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PIA Project

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PIA Project PLN

Shape Responsible Integration of Third-Party Apps in your School and School District!

ATLE is committed to supporting school districts in the development of Privacy Impact Assessments and related resources.

Our dream is to develop an online tool that leverages AI to assist us all in this process.

By leveraging the expertise of FOIP leads across Alberta we can first build a strong foundation that we can then use as a prototype for next steps. Join us as we create something new and robust with the potential to save countless hours of time for FOIP leads as the the project evolves.

Our work is both synchronous and asynchronous, meeting about 4x a year. Interested?

Our PLNs are custom-tailored to best meet identified topics and PL models identified by our ATLE members.

Our team is currently contacting those who identified as being interested in leading or co-leading a PLN group. If you are interested in being part of our PIA Project PLN, please indicate that on the survey or reach out directly to ProLearn.

Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) Workshop

Join FOIP leaders Maryann Hammermeister and Cathy Evanochko for this unique and timely hands-on workshop on Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) for Alberta school jurisdictions. Through interactive activities that guide you through the PIA process, you will develop the practical experience needed to assess privacy risks related to personal information. Learn how to identify potential risks, document findings, and develop mitigation strategies.
The workshop aims to equip educators and administrators with the skills and confidence needed to conduct effective PIAs.  

More details:

Objectives:

  • Understand the importance of privacy in schools and the legal frameworks governing it, including the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP).
  • Learn how to conduct a PIA, including identifying privacy risks and determining mitigation strategies.
  • Explore best practices for maintaining student and staff privacy while implementing new technologies and data management practices.

Key Topics Covered:

  1. Introduction to Privacy in Education:
    • Overview of privacy principles and legal requirements.
    • Importance of protecting personal information in school environments.
  2. Conducting a PIA:
    • Step-by-step guidance on how to perform a PIA.
    • Identifying stakeholders and their roles in the process.
    • Practical exercises to practice PIA techniques.
  3. Risk Assessment and Mitigation:
    • Tools and methodologies for assessing privacy risks.
    • Strategies for effective risk management and compliance.
  4. Technology and Privacy:
    • Impact of digital tools and data management systems on privacy.
    • Considerations for evaluating new technologies for student data handling.
  5. Case Studies and Group Discussions:
    • Real-world scenarios to illustrate common privacy challenges in schools.
    • Collaborative discussions to share experiences and solutions among participants.

Outcomes: The goal is that participants will leave with a comprehensive understanding of privacy assessments and practical tools to implement within their jurisdictions. The format will be a collaborative environment, encouraging ongoing dialogue about best practices and shared challenges in protecting student privacy.

 
Date: Wednesday, October 16, 2024 
Time: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location: Markin McPhail Centre, Canada Olympic Park
Cost: $89.00 Members and $139.00 Non Members
 
Please note: Snacks and refreshments are included.
Cancellation/Refund Policy – Cancellations received prior to October 6th refunded less a $45 administrative fee.  After October 6th, no refunds will be available.  At any point, a registration may be transferred to another individual.  

Now in Year Two of this project we have milestones to celebrate and challenges to tackle!

  • Cenera has created a document that examines the idea of "consent" as it relates to the privacy context here in Alberta. Its thoughts provide clarity we might not have expected to find. Download PDF: ATLE Role of Consent in Privacy Management in Schools
  • Cenera has combed the data gathered in the Common Sense Privacy database to see what works for Alberta - what is relevant to FOIP and what is not - with the result being a comprehensive spreadsheet that comprises a tool that we can use with confidence to evaluate apps within the Alberta FOIP context. The challenge is the tool is thorough to the point of being unwieldy for most of us to use.
  • Although we have a spreadsheet now, it is quite unlike Common Sense Privacy's, so we will not be using much data from Common Sense Privacy to give us the head start we had planned: FOIP requirements are different from the requirements of the legislation in the United States, to the point that not much of the Common Sense Privacy data can smoothly be integrated into a FOIP-lensed document.
  • Now (Fall, 2023) we are working with the resultant spreadsheet of indicators to see how it can be distilled into a more useable format while not compromising its validity when put to the task of evaluating actual third-party apps. 
  • We understand the pressing need to provide a tool for school authorities sooner rather than later, but are, like you, determined to do our utmost to ensure that the tool we provide will be robust and useable over time. 
  • To build capacity, ATLE ProLearn has formed an informal PIA PLN, which meets each month or two at an open lunchtime roundtable to explore ideas together, supported by consultants from Cenera. All are welcome to join us at these meetups. Register here!

Join our PIA Leadership PLN and receive timely updates.

Complete the ATLE Connect! survey and check off PIA Leadership as your PLN of choice.

Register today for the next upcoming lunchtime PIA roundtable chat. Register here!

The Challenge

Alberta school authorities have been doing their best to put governance plans in place to comply with the use of third-party apps from a FOIP perspective. This time-consuming compliance approach, however, is often "side of desk" for most districts despite our all recognizing the importance of this work.

The Solution

ATLE sees value in providing an onramp for school authorities to help them manage this work by collaborating with Cenera to develop a tool that can guide FOIP-compliant evaluations of selected commonly used third-party apps. By applying the tool to selected apps, ATLE can then help school authorities save time replicating this process, leaving local evaluations to focus mainly on context-specific questions. 

ATLE is working with Cenera to develop a reliable tool that can be used to build a provincial repository of resources for third-party app compliance. This work supports schools, teachers and ultimately the safety of our students here in Alberta. 

The ATLE PIA Project officially launched in the Fall of 2022. See links to key presentations that have traced our evolution below. This page will be updated as the 2023-24 year unfolds.

  1. Project launch at Convergence, October 2022
  2. Project presentation at ASBOA Issues Forum, December 2022
  3. Project update at Emerge Symposium, May 2023
  4. Project update at Convergence, October 2023 - ATLE announced the launch of ongoing monthly (or so) lunchtime roundtable open conversations with FOIP experts from Cenera. All are welcome to join this network. Register here!

May, 2023 -  ATLE. The Role of Consent in Privacy Management in Schools - timely report developed by Cenera for ATLE on the topic of consent when it comes to the use of third-party apps.

In Phase One of the project, ATLE worked with Common Sense Privacy to learn the processes, both privacy-related and technical, that shape their work. 

We next worked with Alberta privacy leaders at Cenera,

  1. to develop a document that looks at what we mean by "consent" in the privacy context
  2. to develop a tool that can be used to evaluate apps from an Alberta FOIP perspective

Below are the links to these partners.

Common Sense Privacy Program

  • Review software using long form and short form evaluation used by two lawyers
  • 1200-1400 resources already reviewed
  • Provide workshops and training for authority leaders, individuals with direct PIA responsibilities, and teachers

Cenera

  • Experience in FOIPP and privacy in government, health sector, education sector
  • Provide research, training, consulting, and legal advice