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A4L Community Newsletter, September 2026

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Welcome to our latest quarterly newsletter, where we bring together the news, ideas, and opportunities that matter most to our Community.
Whether you’re a member or discovering us for the first time, this A4L Newsletter is designed to keep you informed, inspired, and connected. You’ll find updates from across the Community, plus ways to get involved as well as member-only content that showcases the value of being part of it. If you’re not yet a member, be sure to click the button below to find out more.

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Getting involved with shaping the future of the NDPA

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Last week, we opened the second round of Community Review for an eventual version 2.3 of the National Data Privacy Agreement (NDPA). The Community Review is open to A4L members to provide feedback on the proposed changes and will remain open until September 15, 2026. After this date, the NDPA Project Team will review the feedback received and address each item. Once this review is complete, there may be a few minor updates, but ultimately, we anticipate finalizing NDPA v2.3 sometime in October at which point it will be available for states around the country to adopt.

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A New Chapter for the A4L Community: Introducing Our Refreshed Mission and Vision

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For more than two decades, the Access 4 Learning (A4L) Community has done one thing relentlessly well: bring education’s many voices together to solve the hard, shared problems of managing and protecting learner data. Schools and districts, states and ministries, vendors and consultants — all at the same table, building open standards and practical tools that no single organization could deliver alone.
Today, we’re proud to share an important milestone in that journey. On June 10, 2026, the A4L Community formally adopted a refreshed Mission and Vision — statements that reflect not only who we are, but who our community has asked us to become.

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A4L Community Newsletter, June 2026

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Welcome to our latest quarterly newsletter, where we bring together the news, ideas, and opportunities that matter most to our Community.
Whether you’re a member or discovering us for the first time, this A4L Newsletter is designed to keep you informed, inspired, and connected. You’ll find updates from across the Community, plus ways to get involved as well as member-only content that showcases the value of being part of it. If you’re not yet a member, be sure to click the button below to find out more.

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The Current EdTech Backlash, AI and the NDPA

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Dan Meyer recently published an article on his Substack titled “Everyone in Edtech Should Show Their Cards” about the current backlash in schools against edtech, specifically citing the draft plan at LAUSD to limit screen time, particularly for elementary students. This and similar initiatives lumping all edtech together as useful distractions has led to a social media tag of #notalledtech, particularly among providers that want to argue that their products shouldn’t be banned. Dan, who is a vice president at the edtech company Amplify, argues that these companies need to put their cards on the table and post videos of how their products are being used to back up their claims with demonstrable evidence (and then he does exactly that).

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A4L announce Community Leadership for 2026-2027

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Washington, DC, 28 May 2026—The Access 4 Learning (A4L) Community is proud to announce the Community Leadership Groups for 2026. The Leadership Groups bring a wealth of experience and knowledge in education, data management, privacy, security, and business acumen. They oversee management of the SIF Specification and the Student Data Privacy Consortium (SDPC) as well as contribute to the development of strategies for the global Community, and guiding development of the A4L Community internationally.

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Vendors Leading the Way: How SDPC Members Are Championing Student Data Privacy

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When people think about student data privacy, the conversation often centers on schools, districts, and state agencies working to protect students. But some of the most committed champions of student data privacy are the vendors who build the tools students and teachers use every day. These companies, many of them quietly doing exceptional work, have made privacy a core value, not an afterthought.

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A4L Community Newsletter, March 2026

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It is truly an exciting and invigorating time to be an active part of the A4L Community. There is so much positive energy and momentum driving numerous productive projects forward, fueled by the dedication of our members. This was undeniably evident at our recent 2026 SDPC & Unity Convening in the beautiful city of Long Beach, just a couple of weeks ago.

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COMMUNITY REVIEW: National Data Privacy Agreement (NDPA) v2.3

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On March 25, 2026, the North American Privacy Leadership Group (NA-P-LG) approved the National Data Privacy Agreement (NDPA) v2.3 for A4L Community Review. Community Review will be open from Tuesday, April 7 until Tuesday, May 5, 2026 (inclusive). All A4L Community Members are encouraged to participate in the Community Review. […]

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2026 Elections: Announcement to Membership

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The Access 4 Learning (A4L) Community has continued to have phenomenal leadership over the past year. The leadership, guidance and overall dedication to the Community prove critical to our collective successes… it is hard to believe that it is time for elections again!  Nominations for the North American Privacy Leadership Group, North American Interoperability Leadership group and International Technical & Privacy Leadership Group will be available from March 30 – April 20, 2026 (inclusive).

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