ANNUAL NOTIFICATIONS

Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA) Notice

The Oelwein School District seeks to extend and enhance the educational opportunities for students through the use of varying web-based tools and applications. The use of many of these resources by children under the age of 13 is governed by a federal law known as the Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA).

COPPA “was put in place to protect kids’ personal information on websites and online services — including apps — that are directed to children under 13. The Rule also applies to a general audience site that knows it’s collecting personal information from kids that age.” (www.ftc.gov)  Under COPPA, these websites must provide parental notification and obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from children under the age of 13. For more information on COPPA, please visit ftc.gov/privacy/coppafaqs.shtm.

Our district utilizes several computer software applications and web-based services, operated not by this school, but by third parties. These include Google Apps for Education, Prezi, Schoology, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Math ebooks, Thinglink, and similar educational or education-related programs. A complete list of the programs can be found on our district website.

In order for our students to use these programs and services, certain personal identifying information - generally the student’s name and school-provided email address - must be provided to the website operator.  The law permits schools to obtain parental consent to the collection of personal information on behalf of all of its students, thereby eliminating the need for individual parental consent to be given directly to the website operator.

The district's COPPA form, when completed below and on file with the district, will constitute consent for the district to provide personal identifying information for your child consisting of first name, last name, email address and username to our associated web-operators as appropriate for school-related purposes.

Click here to view web-based resources used by OCSD staff and students.  You can view each resource’s privacy policy by going to their website.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act affords parents and students over 18 years of age certain rights with respect to access and confidentiality of student educational records.

• Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act provides that a school may disclose appropriately designated "directory information" without written consent.

It is the policy of the Oelwein Community School District Board of Education to extend equal opportunities to all employees and to applicants for employment who meet the qualifications established for a class or a position for which the application is made.

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION

Students, parents, employees and others doing business with or performing services for the Oelwein Community School District are hereby notified that this school district does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age (except students), religion, national origin, creed, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability in admission or access to, or treatment in, its programs and activities.

The school district does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age (except students), religion, national origin, creed, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability in admission or access to, or treatment in, its hiring and employment practices. Any person having inquiries concerning the school district’s compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), § Section 504 or Iowa Code § 280.3 is directed to contact:

Annual Notice of Non-discrimination

Section 504 is an Act which prohibits discrimination against persons with a disability in any program with federal financial assistance. The Act defines a person with a disability as anyone who:

1. Has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities including activities such as caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working;
2. Has a record of such an impairment; or
3. Is regarded as having such impairment (34 Code of Federal Regulations Part 104.3).

In order to fulfill its obligations under Section 504, the Oelwein School District recognizes a responsibility to avoid discrimination in policies and practices regarding its personnel and learners. No discrimination against any person with a disability will knowingly be permitted in any of the programs and practices in the school system.

The school district has specific responsibilities under the Act which include the responsibility identify, evaluate and if the child is determined to be eligible under Section 504, provide access to appropriate education services.

If the parent or guardian disagrees with the determination made by the professional staff of the school district, he/she has a right to a hearing with an impartial hearing officer.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) also specifies rights related to educational records. The act gives the parent or guardian the right to: 1) inspect and review his/her child’s educational records; 2) make copies of these records; 3) receive a list of all individuals having access to those records; 4) ask for an explanations of any item in the records; 5) ask for an amendment to any report on the grounds that it is inaccurate, misleading or violates the child’s rights; and 6) a hearing on the issue if the school refuses to make the amendment.

If there are any questions, please feel free to contact the 504 Coordinator (Mary Beth Steggall 319-283-3015) for the school district.

For more information about Section 504, please visit the Iowa Department of Education website.