Guiding Principles of Data Sharing
Background
Cal-PASS consortia are being organized for the purpose of sharing data concerning students within the K-12, community colleges and universities in defined geographical regions of California.
The data sharing practices function within a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the Consortium members. This MOU delineates the regulations under which the data sharing takes place.
Statement of Purpose
The purpose of the Cal-PASS Data Sharing project is to share data among K-12 schools, community colleges and universities for the purpose of improving instructional programs and student learning and success in the schools, community colleges and the universities.
Guiding Principles
The following principles guide this data-sharing project:
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Data Storage
The Specific Data Sharing Consortium will upload, store, and retrieve the collective data on a dedicated server that is specially configured for this project. The server is located at the California Community College Chancellors Office in Sacramento. The server is maintained and operated by the technical staff of the project at no cost to the data-sharing consortium.
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Data Ownership
Each school, community college and university retains the right to its own data. The specific Data Sharing Consortium can claim no right to ownership of data produced for Consortium research. Moreover, institutional members of the Consortium are permitted access to data for uses previously approved by the Consortium.
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Data Uses
Information produced through this consortium is primarily for internal institutional use.
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Consortium Review for External Reporting
When deciding to release data that is not for internal purposes, every consortium member shall first review the data and determine what data will be released and in what form.
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Sensitivity to Consortium Members
Any reports utilizing consortium data shall not disadvantage any institution in the consortium.
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Confidentiality Safeguards
No individual person will be identified in any report. Each member of the consortium will maintain as confidential all data received from any other member. Each party will establish at least the safeguards set forth in this guiding principle to ensure the continued confidentiality and security of the student data and to preclude the personal identification of students or their parties by persons other than designated officials of the institution. All student records will be kept in secure facilities. Any information published in any form will not have the potential to identify individual students. Each institution will comply with all provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and applicable California law concerning the privacy of student records. The confidentiality requirements of this guiding principle shall survive termination or expiration of the data-sharing agreement/MOU. All student data transmitted to and retrieved from the consortium server shall be maintained (processed, stored, and transmitted in a secure manner) to further protect the confidential nature of the data.
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Server Access
All Consortium members will restrict access to authorized individuals at their respective campuses, and will take steps necessary to restrict data access to authorized individuals. The use of passwords will be required to access the data. Procedures will be put in place that require that passwords be changed on a frequent basis.
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Coding of Data
Each participating specific Data Sharing Consortium school, community college and university will be assigned a unique code and the codes will not be made public. All data sets will be identified only by the unique codes.
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Data Elements
Representatives will meet annually or as needed to agree upon the specific data elements to be shared among the institutions.
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Procedures for Changing the Principles
These guiding principles can be modified through unanimous agreement and the signature of the top administrator or a designate at each Consortium school district, community college district and university.