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NEW FROM CDT  

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New Research: Students and Teachers Warn That Schools’ Use of Monitoring Software Is Harming Students

As schools and districts have considerably expanded their use of technology in recent years, they have also increased their visibility into what students are doing online. Schools justify this tracking of students with valid concerns about student safety, but their monitoring practices frequently result in harm to students, including increased discipline and interactions with law enforcement.

To better understand whether student activity monitoring actually keeps students safe, and what risks it poses, CDT surveyed students, parents, and teachers about their views on these tools ([link removed]). That research, out today, shows that while stakeholders are optimistic that student activity monitoring will keep students safe, in practice this kind of software creates serious efficacy and equity gaps. Key findings include:

78 percent of teachers whose school uses student activity monitoring report that students at their school were flagged by monitoring software for disciplinary action, compared to the 54 percent of teachers who report that monitoring software had been used to refer students to a counselor or other qualified adult for behavior-related interventions.

44 percent of teachers whose school uses student activity monitoring report that it has led to students being contacted by law enforcement.

Approximately half of students report not being comfortable expressing their true thoughts and feelings online when they know they are being monitored. 

29 percent of LGBTQ+ students report that they or someone they know has experienced nonconsensual disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity (e.g. “outing”) as a result of student activity monitoring.

READ THE REPORT ([link removed])

In response to the new research, multiple influential civil society groups have called for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to issue a policy statement ([link removed]) clarifying how student monitoring technology violates civil rights laws, condemning surveillance practices that run afoul of these laws, and stating its intent to enforce against violations that result in discrimination. 

The report, along with a summary brief and a comprehensive research slide deck, are available on the CDT website. ([link removed])

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