With inBloom out of business, State Ed. is looking for ways to comply with Race to the Top...

With inBloom out of business, State Ed. is looking for ways to comply with Race to the Top student data requirements

By Kelly Fay

After months of concern from parents and teachers, the company previously contracted by the state to collect and

store student data announced it will shut down over the next few months. InBloom, a private, not-for-profit backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation indicated last week it would "wind down" operations in a letter from its Chief Executive Officer Iwan Streichenberger posted on its website.

As part of the federal Race to the Top Program, New York received $50 million for a data system project, and contracted inBloom to store information and develop infrastructure to make the data available to parents and teachers through an online portal. The move drew criticism from lawmakers, parents and teachers who were concerned about the potential for a security breach and that information gathered by the company could be used against students in the future. The state halted its agreement with inBloom with legislation included in the final budget and now, the Atlanta-based company is ending its work.

http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2014-04-28-87707.113122-With-inBloom-out-of-business-State-Ed-is-looking-for-ways-to-comply-with-Race-to-the-Top-student-data-requirements.html