The maker of ClassDojo, a popular behavioral tracking app used in schools nationwide, announced revisions on Tuesday in the way it retains student Âinformation.
Starting in January, the company intends to keep students' behavioral records for only one school year.
"We are not a data company. So we have no need to keep any data beyond allowing it to be communicated between teachers, parents and students," Sam Chaudhary, co-founder of ClassDojo, wrote in an e-mail. "We think one year will give busy parents an opportunity to find time to review this information."
An article in the New York Times on Monday reported on educator concerns that schools were using software that collects sensitive details about students without sufficiently considering the ramifications for data privacy and fairness.
One issue they raised was the possibility that a third-party — which regularly collected and stored details about individual students' behavior — could potentially saddle a student with a "problem child" label.
ClassDojo's new deletion policy directly addressed that concern. "We want to help kids succeed by recognizing and sharing the things they do well," the company said. "No part of that vision needs 'permanent records.' "
Privacy experts said the company's policy was a step in the right direction.
"Routine deletion is not a new idea, but it's a good idea," said Marc Rotenberg, president of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a nonprofit research center in Washington. He added that deleting students' records annually should eliminate the risk that their information would subsequently be used for other purposes.
ClassDojo, a free app, allows teachers to select behaviors — like "following directions" or "disrespect" — for which they can reward students with points or subtract points.
NEW YORK TIMES
