Billerica company facing lawsuit for alleged practices surrounding student data

Curriculum Associates, the company behind the i-Ready learning platform, is being sued in a putative class-action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The plaintiffs, four elementary school students and their parents, allege the company violates the federal Wiretap Act and various state privacy laws by improperly collecting and sharing student data for commercial purposes. The lawsuit claims Curriculum Associates creates detailed profiles of students based on their i-Ready usage, including personal information and assessment responses, and shares this data with third parties.

Curriculum Associates denies the allegations, stating that data collection is limited to what is necessary for personalized instruction and complies with all applicable laws. They emphasize they do not sell student data or create commercial profiles. The company characterizes the lawsuit as part of a broader, ideologically-driven effort to challenge the use of technology in schools through legal action rather than legislative processes.

The plaintiffs’ attorneys anticipate a class in the millions and have been involved in similar cases against other educational technology companies. The lawsuit seeks to hold Curriculum Associates accountable for its data practices and restore students’ and parents’ right to privacy. A motion to dismiss filed by Curriculum Associates has been opposed by the plaintiffs, who accuse the company of personal attacks in its filing.

(Source：The Boston Herald)