Office of the Chief Privacy Officer
The Office of the Chief Privacy Officer (OCPO) provides leadership, oversight, and coordination to ensure Departmental compliance with government initiatives regarding the acquisition, release and maintenance of information. In particular, OCPO oversees the administration of the following federal statutes at the Department of Education (ED):
- Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
- Privacy Act
- Federal Records Act
- Paperwork Reduction Act
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
- The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)
OCPO is responsible for providing policies, standards, and procedures that ensure ED complies with governmental information management requirements in the above areas. In addition, OCPO provides instruction to assure that customers are educated and supported in the performance of these efforts.
OCPO Divisions
Student Privacy Policy and Assistance Division
The Student Privacy Policy and Assistance Division (which includes the Department’s Privacy Technical Assistance Center) is responsible for developing policy and guidance on long-standing and emerging student privacy policy issues, and for providing general and targeted technical assistance to educational agencies and institutions, and the broader education community on issues relating to statutory and regulatory compliance, as well as best practices for protecting student privacy beyond compliance with Federal requirements.
Privacy Safeguards Division
The Privacy Safeguards Division raises employees’ awareness of privacy issues, demonstrates how employees can safeguard the personally identifiable information (PII) that ED utilizes, and fosters a culture of accountability for protecting PII within the Department.
Family Policy Compliance Division
The Family Policy Compliance Division, known as the Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO) is responsible for administering two federal laws that provide parents and students with certain privacy rights: the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA).
FOIA Service Center Division
The FOIA Service Center is responsible for ensuring agency compliance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Information Collections Clearance Division
The Information Collections Clearance Division is responsible for ensuring agency compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, information quality and forms management.
Records and Document Management Division
The Records and Document Management Division (RDMD) is responsible for safeguarding the creation, filing and disposing of records in the act of doing business for the federal government.
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