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To protect your child’s privacy when school uses AI, ask the school or district which tools are approved, what each collects and does with student information, how long data is retained, and how families can inspect or challenge records. A school’s education records and a vendor’s service data are not necessarily the same thing: ask how the district’s records rules and the vendor’s own practices apply to each.
Federal protections provide a baseline, not a complete answer for every product or location. State law, district policy, the student’s age, the tool’s settings, and the vendor contract can all affect what happens to information.
What data might my child’s school AI app collect?
AI-enabled school tools may collect more than a student’s name, school ID, or assignment. Depending on the product and how it is used, information may include prompts and chat history, work submitted, voice or images, device identifiers, location, activity patterns, or inferences generated from student data. These are possible risk categories, not a claim that every school AI tool collects all of them.
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Privacy risks are not limited to a breach. The toolkit also raises concerns about surveillance, information leaks that could enable harassment or bullying, unsuitable content for younger students, and AI-assisted decisions with significant consequences. For consequential decisions, ask whether a person reviews the result, how the family will be told if AI contributes to an adverse action, and how to challenge an error.
Can my child’s school share student data with an AI company?
Sometimes, but the answer depends on the information, the school’s legal basis for disclosure, the vendor’s role, and the vendor’s permitted uses. FERPA generally governs education records and personally identifiable information in those records maintained by covered schools or agencies, including records maintained by parties acting for them. Prior written consent is generally required for disclosure, but FERPA has defined exceptions. It is not accurate to assume that every transfer of student information to a vendor always requires separate parent consent.
Ask the school to explain whether information sent to a particular vendor is part of an education record, whether the vendor is acting for the school, what exception or consent process applies, and whether the contract limits the vendor’s use of the information. A vendor’s service data may also be governed by its own terms and privacy practices; a school’s FERPA responsibilities do not, by themselves, answer every question about all data a service collects.
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For students covered by FERPA, parents generally direct requests to inspect or seek correction of relevant education records to the school or district that maintains them. Ask how to make that request when records or logs are held by a vendor on the school’s behalf. FERPA rights transfer to the student when the student becomes an eligible student—generally at age 18 or upon attending a postsecondary institution.
What does COPPA mean for a school AI tool?
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) applies to covered online services directed to children under 13 and to services that knowingly collect personal information online from children under 13. In a school setting, a service operator may rely on the school to provide consent in place of a parent only when the service is used for the school’s educational purposes and benefit, not for an unrelated commercial purpose.
The operator must provide the school with relevant notice about its practices, and the school should consider making that information available to parents. School consent for an educational use does not authorize an additional commercial use. If a company wants to use information for a separate purpose, such as advertising, it cannot treat the school’s educational consent as permission for that other use.
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The Federal Trade Commission recommends that schools examine what a service collects, how it uses or shares information, whether it has commercial uses, and whether data can be reviewed or deleted. Also ask about security and retention. COPPA’s under-13 scope does not mean older students’ information is unprotected; other federal, state, local, and contractual rules may apply.
How do FERPA, COPPA, and PPRA differ?
| Protection | What it addresses | What to ask the school |
|---|---|---|
| FERPA | Education records and personally identifiable information maintained by covered education agencies or institutions, including records maintained by parties acting for them. Consent is generally required for disclosure, subject to defined exceptions. | Which student records are involved, what disclosure basis applies, and how to inspect or seek correction of records held by the school or its service provider. |
| COPPA | Covered online services directed to children under 13 or services that knowingly collect personal information online from children under 13. School consent is limited to the educational context and school benefit. | What information the operator collects, what notice the school received, and whether any use goes beyond the school’s educational purpose. |
| PPRA | Certain surveys and collection or use of student information for marketing. Department of Education guidance describes parent rights for specified surveys and information practices; FTC school guidance notes annual direct-notification obligations for certain marketing-related activities. | Whether a survey or marketing-related activity is covered, what notice or rights apply, and which district procedures govern it. |
| State and local requirements | May add protections or requirements beyond the federal baseline. The details depend on the student’s jurisdiction and the district’s policies. | Which state law and district policies apply to this specific tool and use. |
This is a practical overview, not an individualized legal determination. The applicable rules can depend on the school, student, information, product, and use.
Can an AI app use my child’s schoolwork to train its model?
Do not infer the answer from the fact that a tool is used for school. Ask whether prompts, uploaded work, outputs, or other student information are retained or used to train or improve a general-purpose model. Also ask whether information is used for advertising, profiling, product development, or another commercial purpose, and whether the vendor shares it with other parties.
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Look for answers in the district’s approval materials and contract as well as the product’s privacy notice. A privacy policy may describe vendor practices but may not explain what the district approved, what settings it enabled, or how the school handles student records. Ask the district who monitors changes to the product, its terms, and its data practices.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What should I ask the school or district?
Send questions in writing to the teacher, principal, or district office responsible for technology or student privacy. Ask about the specific tool and class rather than AI in general:
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- What does each tool collect or generate—including prompts, chat history, submitted work, voice, images, location, device identifiers, and inferences?
- Does the vendor retain prompts, outputs, or other student information? For how long, and can the school require deletion when the educational purpose ends?
- Is student information used to train or improve a general-purpose model, for advertising, profiling, or another commercial purpose? Who else receives it?
- What security controls and breach-response process apply? How can I or my child inspect, correct, or request deletion of relevant information?
- Has the district reviewed the vendor’s privacy and security terms and contract? Who monitors changes to the tool or vendor practices?
- For a consequential decision, is there a human alternative or review, and how can a student or family challenge an error?
- What notices, consent or opt-out procedures apply, and which state laws or district policies govern this tool?
These questions reflect FTC recommendations for school review of data collection, use, commercial purposes, security, retention, and review or deletion options. The Department of Education toolkit also urges education leaders to consider applicable laws, communicate with families, and account for risks as products change.
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How do I ask my school to delete my child’s data?
- Identify the tool and use. Include the product name, class or program, and, if known, the dates when your child used it.
- Ask what information is held and by whom. Request the school’s process for inspecting relevant education records, including records maintained by a vendor acting for the district.
- Ask what can be deleted and when. Request deletion of information no longer needed for the educational purpose, and ask whether the district can direct the vendor to delete it. A parent’s request does not establish that every copy or record must be deleted; the answer may depend on the record, applicable requirements, and contract.
- Request the district’s written response. Ask which policy or process applies, what action was taken, and whether any information must be retained. If the issue concerns a vendor’s service data rather than an education record, ask the school to explain the relevant vendor process and direct you to the appropriate contact.
For a FERPA records request, contact the school or district that maintains the record. The Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office provides parent FERPA guidance and K–12 breach resources through its guidance index.
What federal AI guidance means for families
In July 2025, the Department of Education announced guidance describing certain AI uses as allowable under existing federal education programs when consistent with applicable requirements, and highlighted parent and teacher engagement. That announcement concerns responsible integration and federal grant use; it is not blanket approval of any AI product or a substitute for checking a district’s approval, safeguards, and applicable law.
Families can ask to be included in the school’s process for reviewing AI tools and to receive notice about how a tool is used. If an AI system contributes to a decision affecting a student, ask what role the system played, who reviewed the result, and what human reconsideration or appeal process is available.
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