State education official assigned to protect student data

The Georgia Department of Education has given a technology manager another responsibility: protecting student data.

The move by State Superintendent Richard Woods this week comes in response to House Bill 414, the Student Data, Privacy, Accessibility and Transparency Act. Georgia lawmakers passed the law this year out of concern about student privacy.

Levette Williams, Technology Management Director for the Georgia Department of Education, has overseen the collection and reporting of K-12 data for the agency since 2000. Now, she’ll have an extra title: Chief Privacy Officer. Along with the title comes the responsibility to ensure the protection of student privacy as schools continue to adopt and utilize technology and social media in the classroom, Georgia DOE said in a statement.