Ferpa|Sherpa

All information is data. When put into the hands of an educator or family member, it can help a student overcome challenges and build upon strengths. But individual data points don’t give the full picture needed to support the education goals of families, students, educators, and policymakers. That is why the Department of Public Instruction advocates for the […]

Over the years, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has received many questions about student records. This bulletin addresses some of the most frequently asked questions and replaces Information Update Bulletin 98.02 Pupil Records of Students with Exceptional Educational Needs.

In general, confidential information may only be shared under one of three conditions: 1) a signed authorization that consents to the release of information, 2) a court order, or 3) authorization of statute. This publication focuses on the third of these three conditions and is designed for educators, law enforcement personnel, juvenile justice and human […]

This article presents data on school surveillance practices, including an original empirical analysis of restricted data recently released by the U.S. Department of Education after the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Paralleling other disturbing trends of inequality in our public school system, these results and other empirical analyses reveal that schools serving primarily students […]

This is a sample matrix for LEA officials who wish to categorize the sensitivity of staff data and determine which staff needs access.

In the information age, technology holds the potential to unlock countless new opportunities to educate students for the workforce of tomorrow. And while we want to encourage technology in the classroom, we must be aware that student information is something that must be handled with great care. Organizations that make use of student data must […]

California school districts and County Offices of Education—collectively, Local Educational Agencies (“LEAs”)—collect a vast amount of data in providing educational and related services. This data may include pupil records, medical records, financial information, and more. With the advent of individualized learning management systems, LEAs are sharing such data with third-party vendors more than ever before. […]

The primary purpose of this document is to help state and local education agencies and schools develop adequate policies and procedures to protect information about students and their families from improper release, while satisfying the need for school officials to make sound management, instructional, and service decisions. The document was developed under the direction of […]

Effective data products—such as reports, dashboards, and data visualizations—provide appropriate, actionable information in useful ways that are designed to meet the needs of their intended users. This checklist describes several key characteristics of effective data products.

Technology services agreements entered into, amended, or renewed by a local education agency on or after January 1, 2015 must include specific requirements. These requirements apply to contracts for services that utilize electronic technology, including cloud-based services, for the digital storage, management and retrieval of pupil records, as well as educational software that authorizes a […]