Authorizing Private and/or BOCES Consultant Access to the STAC Online System
The STAC Online System is used by the NYS Education Department (SED) to maintain and process records necessary for reimbursement of certain services, including for children with disabilities. If your educational entity (school district, county/municipality, or educational provider) has valid contracts with private and/or BOCES consultants granting them authority to work on the STAC online system, you must apply to have a unique STAC user code and password assigned to each individual consultant which will be valid for just your educational entity.
The User Code and password are issued to the educational entity which is responsible for ensuring that only authorized consultants are granted access to the STAC Online System. Therefore, educational entities must:
- Request a unique user code and password for each authorized consultant;
- Provide the unique user code and password only to the named authorized consultant;
- Prohibit sharing of user codes and passwords amongst employees and consultants; and
- Notify SED immediately when an authorized consultant relationship is terminated.
By requesting online access, the educational entity is assuring the STAC Unit that this consultant is:
- A designee of your education entity who is authorized to access the STAC database;
- A person SED can contact directly to clarify STAC entries made on your behalf;
- Working pursuant to a written contract with the educational entity which includes confidentiality provisions that comply with the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the NYS Personal Privacy Protection Law, and all other applicable State and Federal privacy and security laws; and
- Trained on the proper use of STAC online access on behalf of the educational entity.
All User IDs and passwords issued by the STAC Unit must be used solely by the authorized user to whom the User ID and password was issued, and should not be shared with any other person. Please notify the STAC Unit of any unauthorized sharing or use of User IDs and passwords, so that the STAC Unit can discontinue access to any affected User IDs and passwords.
Note that, for security purposes, all consultant User IDs are disabled on a yearly basis on June 30th. Therefore, to ensure uninterrupted access, after April 1st of each year each educational entity must submit a renewal request for each authorized consultant.
All users associated with a SED-approved special education provider can only view STAC System records. School District and Municipality (County) authorized consultant users may be granted additional rights to add, update and verify records.
Online Instructional Guides for Navigating the STAC Online System and EFRT Screens
The instructions should be reviewed carefully before adding or changing student records. If there are any questions regarding this process, please call the STAC and Medicaid Unit.
A USDE finding of a FERPA violation by a consultant could result in consequences such as mandated training, withholding of funds, or prohibiting the educational entity from sharing personally identifiable information with that consultant for at least five years.