Digital Access Hub
The School District of Philadelphia believes that all student and staff data should be protected and secure under the care of the School District of Philadelphia in accordance with the Federal Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA), and the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). FERPA requires that education organizations only collect personal information from students for their specified educational purpose, keep it only as long as necessary for that purpose, and use it for no other commercial purpose. Through contracts and Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) online vendors are bound to the above rules.
The School District has created a system to review free online programs and applications called Digital Access Requests (DAR). Before school staff use any free online program or application, or one donated by an external partner or purchased through student activity funds, it must be reviewed by IT Security and Academics. You can submit a Digital Access Request in the Employee Portal. Approved online programs and applications can be found by searching the Digital Access Hub below.
Digital Access Review (DAR) is the process by which staff can request access to online programs and applications that are not currently approved for use in the District.
The IT Security review looks at the data security practices of the online program or application. If the answer to any of these questions is NO, the online program or application will not be approved for use in the district.
- Is the data collected by the online application stored ONLY in the U.S.?
- Is the data collected kept private and not shared or sold to other third-parties?
- Does the online program or application have data safety standards to ensure safe storage and transmission of data? Is that information posted?
During the instructional review, the appropriate office or content area reviews the online program or application. If the answer to any of these questions is NO, the online program or application will not be approved for use in the district.
- Does the online program or application align with the School District of Philadelphia’s Instructional Expectations, the Board of Education’s Goals and Guardrails and/or Accelerate Philly?
- Is the online program unique and not duplicative of another district-approved tool or service?
If an app requires a legal review, the terms of service are reviewed to see if a contract is needed with the company for the use of the app.
The deadline to submit a request for the 24-25 school year is September 30, 2024.
The DAR process can take a minimum of 4-6 weeks. Many factors play a role in how long the review process takes, including whether or not the online program or application requires a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to be signed by the company.
You can find the District’s Guidance on the use of generative AI here.
The following Generative AI tools are approved for students and staff :
Google Gemini
Approved for: All staff and students in grades 9-12
Anticipated Availability: October 2024 for staff and January 2024 for students
Description: Using prompts, this AI chatbot can support staff and students with everyday tasks and assist with goal setting, researching, brainstorming, planning, enhancing writing, and more.
Adobe Express with Firefly
Approved for: All staff and students in grades K-12
Anticipated Availability: Available now
Description: Create a variety of content such as video clips, artwork, animations, and audio that includes using generative AI capabilities.
Last modified: December 4, 2024
