Protecting the
Privacy of Student Records, Section 3 summary
Section 3:
Protecting the Privacy of
Individuals
during the Data Collection
Process
Section Summary:
A. Determining the Agency's
Student Data Needs and Uses
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Data collectors must justify the need for
every item of information that in an individual education record.
-
Maintaining data efficiently allows data to
be used for multiple purposes. However, you must justify all uses under
existing policies inform data providers of these uses.
B. What Information Can Be
Requested about Students?
-
You should consult state and local laws, policies
of school boards, and professional ethics in deciding what information
to collect and maintain about students.
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Data providers should be informed about why
the information is collected and if providing such information is mandatory.
-
Data collectors should demonstrate that the
data produced will be of sufficient value, applicability, and usefulness
to justify the cost and burden of collecting them.
C. Classifying Data Elements
or Record Sensitivity
-
Written policies help you to classify the
data into directory information, transcript information, or supplemental
information, and to determine how you should maintain and release each
piece of information.
D. Ensuring Data Integrity
and Accuracy
-
When you choose data elements and the procedures
to collect them, you should consider the quality of the data.
E. Assigning and Using Unique
Identification Codes
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You can derive unique identification codes
by a variety of methods (e.g., assigning sequential numbers or adopting
algorithms to generate codes using selected characteristics).
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Many agencies and schools use social security
numbers as the identification codes. School may ask for social security
numbers but cannot require them.
-
Using social security numbers may be helpful
to agencies or schools in maintaining appropriate and accurate information
about the students. However, school officials must protect the numbers
from illegal access and unauthorized release.
F. How Long Should Data Be
Maintained?
-
In addition to federal and state requirements,
agencies or schools should establish policies to determine the length of
time each type of data is maintained and how data will be expunged or replaced.
[Section 3 full text]
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