The DoDEA myDATA Button Portal is an online tool that allows students, parents, and guardians to monitor DoDEA student’s progress. It provides instant access to DoDEA student grades and other information anytime and anywhere.

During the initial release for the 2012-2013 school year, the portal will be available to sponsors/parents/guardians/students to view the following:

• Student schedules
• Daily and class attendance information
• Family information such as emergency contacts
• Automatic notification of attendance and grades
• Multiple student records with one parent account
• Student Demographics
• Unofficial Transcript (Grades)
• Assignments

The system was developed and tested with great care to ensure that student information remains confidential. In February 2013, you will be able to view the following:

• Health
• Conduct
• Assessment Test Scores
• Individual Education Program (IEP)

You can use different web browsers, such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Google Chrome to access the DoDEA myDATA Button Portal. The DoDEA myDATA Button Portal has been verified to run with Internet Explorer Version 8 or above or Mozilla Firefox Version 11 or above. Usage of other browsers and/or older versions may yield unpredictable performance issues. The browser recommendation does not constitute endorsement by the United States Department of Defense Education Activity of the information, products or services contained therein. All recommended browsers identified are tools that are consistent with the mission of the Department of Defense Education Activity. Current versions of these browsers that have been tested for usage of the DoDEA myDATA Button Portal are noted below.

You will need to enable pop-ups in your pop-up blocker setting to allow pop-ups from the DoDEA myDATA Button Portal web site because Aspen uses pop-ups in various screens including security settings, report cards, progress reports, etc.

To enable pop-ups in Internet Explorer: (versions 8.0 – 9.0)

By default, Internet Explorer displays pop-ups that appear as a result of you clicking a link or button. Pop-up Blocker blocks pop-ups that are displayed automatically (without you clicking a link or button). In order to allow pop-ups from the DoDEA myDATA Button Portal site to display, follow these steps:

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Click the Tools button, click Pop-up Blocker, and then click Turn off Pop-up Blocker Settings.

To enable pop-ups in Firefox: (versions 11.0 - 12.0)

From a PC:

1. On the menu bar, click on the Tools button (or Tools Menu)
2. Click on Options
3. Next, click on the Content tab.
4. Block pop-up windows: You can uncheck this to disable the pop-up blocker altogether from any website or you can leave the box checked and click on Exceptions.

Exceptions: This is a list of sites that you want to allow to display pop-ups.

From a Mac:

1. On the menu bar, click on the Firefox menu
2. Select Preferences....
3. Select the Content panel
4. Block pop-up windows: You can uncheck this to disable the pop-up blocker altogether from any website or you can leave the box checked and click on Exceptions.

Exceptions: This is a list of sites that you want to allow to display pop-ups.

To enable pop-ups in Google Chrome: (version 16.0 - 18.0)

1. Go to Settings > Privacy
2. Click on Content Settings
3. Scroll down to Pop-ups.
4. Here you can choose “Allow all sites to show pop-ups”.

Students

Registration for student access to the myDATA Button Portal in grades 4 - 12 is not required. Students will be provided their logon credentials by their school administration.

Parents

In order to access the DoDEA myDATA Button Portal for the first time, you will first need to download the DoDEA Form 700 and indicate on the form that you would like to have access to the myDATA Button portal. Please ensure that the e-mail address that you provided during the registration of your child(ren) on the DoDEA Form 600 is the same e-mail address that you use when returning the form. You may return the DoDEA Form 700 to your school by e-mail, fax, or in person. Upon the completion of the verification process, you will receive two separate e-mails with your logon information and the web site address to the portal.

Requirements

You must have an e-mail account. If you do not have an e-mail account, here is a helpful list of free e-mail services.

• Gmail
• Yahoo
• AIM
• GMX

You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, you may still download the DoDEA Form 700 and save it to your computer to complete at a later time.

Registration

1. Open a Web browser to connect to the Internet.
2. Go to your child(ren)'s school web page.
3. Look for the myDATA Button.
   
   
4. Click on the myDATA Button image. The link will take you to the myDATA Button Portal dashboard.
5. Look for the Register section.
6. Click on the DoDEA Form 700 for Consents and authorization link.
7. Save the DoDEA Form 700 attachment to your computer.
8. Please indicate that you would like to have access to the myDATA Button portal on the DoDEA Form 700.
9. Return the completed DoDEA Form 700 to a DoDEA school by e-mail, fax, or in person. Please ensure that the e-mail address that you provided during the registration of your child(ren) on the DoDEA Form 600 is the same e-mail address that you use when returning the form.
10. After your information has been validated, a request to activate your account will be initiated.
11. You will receive two e-mails with the details on how to access the portal; the first e-mail will contain your Logon ID information. The second e-mail will contain your password. Your account will allow access to all registered children information within a DoDEA school. Please place your registration e-mails in a safe and secure location.

You can log on to DoDEA myDATA Button Portal from any computer that connects to the Internet. (Please note: You will need to enable pop-ups in any and all pop-up blockers you have installed on your computer to allow pop-ups)

Here are the steps to log on:

1. Open your web browser to connect to the Internet
2. Go to your child(ren)'s school web page.
3. Click on the DoDEA myDATA Button.
   
         
   
4. You will be directed to the myDATA Button Portal Dashboard.
5. Click on the myDATA Button.
6. You will see the login screen.
7. Enter your Login ID and Password in the boxes provided. Please note that when you attempt to enter your password, a virtual keyboard will appear to help prevent keystroke detection by hidden keystroke logger software.
   
         
   .
8. Click the Logon button

The first time you log in, you will be prompted to change your password, and set your security questions for password recovery. Please follow the provided instructions.

DO NOT share your new password with others! Your account contains important and confidential information. It is VERY important for Security that you protect your login information as you would any other personal account.

The DoDEA myDATA Button Portal is hosted on a government facility and is subject to numerous layers of security. We have carefully configured the system to ensure that your child's information is confidential and can only be retrieved by you - the parent/guardian - and authorized school personnel. We mandate strong passwords, forced password resets and session timeouts to ensure secure sessions. Here are just a few of the technological combinations that work in concert to ensure that all data is protected.

Firewalls: Protects the computer from outside intruders

Physical Security: Provides limited access to server rooms and data storage facilities

Operating System Security: The servers are protected with complex secure algorithms

Database Security: Limits who has access to data sources

Secure Socket Layer Encryption: Ensures that transmitted data on the web is encrypted between the source and the parents

Virtual Keyboard: Helps to prevent keystrokes detection and the recording of keystroke by hidden keystroke logger software that may unknowingly be present of your computer when you enter your password. In addition, the keys are dynamically shuffled to provide an additional layer of security

Information Assurance Monitoring Services: Various sensors and monitors are deployed to protect against malicious attacks, questionable trends and other vulnerabilities

We follow the mandated Defense Information Systems Agency - Security Technical Implementation Guide (DISA STIG) password standards:

1. Contain at least (14) characters
2. Contain at least two (2) uppercase and two (2) lowercase alpha characters (A-Z, a-z)
3. Contain at least two (2) numeric characters (0-9)
4. Contain at least two (2) special characters (#, %, ^, &, etc.)
5. Has to change every 90 days
6. Can't be a repeat of the last 10 passwords you've used
7. The others may be characters of your choice

This is not only possible, but it's not as hard as you think.

Don’t become fixated on the length! Concentrate on the content and the length will solve itself.

Follow a few easy to remember suggestions described below, and you will be able to create a long, secure password that you can remember and type.

So, how am I ever going to meet these requirements and remember it?

Suggestion 1

This is the most important. Try to only hit the Shift key once while typing your password. This more than any other suggestion will help you to type the password easily. Put all the Capital letters and $pec!al ch@racters together at the front or end or even in the middle of your password, but only hit the Shift key once

Examples: These two passwords use exactly the same phrase 'Now I have a password':

n0wIH@VE@apassw0rd - NOW!H@VEapa55w0rd

Suggestion 2

Use two short words joined together, and fill in with numbers and/or special characters. Remember Suggestion 1

Examples: Again, these two passwords use exactly the same phrase 'boy scouts':

123b0ySCOUTS!!! - !@#BOYscouts!!!

(Yes, I know that I broke suggestion 1 for the second word, but I used the same exact keystrokes for both passwords.)

Suggestion 3

Use multiple short words or a short sentence.

Examples: Again, these two passwords use exactly the same phrase 'going to the prom':

g01ngT)THEPR)M - G)!NGt0thepr0m

Suggestion 4

Intentionally mis-spell a word or leave off letters, or substitute special characters for multiple letters.

Examples: Based on the phrase 'don't forget this word':

DON'tf0rgetdisw0rd - d0n'tF)RGETd1sw0rd

Suggestion 5

Usual Substitutions - You can use the following substitutions, but remember that you should not use theses substitutions every time. Try not to be too predictable.

• I or L - use 1 or !
• o - use 0 (zero)
• s - use 5
• h - use #
• a - use @
• and - use &

Examples:

s&W!CHs0up0rsalad? - C@NY0umakeapa55w0rd - S#@REy0urkn0w1edge!

We recommend against using the example words in this document since everyone who reads this will also know the same words. Use the phrases above and change the keys or case, or spelling and

One last example: wh@TSMYP@%%W)RDgue55 (20 characters, meets all letter, number, special character rules, is easy to remember, and easy to type once you've typed it on the keyboard more than twice.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, if your memory is such that you just can't remember because of the number of different systems and different rules, and you just have to write the password down. Write it in a password protected document. Most commercial word processors will have a password protection option for documents, use this option. Use a shorter password that meets the mixed letter, number, and special character rules that you WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER, and save your username and password combinations in this document.

In general, the following guidelines apply:

• School attendance is updated daily
• The normal period of evaluation and posting should be no longer than ten (10) calendar days from the date the assignment is collected, with reasonable exceptions for large projects (e.g., term papers, research projects, portfolios, etc.). This includes all assignments at all grade levels and in all subjects that are part of the educator's assessment of the student. At a minimum, all teachers are required to record one assignment or grade per week in the DoDEA Electronic Gradebook (EGB) System. Limited exceptions may be granted by the school principal.
• Current Marking period grades are updated daily.

Additionally…

• Parents, guardian and sponsors are asked to talk to your child about grades prior to contacting the classroom teacher.
• Parents, guardian and sponsors can only view, not edit, the DoDEA student profile information. If you find that it is incorrect, please use the customized help menu to contact  the school where the DoDEA student attends with any updated information.
  

You can log in to the DoDEA myDATA Button Portal from any computer that connects to the Internet

1. Open a Web browser to connect to the Internet
2. Go to your child(ren) school home page
3. Look for the myDATA Button.
   
4. Click on the myDATA Button in the right column on the page.
5. You will see the login screen.
6. Enter the Login ID and Password you received via e-mail when your account was activated.
7. When prompted, create a permanent password.
   
   
   • Enter your Temporary Password in the Current Password field
   • Create a New Password of at least fourteen (14) characters.
   • Confirm New Password
   • Click OK
   
   
   

Once you have successfully logged on , you will see your personal portal page.

The first time you log in to the DoDEA myDATA Button Portal, you should update your security information. This allows you to request a Temporary Password should you forget your Password.

1. In the top right corner of the page, click Set Preferences
2. Click the Security tab
3. Enter your Primary e-mail
4. Select a Security question
5. Enter you Security answer
6. Enter and Confirm answer
7. Click OK. You will return to your portal page

Your portal page shows recent activity and the latest updates. You can choose to view activity for the current day, the last 7 days, last 30 days, or last 60 days.

On your portal page, you will find several tabs in the banner across the top of the page.

After you select a Tab from the top of the page, related Side Tabs will appear on the left side of the page to reveal detailed information:

The Pages Tab:

• Announcements from your school.
• Recent activity regarding your child's grades and attendance.

The Family Tab:

• Student details
• Contact names and phone numbers.
• Daily attendance.
• Transcript (Grades)
• Schedule
• Subscriptions to e-mail notifications.

The Academics Tab:

• Class details to include attendance summary and average summary
• Assignments. This resource is currently available only to the parents of schools who are participants in the GradeBook Pilot. A phased deployment for all DoDEA will be take place not later than school year 2013 – 2014.
• Class attendance.

You can register to receive e-mail notifications whenever any attendance is recorded for your child or when your child receives an assignment grade below a threshold that you define.

1. Click the Family Tab.
2. Click the Notification Side Tab.
   
   
   
   
3. Select the checkbox next to your e-mail address.
4. Select the checkboxes for the notifications you want to receive.
5. If you select to receive notifications about Grades, enter the appropriate Grade Threshold.

The portal is easy to navigate. The data is secure and read-only. Feel free to explore. If you have a question about how to do something, go to the Help menu for the following options:

• Online Help: Click to open online help, then click Using the portal. A table of contents, index and search feature helps you find the information you need.
  
  
  
  
• User Guides: Click to open, download and print a PDF version of Using the Family Portal.

If you forget your Login ID, please retrieve the e-mail notification that was sent to you after your account was activated. Please note that if you have already activated your account,the Temporary Password will no longer be valid. If you also forgot your password, follow the directions below after obtaining your Login ID.

If you forget your Password, click on the I forgot my password link on the DoDEA MyData Button Portal Login page. You will be prompted to enter your Login ID and your primary e-mail address. When you click Continue you will be asked to answer your security question. The response to the security question is case-sensitive;please be sure you enter your answer in the proper upper/lower case. Once the question have been answered correctly your temporary password will be e-mailed to you. If you do not know the answer to your security question please send an e-mail to mydatapassword@hq.dodea.edu. You must submit your request for help support from the e-mail address that you used to register for access to the portal. Please allow 48 hours for a response.

• Login on the portal.
• Click Set Preference in the upper-right corner of the screen.
• Click the Security Tab.
• To change your e-mail address, locate the text Primary e-mail and enter the new e-mail address.
• To change your password, click on the Change link to change your password.

After you click on the Change link, enter the New Password and Confirm new password. Click the Ok button.

Only non-official transcripts are available using the MyData Button Portal. To request an official DoDEA transcript, please visit http://www.dodea.edu/students/transcripts.cfm and follow the directions provided.

No. You, as a sponsor/parent/guardian, can use one secure login to access the information for all of your children that are listed on the DoDEA Form 700. Parents with students in multiple DoDEA schools participating in the pilot program can register for an account by indicating on one of the DoDEA Form 700 for each student by selecting the option that indicates that you would like to have access to the myDATA Button portal.

No. DoDEA students in grades 4-12 will automatically receive their account information from the school.

*** Coming September 21 ***

Please use the customized help menu before contacting the school where the DoDEA student attends. It will help to clearly define and inform the proper authority of any misinformation for verification and corrective action.

DoDEA's policy currently allows us to keep the information for one year.

Sponsors/Parents/Guardians who have been properly registered with the school of the DoDEA student. In support of the MyData application other appointed system administers and support personnel who have been properly screened and trained to protect Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

There is no statutory mandate to terminate parental rights to access to student information at age 18; There are legal mandates that apply to the states, and DoDEA often emulates those requirements; but DoDEA has not adopted any such rule. As a matter of practice, if a parent seeks access to student records and the parent is not resident with the child, DoDEA's Privacy Office (on advice rendered by DoDEA's Office of General Counsel) has been seeking the child's written consent to the disclosure of the student's records. A request originating from a parent who is not residing with a child raises questions about the legitimacy of that parent's access given that the criteria for enrollment are that the child is resident with a DoD sponsor, under the age of 21, and a member of the sponsor's family. The only currently clear circumstance that would disallow parental access to a dependent student's records arises from a court order directing termination of access.

In accordance with the Washington Headquarters Services Administrative Instruction 15 volume II, with specific reference to 912-04. Matriculant Graduate School Records, records may be destroyed after 50 years of graduation, transfer, withdrawal, or death (GTWD).

Only information from School Year 2011-2012 forward will be available. Parents will have access to all elements and years of information identified in the response to FAQ question number one and from future school years to come.

No. To remain consistent with the students that currently have access to SIS data, only grades 4-12 will have access to the portal.

Assuming that you already have registered to receive an account, there still may be some procedures blocking that e-mail. The e-mail address for receiving account information should be added to your contacts and/or trusted senders list. You should also check your spam folder.

Please ensure that the Caps Lock key has been disabled. The password is case-sensitive and must be entered exactly to match the password provided to you in the registration e-mail. If you have already activated your account, the Temporary Password that you received in the e-mail is no longer be valid.