Software and Internet Operators
School districts across the nation face increasing challenges and risks associated with software, internet services, and cybersecurity.
If you are a software or internet operator whose product is identified in the SOPPA Addendum table below, you should email your new order form to the User, confirming that you already have an active SOPPA agreement with the District. When you send the User that email, please do two things for us:
- Confirm the school(s) or departments will be using the software.
- Identify the projected deadline for getting final approval and sign-off by the District.
Other software and internet operators who are interested in doing business with the District should do 5 things for us, in a single email that they send to the User:
- Email the User the operator's relevant Order Form.
- Email the User the operator's completed. Vendor Preliminary Request for Information Form
- Email the User the operator's fully completed District SOPPA Form, or a confirmation in the Request for Preliminary Information Form that the software in question is not subject to SOPPA.
- Confirm the school(s) or department that will be using the software.
- Confirm the expected deadline for final District approval and sign-off.
Once all information is received, we can work with our colleagues in Information Technology, Risk Management, and the Office of General Counsel to determine the best way to proceed.
Please note: Due to the number of software and internet operators involved with the District, the procurement and negotiation process can take some time. Additionally, certain agreements will require approval by the District Board.
Accordingly, operators should anticipate that the process of procurement, negotiation, and finalization can take about 4 weeks -- or longer, if Board action is needed.
What is SOPPA?
From the Illinois Student Online Personal Protection Act:
Sec. 3. Legislative intent. Schools
today are increasingly using a wide range of beneficial online services
and other technologies to help students learn, but concerns have been
raised about whether sufficient safeguards exist to protect the privacy
and security of data about students when it is collected by educational
technology companies. This Act is intended to ensure that student data
will be protected when it is collected by educational technology
companies and that the data may be used for beneficial purposes such as
providing personalized learning and innovative educational technologies.
(Source: P.A. 100-315, eff. 8-24-17).
Recent Revisions to SOPPA go into effect on July 1, 2021.
Operators who will access covered information under SOPPA must submit the completed SOPPA Addendum to [email protected].