Student Data Privacy Best Practices

🔐 Account type(s) with default permissions to manage this: All Account Types

💻 Tier(s) this is available for: Foundation, Essential, Pro

Ellevation is committed to protecting student privacy and complying with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) as well as applicable state regulations. To help your district stay compliant, all school district personnel should follow best practices when sharing student information with Ellevation.

 Personally Identifiable Information (PII) — including direct identifiers such as a student's name and indirect identifiers such as a date of birth or a family member's name — is protected under FERPA and should be shared only with extreme caution.

Before sending any communication to Ellevation, ask yourself:

• Am I sharing student information?
• Could someone personally identify a student from this information?

Best Practices for Sharing Student Information with Ellevation

Sending Emails About Students

If you need to reference one or more students in an email to Ellevation, blur or redact any PII before sending. This applies to PII in the body of the email as well as in any attached files or screenshots.

Identifying a Student in a Help Desk Ticket

To reference a specific student in a Help Desk ticket without sharing PII, use the Associated Students field or type the student's ID number in the body of the ticket. This allows Ellevation to locate the correct student record while protecting their data privacy.

📝 Use the Associated Students field or enter a student ID number in the ticket body to identify a student without including PII.

Sending Student Data Files to Ellevation

If you need to send a data file to Ellevation for review or import, ensure the file meets the minimum format requirements and submit it through Ellevation's SFTP server or secure file sharing service. See the Sync Data from Your Student Information System article for file format and transfer requirements. File types that may be sent this way include:

• Student data files
• Student schedule files
• Student course files
• Assessment score files
• Staff roster files

💡 Quick Tip

When in doubt about the safest way to share student information with Ellevation, contact the Ellevation Help Desk for guidance before sending.