All About SOPPA:

Why Illinois Schools Must Prioritize Student Data Privacy Now

All About SOPPA: What Illinois Schools Must Know About Student Data Protections starts with a critical date: July 1, 2021. As of then, Illinois schools became legally required to guarantee that student data collected by EdTech companies is protected and used for beneficial purposes only.

Quick Answer: SOPPA Key Requirements for Illinois Schools

1. Sign Data Privacy Agreements (DPAs) with all EdTech vendors.
2. Publicly post on your website: approved vendors, data elements collected, contracts, and data breaches.
3. Designate a Data Privacy Officer to oversee compliance.
4. Notify parents within 30 days of a student data breach.
5. Allow parents to inspect, review, and correct their child's data.
6. Implement reasonable security procedures meeting industry standards.
7. Update posted information twice per year.

The Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA) regulates how schools, the Illinois State Board of Education, and EdTech vendors handle student "covered information"—which includes everything from names and addresses to grades and socioeconomic data.

As one Illinois district noted, SOPPA addresses the key question: "What protections do those companies have in place to make sure that our student's data is not sold or freely given to others?"

Non-compliance can lead to loss of funding, legal action, and exposure of student data. For K-12 IT Directors, SOPPA is a fundamental part of protecting your school community. This guide breaks down what SOPPA requires, how to comply, and how to build a culture of data privacy.

All About SOPPA: What Illinois Schools Must Know About Student Data Protections terms at a glance:

• All About FERPA: The Federal Student Privacy Law That Still Matters in 2025
• What to Know About NY Education Law § 2-c: Vendor Contracts and Student Data Use
• What to Know About California’s SB 1177 (SOPIPA Expansion) and Its Impact on K–12 Schools

Understanding SOPPA: Core Components and Requirements

When Illinois school districts first heard about All About SOPPA: What Illinois Schools Must Know About Student Data Protections, many wondered how it differed from existing federal privacy rules. The answer is SOPPA's specific focus on how educational technology companies handle student information.

What is SOPPA and What is its Primary Purpose?

The Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA) aims to ensure that student information shared with EdTech companies is protected and used only for educational purposes. It prevents data from being used for advertising, sold to data brokers, or used for any purpose that doesn't directly benefit student learning.

The strengthened version of SOPPA became effective on July 1, 2021, placing clear, enforceable responsibilities on school districts, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), and EdTech vendors. Think of SOPPA as a shield around your students' digital footprints. You can review the full text of the Student Online Personal Protection Act (105 ILCS 85) for the complete legal language.

Key Amendments and 'Covered Information'

The 2019 amendments gave SOPPA real teeth by giving school districts explicit responsibilities, granting parents concrete rights, mandating public transparency, and increasing vendor accountability through required Data Privacy Agreements.

At the center of SOPPA is 'covered information'—any personally identifiable information (PII) about a student or data that could be linked to a specific child. This broad category includes:

• Personal Details: Name, address, phone number, email, date of birth, student ID numbers.
• Academic & Behavioral Records: Grades, attendance, disciplinary history.
• Sensitive Data: Socioeconomic information, special education status, medical/health data, biometric information.
• Indirect Identifiers: Data points like a course number that, when combined with other information, could identify a student.

This wide definition is intentional, designed to prevent sophisticated data profiling. For IT Directors, understanding what qualifies as covered information is the first step in compliance. Strong cybersecurity practices are essential to protect this data. Learn more in our guide on Cybersecurity for Educational Institutions.

All About SOPPA: What Illinois Schools Must Know About Student Data Protections

Illinois school districts have specific, actionable duties under SOPPA. This section outlines the critical responsibilities for maintaining compliance and ensuring data security.

School District Responsibilities and Public Postings

When All About SOPPA: What Illinois Schools Must Know About Student Data Protections is discussed, the focus is on what districts must do. Your primary duty is to guarantee that student data shared with EdTech companies is protected and used for beneficial purposes only.

Key responsibilities include:

• Sign Data Privacy Agreements (DPAs) with every EdTech vendor before sharing covered information. No DPA means no data sharing.
• Adopt a SOPPA policy that identifies who has the authority to enter into data-sharing agreements.
• Maintain public postings on your district website. This transparency is a cornerstone of SOPPA.

Your website must include:

• A list of all EdTech vendors (operators) you work with.
• An explanation of the data elements you collect.
• Copies of all signed DPAs.
• A list of subcontractors for each operator.
• Information on how parents can inspect, review, and correct their child's data.
• A data breach log.

This information must be updated twice per year: by January 30 and within 30 days of the start of your fiscal year. For an example of how to organize this, see this district's approved vendor list. A comprehensive Data Security and Privacy Plan can help manage these requirements.

Designating a Data Privacy Officer and Ensuring Security

SOPPA requires each district to designate a staff member as a privacy officer to ensure compliance. This person, often called a Data Privacy Officer (DPO), is the central point of contact for student data privacy.

The DPO's responsibilities include overseeing SOPPA compliance, vetting EdTech vendors, managing DPAs, handling parent inquiries, and coordinating data breach responses.

On the security front, SOPPA mandates reasonable security procedures and practices that meet or exceed industry standards. This includes:

• Enterprise-level network security (firewalls, wireless management).
• Robust antivirus and malware protection.
• Regular server patching and strict access controls.
• Encryption for data at rest and in transit.
• Monitoring systems with audit trails.

However, technical defenses are only part of the solution. Your staff is your first line of defense. Regular Cybersecurity Audits: Strengthening K-12 Schools Against Cyber Threats and comprehensive Cybersecurity Training: Empowering K-12 Staff Against Cyber Threats are crucial. Training your team to recognize threats like phishing is just as important as any firewall.

Managing EdTech Vendors and Data Privacy Agreements (DPAs)

Third-party vendors are a major focus of SOPPA. Learn how Data Privacy Agreements (DPAs) and consortiums help schools manage these relationships securely.

The Role of Data Privacy Agreements (DPAs) in SOPPA Compliance

When your district shares student data with an EdTech vendor, a Data Privacy Agreement (DPA) is the legal contract that protects that information. Under SOPPA, you must have a signed DPA with any company you share covered information with. This is not optional.

A DPA is a detailed contract that:

• Outlines exactly what data elements are being shared.
• Defines the educational purpose for collecting the data.
• Mandates how vendors must protect the data with reasonable security measures.
• Establishes breach protocols, including notification requirements.

SOPPA also imposes strict prohibitions on vendors through these agreements. They are forbidden from engaging in targeted advertising using student data, selling or renting student data, or building student profiles for non-educational purposes.

Furthermore, DPAs include a data deletion requirement, compelling vendors to delete student data upon the district's request. This ensures information doesn't remain on their servers indefinitely. These requirements give schools legal leverage and clear expectations. For more on managing these relationships, see our guide on Beyond Firewalls: How to Secure Data Shared with Third-Party EdTech Vendors.

Leveraging the Student Data Privacy Consortium (SDPC)

Negotiating individual DPAs with hundreds of vendors is impractical. This is where the Student Data Privacy Consortium (SDPC) comes in. The SDPC is a collaboration of schools, districts, and EdTech providers working to streamline student data privacy. In Illinois, the consortium operates through the Illinois Student Privacy Alliance (ISPA).

The SDPC helps districts by:

• Providing Standardized Agreements: Instead of custom contracts, the SDPC offers a common DPA that vendors can sign once to cover all participating districts. This saves immense time and legal fees.
• Acting as a Central Vetting Mechanism: Districts can check the SDPC database to see which vendors have already signed compliant agreements, simplifying the approval process.
• Supporting Transparency: The consortium maintains a public database where districts can list approved vendors and post signed DPAs, helping meet SOPPA's public posting requirements.
• Offering Community Support: Districts can share best practices and collectively address privacy challenges.

The SDPC transforms a potential compliance nightmare into a manageable, collaborative process. It provides the tools and support to meet SOPPA's requirements efficiently. You can learn more about the SDPC and see how it can benefit your district.

Parental Rights, Data Breaches, and Broader Compliance

SOPPA empowers parents with new rights and establishes clear protocols for data breaches, while also interacting with other major privacy laws.

Empowering Parents: Rights to Inspect, Correct, and Control Data

A powerful aspect of SOPPA is that it gives parents active control over their children's digital privacy. Parents have three fundamental rights regarding their student's covered information:

1. Inspect and Review: Parents can request to see any data the school, a vendor, or the state maintains about their child. Districts have 45 days to provide an electronic copy of the records after verifying the parent's identity.
2. Request Corrections: If parents find factual errors in their student's data, they can request a correction. The district must review the request and, if warranted, make the correction within 90 days.
3. Request Deletion: Parents can ask for their child's covered information to be deleted. However, schools cannot delete data if it would violate other laws or prevent a student from participating in required curriculum.

These actionable rights transform parents into partners in protecting student data. For a parent-friendly explanation, this short video explaining SOPPA for parents is a helpful resource. Understanding their Privacy rights is the first step.

All About SOPPA: What Illinois Schools Must Know About Data Breach Notifications

Even with strong security, data breaches can happen. SOPPA mandates a quick and transparent response.

A data breach is the unauthorized acquisition of covered information. When a breach occurs, All About SOPPA: What Illinois Schools Must Know About Student Data Protections requires the following actions:

• Parent Notification: Notify all affected parents and guardians no more than 30 calendar days after the district learns of the breach.
• Public Notification: Post information about the breach on the district's website within 10 days. This is mandatory if the breach affects more than 10% of the student population.
• State Notification: Report the breach to the state's chief privacy officer within 10 days.

The only reason to delay notification is if law enforcement determines it would impede a criminal investigation. Having a solid Incident Response Planning in K12 framework is critical to meeting these tight deadlines.

Consequences of Non-Compliance and Interaction with Other Laws

Failing to comply with SOPPA carries serious consequences for both schools and vendors.

• For School Districts: Non-compliance can lead to the loss of federal funding, legal action, fines, and a severe erosion of public trust.
• For Vendors: Consequences include contract termination, being barred from the education market, financial penalties, and irreparable damage to their reputation.

SOPPA works alongside federal laws like FERPA and COPPA, but it has a distinct role.

• FERPA broadly protects student education records in federally funded schools.
• COPPA focuses on online data collection from children under 13.
• SOPPA specifically targets the modern challenge of K-12 student data being shared with EdTech vendors in Illinois. It adds specific requirements like mandatory DPAs, strict vendor prohibitions, and tight breach notification timelines that complement the broader protections of federal laws.

Understanding how these laws interact is key to a comprehensive compliance strategy. For more on FERPA, read FERPA: The Federal Student Privacy Law That Still Matters in 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions about SOPPA

What is the single most important thing a school must do to comply with SOPPA?

The single most important action is to ensure every third-party EdTech vendor has a signed, SOPPA-compliant Data Privacy Agreement (DPA) in place before any student "covered information" is shared.

This written agreement is the legal backbone of your compliance effort. It defines how student data will be protected and used. Sharing data with a vendor without a DPA is a direct violation of SOPPA and puts student information at risk. Before implementing any new app or platform, make sure the DPA is signed and posted on your website.

Can parents opt their child out of data collection under SOPPA?

This is a nuanced issue. SOPPA gives parents the right to request the deletion of covered information, but it does not create a simple "opt-out" for all data collection.

Schools must balance parental rights with educational and legal obligations. A district may deny a deletion request if the data is required for the student to participate in the core curriculum or if deleting it would violate other laws (like student record retention rules). The data collected should be necessary for "educationally beneficial purposes only." Parents concerned about data collection should contact their district's Data Privacy Officer to understand what data is collected, why it's necessary, and what options are available.

Where can I find my school district's list of approved vendors and data agreements?

Transparency is a core principle of SOPPA, so this information should be easy to find on your school district's official website.

Look for a dedicated page with a title like "SOPPA," "Student Data Privacy," or "Technology Resources." Many districts have a data privacy portal that centralizes this information. Many Illinois schools also use the Illinois Student Privacy Alliance (ISPA) portal, where you can search for your district and view its signed DPAs. If you can't find the information, contact your district's Data Privacy Officer or technology department directly.

Conclusion: Building a Culture of Cybersecurity and SOPPA Compliance

Navigating All About SOPPA: What Illinois Schools Must Know About Student Data Protections is about one essential goal: keeping students safe in a digital world. For Illinois schools, SOPPA compliance is a commitment to building trust with families.

The act demands proactive data governance, from managing Data Privacy Agreements with vendors to respecting parental rights and responding swiftly to breaches. It requires transparency, accountability, and ongoing vigilance.

However, compliance documents alone can't stop a cyberattack. Schools Are Prime Targets for Cyber Attacks: The Urgent Need for Stronger Cybersecurity, and phishing remains a top threat. Protecting student data starts with your people. A well-trained staff is your most critical line of defense.

At CyberNut, we know that compliance and cybersecurity go hand in hand. We specialize in helping K-12 schools build a human firewall through engaging, effective training that sticks.

Want to see how vulnerable your district is to phishing? Get your free phishing audit today. It's a quick, eye-opening way to understand your risks.

With the right approach—combining legal compliance, robust security, and a well-trained staff—you can build a culture of cybersecurity that protects your students and earns community trust. For more guides and tools, explore our Resources page.