Keeping Information Safe: An Exploration of Teacher Practice and Perceptions in K-12 Schools

As schools become more dependent on information technology to facilitate administrative tasks and enhance learning and discovery, the security of the schools’ information systems, the data that resides on those systems, and even the safety and privacy of the systems’ users is becoming a growing concern. Federal regulations, due diligence, and student safety are only a few of the motivating factors that serve to illustrate the importance of information security. Unfortunately, little has been done to record the current state of information security in K-12 educational institutions, including the current state of teacher practice and perception. This report summarizes a study of the practice and perceptions of information security in participating Indiana K-12 schools. In particular, the study investigated teacher perceptions and practices related to information protection and assurance for K-12 educators and support staff. Two comprehensive online surveys, a technology coordinator survey and a teacher survey, were conducted to collect data about current practices and perceptions regarding information security in K-12 schools in the state of Indiana. Quantitative data were collected and analyzed in the following areas: general information security needs; file management/backup and software issues, email and password security issues, physical threats and social engineering issues, copyright and fair use, compliance with FERPA regulations, and Internet threats. In addition, data about the perceived importance of the topics and which topic(s) the K-12 audiences need to learn about were recorded and prioritized.