Student data being stored and swapped among many agencies
BOISE - How would you feel if you found your child was being tracked from the minute you registered them for kindergarten, until they enter the work force? Idaho has several agreements that allow and require them to do just that.
Many parents don't realize that their student's personal information is being collected and shared at the state and federal level, among many different agencies.
KTVB talked with concerned parents, as well as the State Department of Education to get to the bottom of why students' data is being stored and shared.
"I believe our youngest, most vulnerable citizens probably should have the most protection of privacy," said Mila Wood, a concerned mother and spokesperson for Idahoans for Local Education.
From the very beginning of the school day, children are shedding data. From the bus stop to the classroom laptop, hundreds of data points are being collected by state, corporate and federal agencies.
"They collect everything, they absolutely collect everything," Wood added. "Actually one of the very first items that kind of brought my attention was this little card in my son's wallet when he was in eighth grade and it's an Idaho Department of Labor card."
Stacey Knudsen is another parent active in finding out how, where and why her children's personal information is being stored. Sensitive information attached to their individual student ID numbers such as disciplinary actions, meal choices, socioeconomic status and much, much more.
"This information is really sensitive," Wood added.
"When we talk about keeping kids safe, and their data, that's extremely important," said Jeff Church, spokesperson for the Idaho Department of Education.
The Idaho State Board of Education is constitutionally responsible for supervising public education from kindergarten through college.
For that reason, a state-wide data system was created to evaluate and improve the process by which a student moves through the education system in Idaho. The Board works in conjunction with the State Department of Education, which tracks K-12 data.
"We only collect the data that we truly need, whether it be for federal reporting, state reporting or financial calculations and payments out to school districts," Church said. "Over the last year we have gone through a process of removing upwards of 200 data elements within that system."
Department officials say they have been working to collect a lot less data than they used to by asking the question: Do we need the data?
"If we don't for federal or state or financial calculations, we don't need it and we don't want it," Church added.
But parents say they are still concerned because the Department of Education still collects 390 elements and many of those elements are alarming.
"There's certainly not a need for us to be storing the amount of data that we're storing," said Knudsen.
Church argues that the aggregate academic information, like test scores, is crucial for policy-making decisions and measuring Idaho's success compared to other states.
"Seeing the data and how students across the state are doing on math informs the superintendent on policy decisions to say we need to make a change and move toward what works," he said.
Concerned parents believe the problems stem from personally identifiable information that other state, federal and private agencies have access to.
"Where is this information going? Who is utilizing my child's psychometric data?" Wood asked.
Parents also wonder why they are not given the option to give, or deny, consent for the data.
"Nobody can really give us a clear picture of who is accessing and how they're keeping that data safe," Knudsen said.
To protect that data, there is a federal law in place called the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA. But activists say it's become too relaxed over the last several years. In 2014, Idaho enacted its own student privacy law. The Board of Ed says the state-appointed Data Management Council does not allow a free-flow of information because the council oversees any requests to get ahold of any data.
"At no time is an individual student's data utilized for decision-making purposes or for individual purpose of any kind," Church added.
The department shares group and personal data with many state and federal departments, as well as private companies, including, but not limited to:
- The Department of Health and Welfare
- Federal Education Facts
- Smarter Balanced Consortium
- Title I Student Counts
- Migrant Student Information Exchange
- ISAT, College Board
- Data Recognition Corp
- Individual Student Identifier for K-12 Longitudinal Data System
"So they are all sharing the data together within our state longitudinal data system," Wood said.
They also share with the State Board of Education, which has agreements with other state and federal agencies such as the Department of Juvenile Corrections, Department of Labor, Department of Transportation, and National Student Clearinghouse.
Knudsen and Wood have plenty of advice for parents that are just finding out about this phenomenon.
"What you think is just between you and the teacher and the school, that's no longer the case," Knudsen said. "Be a little more wary of what you fill out, and really read through the documents that you're signing at school."
Church says parents can contact the the Department of Education and ask to see their child's personal data. Parents must file a public records request, and then meet with a representative in person.
The Board of Education says parents also have the option to go directly to their child's school and request to see the data there, at the source.Student data being stored and swapped among many agencies | KTVB.COM:
