BCPS Receives National Trusted Learning Environment Seal

From Baltimore County Public Schools: Baltimore County Public Schools has been awarded the prestigious national Trusted Learning Environment (TLE) Seal by the CoSN (Consortium for School Networking).

The TLE Seal, awarded on April 4 to five school systems, is a mark of distinction for school systems that demonstrate a strong commitment to student data privacy and security by meeting a rigorous set of standards. BCPS was part of the second group of school systems to earn the national TLE Seal, raising the total to 12 districts nationwide. BCPS is the only TLE Seal recipient in the State of Maryland. The honor was presented at the CoSN 2017 Annual Conference in Chicago, IL.

“BCPS is honored to be recognized for its efforts to protect student data privacy and security,” said Superintendent Dr. S. Dallas Dance. “Several Seal practices emphasize communication and transparency with parents and educating students to be good digital citizens. In addition to classroom instruction, BCPS uses its Growing up Digital web pages (http://www.bcps.org/growing_up_digital/) to provide students and parents with information on data privacy and Digital Citizenship. We also hold ourselves and our vendors to rigorous standards of data privacy and security. Our work continues to evolve so that BCPS will remain a Trusted Learning Environment.”

BCPS and the other four school systems were chosen by CoSN for demonstrating effective practices in leadership, business operations, data security, professional development, and classroom procedures and instruction. All school systems awarded the TLE Seal must reapply for it every two years.

“As classrooms embrace the benefits of technology in modern learning settings, protecting student data has become a serious priority for school systems, parents and communities. Through their commitment to building ‘trusted learning environments,’ these school systems are leading the way and setting examples for others to follow,” said Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN.

Developed for all K-12 schools nationwide, the TLE Seal was formed through the collective input from 28 school system leaders, as well as CoSN and its lead partners: AASA, The School Superintendents Association; the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO); and ASCD. Their expertise and experiences pinpointed the steps schools should take – beyond regulatory compliance – to help ensure student data privacy and security.

Learn more about the privacy designation at trustedlearning.org.

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