Step 2: Guardrails
Privacy is a design decision.
Before you build, ask what information your tool truly needs — and whether it needs student information at all.
Five questions to ask
- Can I build and test this with fictional names, seat numbers, or sample data?
- Will the tool collect, display, save, or transmit student information?
- Could a student be identified from the information, even without a name?
- Where does information go, who can access it, and how long does it remain?
- Do district policies permit this AI service and this use of student information?
Avoid uploading identifiable student records to an unapproved AI platform. An AI tool is not automatically FERPA-compliant simply because it is popular, district-accessible, or uses local storage.
Simple first projects are ideal
A timer, supplies calculator, directions display, or scoreboard can often be built without any student data. When your tool starts using real education records, pause and seek district guidance before deployment.
Learn more
Official references: U.S. Department of Education Student Privacy Policy Office and FERPA resources.
This checklist supports privacy-aware design; it is not legal advice or a certification of compliance.