Illinois Joins CoSN's Trusted Learning Environment (TLE) State Partnership Program for Student Data Privacy

PRESS RELEASE

WASHINGTON, DC (October 15, 2024) – The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) today announced that the Illinois Learning Technology Center (LTC), a program of the Illinois State Board of Education, has partnered with CoSN on a program to improve student data privacy practices in their school districts. By joining the CoSN Trusted Learning Environment (TLE) State Partnership Program, Illinois is helping to ensure that K-12 education institutions across the states are equipped with the necessary tools, training, and guidance to build and improve their school districts’ student data privacy programs.

LTC joins the North Carolina Department of Instruction and the South Carolina Department of Education in partnering with CoSN on this important work.

By subscribing to the TLE Partnership Program, LTC will be providing free TLE Seal applications to all districts in their state. In addition, the TLE State Partnership Program makes available exclusive data privacy benchmarking reports that provide aggregate measures of the state’s district privacy programs compared with aggregate measures from TLE Seal recipients across 25 specific privacy practices, as well as CoSN’s student data privacy resources designed to support areas of growth for the districts in protecting the privacy of more than 1.85 million students. The CoSN TLE Seal is a national distinction awarded to school districts demonstrating a tangible commitment to protecting student data privacy through modern, rigorous policies and practices.

“Protecting student privacy is a top priority in Illinois. By joining CoSN’s Trusted Learning Environment State Partnership Program—a program backed by one of the leaders in the K-12 technology space—we can enhance our understanding of district privacy needs and offer stronger support," said Tim McIlvain, Executive Director of the Learning Technology Center. "We’re excited to provide 851 districts with access to CoSN’s expert guidance and resources, which will strengthen privacy protections for all Illinois students.”

CoSN’s TLE State Partnership Program provides state education agencies with:

• Exclusive state data privacy benchmarking reports that provide aggregated measures of district student data privacy practices as compared with those of current TLE Seal recipients.

• Resources to support improvements across common areas of challenge for the states’ districts and updated benchmarking reports to measure improvements.

• Unlimited free applications for the TLE Seal for districts in the state.

Additional supports can include student data privacy training and seats in CoSN’s Certified Education Technology Leader (CETL®) preparation and exam.

“With the increasing complexity of today’s technological environment, protecting student data privacy is imperative. We are delighted to welcome the Learning Technology Center of Illinois to the CoSN TLE State Partnership Program, and to providing Illinois districts with vital tools, training, and resources to help better protect their student information and foster a culture committed to enhancing privacy practices,” said Keith Krueger, CEO of the Consortium for School Networking.

As the only privacy framework designed specifically for K-12 school districts, earning the CoSN TLE Seal requires that districts have taken measurable steps to implement, maintain, and improve organization-wide student data privacy practices. All TLE Seal recipients are required to demonstrate that improvement through a reapplication process every two years.

About CoSN

CoSN is the premier professional association designed to meet the needs of K-12 edtech leaders, their teams, and other district leaders. CoSN provides thought leadership resources, community, best practices, and advocacy tools to help edtech leaders succeed in the digital transformation. CoSN represents over 13 million students and continues to grow as a powerful and influential voice in K-12 education. For more information, visit CoSN.org.

About the CoSN Trusted Learning Environment State Partnership Program

The CoSN Trusted Learning Environment (TLE) State Partnership Program is designed to measure and improve district student data privacy practices across all districts in the state. Through survey-based benchmarking, CoSN is able to aggregate district privacy performance across the 25 requirements of the CoSN Trusted Learning Environment Seal Program. CoSN provides comparisons of these results to the aggregated results of TLE Seal recipients. CoSN then provides each state with resources that are ready-made for its districts, providing guidance to improve the top three areas of weakness. The process is repeated on a cycle to continuously build up privacy practices across all districts. States are also provided with free TLE applications for all districts, providing the opportunity for districts to gain additional, customized feedback on their privacy programs and earn recognition for their efforts. For more information, visit CoSN.org/TLEpartner.

About the Learning Technology Center

The Learning Technology Center (LTC) is a state-wide organization dedicated to supporting schools and districts in Illinois with technology integration, professional development, and digital learning initiatives. Through innovative programs, expert guidance, and collaborative partnerships, the LTC empowers educators and administrators to leverage technology for improved teaching and learning outcomes. With a focus on areas such as artificial intelligence, digital citizenship, cybersecurity, and infrastructure, the LTC is committed to helping schools navigate the evolving landscape of educational technology. Learn more at ltcillinois.org.