Student Messaging Implementation Parent Information
Overview:
As you may be aware, RISD has implemented TalkingPoints beginning this year to support student success and parent engagement. TalkingPoints allows RISD teachers and parents/guardians to communicate directly through two-way text communication, in the language that you choose.
RISD is transitioning away from the variety of other text-based apps and messaging services recently in use across the district, such as Remind, SportsYou, ClassDojo, and Band.
Already this school year, RISD educators have collectively connected with thousands of parents/guardians through the TalkingPoints platform – sending and replying to messages to/from parents via contact cell phone numbers provided upon enrollment.
Instead of texting, parents may also download and use the TalkingPoints for Families App to review or send messages to your child’s teachers.
Please note that TalkingPoints is an optional tool for RISD educators. Not all of your child’s teachers, coaches, or sponsors may choose to use TalkingPoints and may instead communicate with parents through other methods like email.
Learn more about RISD’s implementation of TalkingPoints here.
Student Messaging Feature
RISD is in the process of implementing the Student Messaging function in TalkingPoints that will allow for secure, direct text engagement between secondary (grades 7-12) students, teachers, and other campus staff like coaches or club sponsors. This feature is expected to be active in mid-September.
As a parent/guardian, you may opt your grade 7-12 student out from participating in TalkingPoints if you choose. To opt your student out, please complete this form.
If your student has not been opted out, at the beginning of each semester, a unique email invitation will be generated to RISD secondary (grades 7-12) students district google address with instructions to sign up for TalkingPoints, if they choose. Students who have been opted out by a parent or guardian will not receive the unique email invitation necessary to participate in TalkingPoints.
Information for parents to consider when making an opt-out decision:
- Signing up to participate involves the student sharing their cell phone number with the Talking Points platform, not RISD.
- Students must be at least 13 years old and have a text-enabled cell phone to use the two-way texting service through TalkingPoints.
- RISD will not collect, store, nor have access to student cell phone numbers. Within the TalkingPoints platform, student cell phone numbers are anonymized and are not viewable nor accessible by anyone in RISD.
- A data privacy agreement is in place with TalkingPoints. This ensures that student (and parent) information remains confidential and is not shared with any entity not necessary to provide the TalkingPoints service. Anyone may opt out of receiving TalkingPoints messages at any time.
- As a safety and oversight feature, all TalkingPoints messages are securely archived, and viewable by RISD principals, Safety & Security staff, and central supervisors. Parents may ask their principal to see messages to or from their student to a teacher/staff member.
- As students choose to sign up, they may be assigned to groups that classroom teachers will access based on the student’s schedule.
- RISD secondary staff are reminded that TalkingPoints messages to students should not conflict with the district’s student cell phone policy, nor should teachers expect that students can access TalkingPoints messages during the school day.
Have Questions?
For this exact reason, TalkingPoints has developed an optional, and free, Parent Mobile Application which they can use to receive messages, and bypass the texts. The Parent Mobile Application is available for download on both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.