In the education sector, regulatory compliance plays a critical role in protecting student data, maintaining accessibility, and adhering to federal guidelines. A Course Management System (CMS) must align with several key U.S. regulations to ensure legal and ethical operation.
| Regulation | Details | Compliance Measures |
|---|---|---|
| FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) | Protects the privacy of student education records and grants access rights to students and parents. | – Implement role-based access controls. – Maintain audit logs for record access and changes. – Automate workflows for consent and data subject requests (DSRs). |
| HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) | Ensures the security and privacy of student health records. | – Encrypt health data. – Restrict access to authorized personnel. – Track access through detailed audit logs. |
| Title IV Compliance | Requires tracking student attendance and financial aid eligibility for institutions receiving federal funding. | – Add attendance tracking functionality. – Automate financial aid workflows. – Define and enforce data retention policies. |
| Section 508 Accessibility | Mandates electronic systems to be accessible to individuals with disabilities, following WCAG 2.1 standards. | – Provide screen reader compatibility. – Enable high-contrast themes. – Ensure keyboard navigation and accessibility testing. |
| NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) | Recommends cybersecurity best practices to protect data against breaches and unauthorized access. | – Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA). – Conduct regular risk assessments. – Establish incident response plans. |
| CIPA (Children’s Internet Protection Act) (For K-12 Institutions) | Requires content filtering and online safety measures for minors using the system. | – Implement content filtering mechanisms. – Provide online safety training modules. |