Privacy Governance Must Come First

29 May 2025

Take Control of App Requests: Privacy Governance Must Come First

Data Privacy

Privacy governance is the cornerstone to protecting PII.

Every new edtech app promises to revolutionize learning, solve the latest instructional challenge, or spark student engagement in new ways. But behind every glowing feature list lies a question that school districts can’t afford to ignore: At what cost to student data privacy?

App requests are pouring in, often faster than IT and curriculum teams can review them. And in a fragmented ecosystem where visibility is limited and third-party data exposure is the norm, school leaders are facing a tough reality: traditional vetting and rostering processes no longer cut it.

It’s time to rethink how schools manage app requests, starting with privacy governance.

The Hidden Cost of a Quick “Yes”

When a teacher requests a new tool or app, the intention is always good. But without a centralized, transparent approval process, that one click can set off a cascade of risks:

Personal student data flowing into unknown systems
Shadow IT making it impossible for tech teams to track and support tools
Apps that duplicate existing features—draining time and resources
Compliance risks that jeopardize FERPA, COPPA, and regional regulations

In short: speed without scrutiny leads to exposure.

That’s where privacy governance becomes essential—not as a barrier, but as a safeguard.

Privacy Governance That Empowers, Not Blocks

At SchoolDay, we believe governance shouldn’t slow you down. It should set you free. Our platform is built on a zero-trust approach, meaning schools don’t need to trade student privacy for edtech access. We make it possible to evaluate, approve, and integrate apps without ever sharing personally identifiable information (PII).

Unlike traditional access platforms, SchoolDay doesn’t rely on outdated, trust-heavy models where apps gain broad access to your data vault. Instead, we offer a secure orchestration layer that ensures every app only receives exactly what it needs – and nothing more.

This means:

No student data shared during app evaluation
Granular controls that align with your privacy policies
Transparency and auditability for every connection
Confidence for educators and peace of mind for families

From Chaos to Clarity: What Modern App Vetting Looks Like

Our privacy governance gives you complete visibility into your digital ecosystem with real-time PII monitoring dashboards and reports to identify and control school district data sprawl across the edtech ecosystem. In just a few clicks, the SchoolDay Extension can begin auto-discovering all the apps used within a district and ranking their PII data exposure risk. With flexible controls to filter or anonymize sensitive information, SchoolDay helps you identify and mitigate data privacy risks across your district. You will be able to:

Instantly see which apps are already in use, and by whom
Check the app’s data request profile before enabling any connection
Enforce your district’s privacy standards—consistently
Approve apps with zero data exposure during trials or pilot phases

This kind of control transforms app vetting from reactive gatekeeping into proactive ecosystem management and allows you to make informed decisions about how best to govern the use of all applications with data at your fingertips. SchoolDay automatically reviews and assigns risk scores to privacy policies of all your identified applications, ensuring compliance with COPPA, FERPA and your state and districts privacy agreements.

Your Ecosystem, On Your Terms

The future of digital learning is not about adding more apps; it’s about orchestrating the right ones, securely and intentionally. At SchoolDay, we don’t just help schools say “yes” or “no” to tools; we help you say “yes” to your values: privacy, transparency, equity, and student safety.

With SchoolDay, you can empower educators with the tools they need while ensuring that no data leaves your walls without your say.