Assembly Scrutinizes Pilot Educational Program
Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan led a hearing on behalf of the Standing Committee on Education last Friday, Feb. 28, regarding a contract that the State Education Department (SED) had signed in 2012 for a pilot program with InBloom, a non-profit organization that collects and stores student information.
The original hearing was held in November, in which assembly members heard testimonies from SED on the use and disclosure of student data to third-party vendors. Others who testified at that hearing included the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA), and superintendents, teachers, and parents.
InBloom did not attend the original hearing, but did testify last Friday.
The contract between SED and InBloom was signed with the intent to provide access to educational resources and student information to teachers and parents, but education groups and constituents have shown concern about disclosing personally identifiable information to third-party vendors.
Nolan noted at the first hearing that “the Assembly Majority has serious concerns about the potential flaws of the SED’s plan to share student data and their ability to protect student privacy. We feel compelled to question this plan and we strongly believe that student information should not be shared with InBloom at this time.”
Last Friday, Nolan questioned SED and InBloom regarding the type of data stored, the purpose of such storage, and the length of time this data would be kept. She also pressed to find out why other states have dropped their contracts with InBloom, who the stakeholders are among third-party providers, and what would happen in the event of a security breach.
She and other members of the Assembly wanted to ensure that SED does not maintain singular control of student data, but that districts also have authority.
The hearing ended with InBloom’s assertion that its contract with SED can potentially be edited to address the concerns of parents, education groups, and the Assembly. The hearing is now recessed, as the Standing Committee on Education might seek further information from other third-party providers that contract with InBloom.
