New Westminster Schools rely various software and online digital tools to promote learning and collaboration. These platforms are approved by the Government of British Columbia for use by the district and adhere to privacy requirements outlined in the B.C. Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA).
Digital tools and privacy impact assessments
A privacy impact assessment (PIA) reviews how a digital tool or platform handles user information and whether its processes meet requirements set out by FOIPPA.
Before adopting a tool – like Microsoft 365 – for general staff and student use, the district must file a PIA for review by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for B.C. to ensure data storage and privacy requirements adhere to FOIPPA. Only platforms with approved PIAs are allowed in New Westminster schools.
Microsoft 365 for Education
Students who attend district schools are provided with Microsoft 365 accounts that grant access to web-based Microsoft Office applications. Some of these tools include:
- MS Word
- MS Excel
- MS PowerPoint
- MS Outlook and an email account
- Personal OneDrive cloud storage
- MS Teams digital classrooms
With a handful of exceptions, data created with Microsoft 365 apps are stored on servers that are physically located in Canada. The exceptions, where data is stored on secured servers outside of Canada, are:
- Sway
- MS Forms
- Minecraft Education
The district creates all Microsoft 365 accounts and will decommission them once a student leaves the district or upon request.