A new nonprofit called “inBloom, Inc.” has created an online database service that stores student data. Launched in March at the SXSWedu conference in Texas, this database stores what The Washington Post refers to as “an unprecedented amount of personal information about millions of students.”
As CNNMoney reports, inBloom stores test scores and other student data in “the cloud,” an off-site storage system maintained by a third party, such as a remote server. The Internet provides the connection between the computer and the remote server.
The information that inBloom stores about individual students includes standardized test scores, learning disabilities, free or reduced price lunch eligibility, health records, and disciplinary records. Data stored on inBloom’s remote servers cannot be shared by inBloom with third parties. However, school districts can share the data.
Supporters of inBloom say that states already collect this information; the only difference is that inBloom stores it in a single place. This, in turn, makes it easier for school districts and teachers to build personalized learning environments for students, tailoring specific curricula to each child.
Parents and nonprofit groups have become increasingly vocal in their opposition to inBloom. Parents protest that school districts and states have not asked for their permission before participating in the project. Many worry about who will have access to their children’s records, and whether any private data will be used to harm their children in the future. The nonprofit Electronic Privacy Information Center has sued the U.S. Department of Education over inBloom, alleging that the database is “a serious threat to student privacy.”
According to inBloom’s website, currently participating states include New York, Massachusetts, Colorado, North Carolina, and Illinois. The Washington Post reports that only New York, Illinois, and Colorado are actively involved, and Louisiana and Georgia have pulled back, with Georgia specifically asking to be removed from the site.
