is case law supporting this use my district has said that there should be NO student information shared in Google Docs. I am still trying to convince them otherwise. I would be interested to hear what you learn. I personally believe it to be MUCH safer than any of the other ways we share info but just the "Google" name seems to terrify my administration.

~Anne

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Anne Truger

Instructional Technology Specialist

Special Ed District of Lake County

847-986-2469

atr...@sedol.us

"If you are flexible you won't ever get bent out of shape!"

[Sharon.Eilts]

We use docs for some student information. This is within our GAE domain. Since the information is restricted to only those allowed to view/edit and per Google encryption standards, there was not an issue. We also use an o line third party for IEP development which meets mandated confidentiality legislation as well. 

Sharon. 

Sent from my iPhone

[Hank Thiele]

Since your agreement with Google establishes that you are the owner of
those documents and nobody, except who you specify can access your
documents, the information is as secure as any document in your
internal network. Unless your district follows all of the security
procedures Google documents that it takes in the security whitepaper
http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2010/06/security-first-protecting-your-data_04.html
I would be willing to bet the documents stored in Google are much more
secure than those on your School's servers, computers, or any other
enterprise system.

That all being said, security of documents is really centered around a
user. Whether it is the loss of a jump drive, unattended sent email
with a document attached to it, or a accidental "mis-share" of a
Google doc there are many ways in which confidential information can
be inappropriately distributed. At least Google Docs allows you to
change sharing options if it was shared incorrectly.

I would prefer my staff store their documents in the District provided
Google Docs account than anywhere else.

Hank

On Jun 13, 3:06 am, "Sharon.Eilts" <sharon.ei...@gmail.com> wrote:
> We use docs for some student information. This is within our GAE domain. Since the information is restricted to only those allowed to view/edit and per Google encryption standards, there was not an issue. We also use an o line third party for IEP development which meets mandated confidentiality legislation as well.
>
> Sharon.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>

> On Jun 12, 2011, at 10:04 PM, "Truger, Anne" <atru...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > I work for a Special Ed Dist who is working towards going Google. Although no one has found any laws that this breaks there is great concern in my district about confidentiality. Until there is case law supporting this use my district has said that there should be NO student information shared in Google Docs. I am still trying to convince them otherwise. I would be interested to hear what you learn. I personally believe it to be MUCH safer than any of the other ways we share info but just the "Google" name seems to terrify my administration.
>
> > ~Anne
>
> > On Jun 12, 2011, at 9:01 PM, Susan Van Saun wrote:
>
> >> Good evening.  A few of my teachers have requested to use our Google Apps account to store and share some special education documents in an effort to save time, paper, and unnecessary emails.  For example, the IEP teacher fills out an accommodations form and then photocopies it and puts it in all of the mailboxes of the teachers who teach the student.  Each time the accommodations get updated, this process is repeated.  They want to upload the accommodations, and share it via Google Docs with the necessary teachers.  Does this violate any laws regarding student privacy since Google houses these documents?  
> >> Can anyone advise?
>
> >> Susan Van Saun
> >> Technology Integrator

> >> svans...@soudertonsd.org

> >> --
> >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google

> >> Groups "Google Apps K12 Technical Forum" group.>> To post to this group, send email tok12a...@googlegroups.com

> >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to>>k12appstech...@googlegroups.com
> >> For more options, visit this group at
> >>http://groups.google.com/group/k12appstech?hl=en?hl=en
>
> > Anne Truger
> > Instructional Technology Specialist
> > Special Ed District of Lake County
> > 847-986-2469

> > atru...@sedol.us

>
> > "If you are flexible you won't ever get bent out of shape!"
>
> > --
> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google

> > Groups "Google Apps K12 Technical Forum" group.> To post to this group, send email tok12a...@googlegroups.com