Ohio Senate Bill 29 (SB29) is set to transform how schools use technology, focusing on digital equity and cybersecurity in schools. While aimed at modernizing digital learning and improving data privacy in education, SB29 leaves important questions for educators and administrators about its real impact and implementation. 

Ohio Senate Bill 29 (SB29) mandates stronger student data privacy and greater parental visibility across Ohio’s schools. However, for stretched-thin schools, the specific requirements raise concerns about how they’ll meet new data privacy standards and notification requirements. 

The bill requires schools to more tightly review and manage vendors and ed-tech resources in use to ensure they meet the high data privacy standards set by the bill. It also sets limits on student monitoring, and includes requirements for parental notification when allowed exceptions permit monitoring.

Stay ahead of SB29 by exploring our resources to help your school balance compliance with student safety and staff resources.

1. Defining “educational records” and “educational support services data”​
2. Requiring technology providers that contract with school districts to comply with data privacy laws and limiting their use of student data​
3. Requiring school districts to provide notice to parents about technology provider contracts affecting student records and opportunities to inspect those contracts.​
4. Prohibiting school districts and technology providers from electronically accessing or monitoring certain features of school-issued devices without notice or specific circumstances​

Lightspeed is here to help with Ohio SB 29 compliance!

Lightspeed Digital Insight’s Public App List gives parents visibility into the apps their children use. This list allows parents to request more information about vendor contracts, simplifying communication and keeping parents informed about third-party apps accessing educational records. The Public App List includes key details like:

• privacy policies
• terms of service
• contract dates

In this follow up conversation, we’ll share more information on our plans for helping Ohio schools meet the Senate Bill 29 requirements. We discuss:

• Exceptions to the prohibition against monitoring
• Plans for parental notification across our product suite
• Our Public App List, which many Ohio districts are turning to to meet the contract visibility portion of SB 29

Watch the on-demand recording of our webinar, Ohio SB29: What Schools Need To Know, to learn how Lightspeed solutions make it easy for you to not only meet but exceed SB29 requirements.

We’ll share basics of this legislation and walk through you how Lightspeed’s portfolio of products helps your district align with the Ohio SB29’s requirements effectively and efficiently.

Keeping parents informed and involved in edtech decisions is a key goal of SB29.

Lightspeed’s Parent Portal makes it easy. Parents can see student activity and manage after-school device use, YouTube access, social media access, and more (all within safe parameters set by the district).

By 10/24/24, the Lightspeed Parent Portal will be included with ALL Lightspeed solutions (not just Filter) and it will include parent notifications when Classroom or Alert are used to monitor a student.

Ready to see how we can help?