Education officials seek to calm data concerns

With concerns growing about federal data collection, state education officials offered information Tuesday about what data it has on students, how it is collected and how it is stored.

Kathy Gosa, the information technology director of the Kansas State Department of Education, and Cheryl Whelan, the department's legal counsel, also attempted to assuage fears connected to the movement against the Common Core educational standards.

"At any time is information on political or religious affiliation requested or required?" asked Jana Shaver, the Kansas State Board of Education chairwoman.

"I've never heard of that, no," Gosa said.

Another board member, Janet Waugh, later asked for clarification.

"You cannot tell me whether or not their parents voted in the last election, how they're registered or what church they attend?" Waugh asked.

“No, we can not,” Gosa said. “None of those data are collected.”

Data that is collected, Gosa said, includes demographic data, test scores, disciplinary reports, what disabilities students may have and what services or accommodations they receive. Much of that data is aggregated without personal identifiers and used to determine state or federal funding, Gosa said.

Gosa said the education department also receives some data on household income levels from the Department for Children and Families to streamline the process of determining who is eligible for free-and-reduced-price meals.

"We do not save that data,” Gosa said. “We use it to qualify the student, and then we destroy it."

Gosa and Whelan spoke after a public comments session that included several parents and former educators expressing concern about the Common Core standards the board has voted to adopt and the testing and data collection it entails.

They were joined by former board of education member Walt Chappell.

“Please stop the madness — please stop collecting so much data on children and families,” Chappell said. “It’s time for us to stand up for freedom in this state.”

Chappell also distributed a yellow form to board members that he says he will be offering to parents across the state.

The form prohibits school districts from requiring the parents’ “child to take any computerized, Common Core formative tests during the school year or a summative, computerized Common Core or other standardized test over any subjects at the end of the school year.”

It also insists that “NO personal data about my child or our family provided at the time of enrollment or during the school year be sent to any State or Federal agency, contractor or vendor outside of this school district” without written consent.

“It’s very clear that if we start taking these federal tests there’s a hell of a lot of data that’s going to follow the kid,” Chappell said. “The real question is why take the tests at all.”

Standardized tests at the end of the school year were mandated as part of then-President George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind legislation, which proponents said would increase teacher accountability in public schools.

Whelan briefed the board on the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, a federal law she said could have some bearing on Chappell’s yellow sheet.

“FERPA does give certain rights to parents and eligible students,” Whelan said. “One right is they have the right to consent to disclosure, but there are exceptions in federal law.”

Board members Jim McNiece and Ken Willard expressed concerns over the security of the state’s data storage system.

"I’m concerned about the possibility of the system being hacked,” Willard said. “We hear about that kind of thing all the time.”

Gosa said the department’s information technology department is using “every safeguard that exists that we’re aware of,” but they were “right to be concerned” about hackers.