Changes to Google Services for Students
The Science Academies of New York has been informed by the New York State Education Department that we are required to make changes to student access for 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.
How Will This Affect Students?
- Students can no longer 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.
What About Staff Accounts?
- This change only applies to student accounts. Staff members will retain access to Google Additional Services.
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 have minimal disruption to student learning.
SANY Administration
