Changes to Google Additional Services for Students

The New York State Education Department has informed the Orchard Park Central School District Technology Department that we are required to make changes to student access to certain Google Additional Services. This directive comes from the Chief Privacy Officer at NYSED to ensure compliance with Ed Law 2-d, as Google is not able to sign a Data Privacy Agreement (DPA) for these additional services.

What’s Changing?

• Google Core Services (Gmail, Classroom, Drive, Docs, Slides, Forms, Calendar, Sheets, etc.) are NOT affected. Students and teachers can continue using these services as they currently do.
• Google Additional Services (YouTube, Translate, Earth, Photos, etc.) will be disabled for student accounts at the end of the day on February 28, 2025.

How Will This Affect Students?

• Students will no longer be able to directly access or use YouTube, Google Translate, Google Earth, Google Photos, and other Additional Services while logged into their district accounts.
• Teachers will still be able to use YouTube for instructional purposes. They can embed YouTube videos in Google Classroom, Slides, and other approved educational tools such as EdPuzzle for students to view.
• The district’s ENL staff has prepared alternative solutions for translation needs, including built-in translation tools within some Google Core Apps.

These changes are part of a statewide effort to ensure compliance with Ed Law 2-d and reinforce the district’s commitment to student data privacy and security. While we understand this may impact some aspects of classroom technology use, we are confident that these adjustments will minimally disrupt student learning.

For more details, visit the RIC One Google Resource Hub: https://googleresourcehub.ricone.org/