Information Sharing

Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

• NEW - - Confidentiality Toolkit: A Resource Tool from the ACF Interoperability Initiative

  • Initially published in August 2014, this toolkit is intended for staff at all levels of government who work within offices and agencies that promote the well-being of children and families and would like to know more about:

    • How responsibly sharing records with other offices and agencies can enhance service delivery and research efforts,

    • Processes that can help assure record sharing goals are successful, and

    • Important confidentiality considerations related to sharing records.

Colorado Attorney General's Office

• Information sharing between education, juvenile justice, mental health and other youth-serving agencies has been identified as a way for these agencies to effectively assist meeting needs of students involved in multiple serve systems, and information sharing is essential in regard to school safety. There continues to be confusion about information sharing, in particular, what information can be shared and when.

• In January 2018, Colorado Former Attorney General Cynthia Coffman issued a formal opinion with guidance on information sharing related to the family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA):

  • Colorado Attorney General Formal Opinion No. 18-01

• Attorney General Coffman has also issued a Video(YouTube) on the subject after having a conversation with staff from several schools and representatives of community organizations.

  • Colorado Juvenile Information Exchange Laws - Quick Reference Guide

  • Colorado Juvenile Information Exchange Laws - A Model for Implementation

  • Interagency Social Support Team Checklist

Colorado Children and Youth Information Sharing Collaborative (CCYIS)

• The Colorado Children and Youth Information Sharing (CCYIS)

  • Initiative was created as a result of many state ,and local children - youth- and family-serving agency representatives hearing concerns about the lack of guidelines about sharing of confidential information across systems. It is well known that youth who penetrate the juvenile justice system frequently come with a multitude of issues. They and their families have often traversed through a variety other youth serving systems by the time they reach the delinquency system - education, child welfare, mental health, substance abuse - sometimes simultaneously. It is also well known that providing services through a system of care approach yields positive results for youth and their families but a system of care implies that systems can share critical information expeditiously and appropriately.

Educational Development Center

• The National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention (National Center) provides training and technical assistance (TA) to Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) and Project LAUNCH grantees. The mission of the National Center is to strengthen grantees' capacity in achieving their goals by offering services to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of their work.

• Information Sharing (Resources, Learning activities & Case Studies)

Making Referrals to Your Threat Assessment Team

• Sign in or create a new account at www.co.train.org.

• Course ID 1064493

• Release Date July 2016

• Making referrals to the appropriate professionals whenever a staff member is concerned about a student is a major responsibility of all school staff. Sometimes, the referral may need to go to the school's threat assessment team. Having a better understanding of the possible warning signs or indicators of a student who may be at risk for violent behavior, will help staff make these referrals in a timely manner.

• Reporting a student of concern will afford the threat assessment team the ability to assess the danger and initiate the necessary safety measures and resources to keep everyone safe. This workshop is designed for all school staff so that they will know when it is appropriate to refer a student to the threat assessment team and to encourage staff to report. This module is not designed to train the threat assessment team members, but to enable all staff to contribute to the safety of the school. It is brought to you by the Colorado School Safety Resource Center, an office of the Colorado Department of Public Safety.

  • After completing this module, you will be familiar with:

  • What may constitute a threat

  • The findings of the U.S. Secret Service about school threats

  • Some of the possible warning signs or indicators of potential threats

  • How to report your concerns about a student and why it is necessary to do so in a timely manner

• A printable certificate will be available upon completing the course.

• Please remember to review this course on www.co.train.org and complete thread feedback survey

• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

• Colorado Children and Youth Information Sharing (CCYIS)

• Making Referrals to Your Threat Assessment Team. (CSSRC) Online Course

• Colorado School Violence Prevention: A Legal Manual,

• Resources from the U.S. Department of Education

• Safe Schools and FERPA

• Guidance on FERPA

• FERPA Hot Topics

• FERPA and Disclosures Related to Emergencies and Disasters June 2010

• FERPA and HIPPAA Joint Guidance November 2008

• FERPA Parents Guide

• FERPA Elementary and Secondary Schools Guide

• FERPA Colleges and Universities Guide

• Emergency Guidance for Schools and Universities about FERPA & HEA (June 2011)

• Joint Letter from U.S. Departments of Education and Health & Human Services regarding Uninterrupted Scholars Act (April 2013)

Family Policy Compliance Office

• The mission of the Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO) is to meet the needs of the U.S. Department of Education's primary customers--learners of all ages--by effectively implementing two laws that seek to ensure student and parental rights in education: the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA).

• Parents and eligible students who need assistance or who wish to file a complaint under FERPA or PPRA should do so in writing to the Family Policy Compliance Office.

• Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) Aug. 2015

• Family Policy Compliance Office Resources (Launched in 2014 | Archived)

• FERPA Presentation for Elementary and Secondary School Officials, October 2012

  • Presentation Slides

  • Presentation Transcript

Governor's Office of Information Technology

• Guidelines for Information Sharing for the State of Colorado (2010)

Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between Denver Public Schools (DPS) and Denver Police Department (DPD)

• The IGA was signed in February 2013, following negotiations with youth leaders from Padres y Jóvenes Unidos, a Denver-based parent and youth group, which has worked to end the school-to-prison pipeline in Colorado for over a decade.

• Specifically, the agreement made data collection and information sharing between the two agencies more transparent and clarified the presence, responsibilities and role of school resource officers.

Privacy Technical Assistance Center (Archived Information)

• The U.S. Department of Education established the Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) as a "one-stop" resource for education stakeholders to learn about data privacy, confidentiality, and security practices related to student-level longitudinal data systems. PTAC provides timely information and updated guidance on privacy, confidentiality, and security practices through a variety of resources, including training materials and opportunities to receive direct assistance with privacy, security, and confidentiality of longitudinal data systems.

• Protecting Student Privacy While Using Online Educational Services: Requirements and Best Practices

  • Published in February 2013 - - Updated: February 2014

  • This document addresses privacy and security considerations relating to computer software, mobile applications (apps), and web-based tools provided by a third-party to a school or district that students and/or their parents access via the Internet and use as part of a school activity. Examples include online services that students use to access class readings, to view their learning progression, to watch video demonstrations, to comment on class activities, or to complete their homework.

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