Student Unit Record Data Systems (SURDS) has been a controversial issue at the federal level over the last several years. NAICU led the opposition to imposing a national SURDS data base, arguing that privacy, data security, and liability concerns outweighed the potential, but unknown good in new policy implementation offered by SURDS supporters. Ultimately, Congress defeated a Bush Administration proposal for a national data system, but Congress simultaneously began to provide grants to states to create state SURDS as well as funds to link state data systems. The Obama Administration has encouraged this state support for data.

 

            Pennsylvania’s Department of Education (PDE) has created the Pennsylvania Information Management System (PIMS) for its student unit record data system. All public K-12 students and all students attending community colleges and state system universities are included in PIMS. A couple of private colleges have also voluntarily agreed to participate in the PIMS. On February 8, 2010 the Director of the PDE Bureau that oversees teacher preparation programs sent a memo to all college Education Deans and Chairs informing them that their institutions must begin to use the PIMS data system to submit required data for their teacher preparation students. This collection will occur in the winter-spring of 2011. 

 

            Last spring, AICUP staff communicated our concerns to PDE regarding this new PIMS requirement, noting the privacy, data security, cost, and liability issues. We noted that we had given them a list of concerns back in the fall of 2008 as well as specific changes to the Department’s draft data policy manual. One major concern is immunity from liability if the data is misused or lost. 

           

PDE officials already require institutions receiving Act 101 funds to submit PIMS data on the Act 101 students. By requiring PIMS data on teacher prep students, the Department is expanding its reach, arguing it has the authority to require this data collected in this way due to its oversight responsibilities for teacher preparation programs. PDE officials acknowledge that teacher preparation faculty are likely to be concerned about how PDE was going to use this data to measure program effectiveness, and they acknowledge that measuring effectiveness is a complicated task.

 

Introduced by Senate Education Committee Chairman Piccola (R-Dauphin), this bill prohibits PDE from collecting any identifying information on any postsecondary education students. Such information includes name, birthdate, social security number, driver’s license number, nongovernmental identification number, telephone number and other identifying information. This bill is scheduled for a hearing on October 12 before the Senate Education Committee. AICUP will prepare questions for the Committee staff and will testify regarding our concerns. We know that Penn State and Pitt share our concerns, but we expect the State System and Community Colleges to support the PIMS system at the hearing. Language included in HB 13521 ACT 24, 2011 – Omnibus Ed. Code.

 

Introduced by House Education Committee Chairman Roebuck (D- Philadelphia), this legislation provides immunity to independent institutions in Pennsylvania that provide student unit records to the Department of Education with individually-identifiable information. This bill was referred to the House Judiciary Committee. No date is set for review. Language included in HB 1352/Act 24 2011 – Omnibus Ed. Code.

 

 

Language limiting PDE’s collection of student unit data passed in HB 1352/ Act 24 2011 – Omnibus Ed. Code.

 

 

 

 

 

Student Unit Record Data Systems (SURDS) has been a controversial issue at the federal level over the last several years. NAICU led the opposition to imposing a national SURDS data base, arguing that privacy, data security, and liability concerns outweighed the potential, but unknown good in new policy implementation offered by SURDS supporters. Ultimately, Congress defeated a Bush Administration proposal for a national data system, but Congress simultaneously began to provide grants to states to create state SURDS as well as funds to link state data systems. The Obama Administration has encouraged this state support for data.

 

            Pennsylvania’s Department of Education (PDE) has created the Pennsylvania Information Management System (PIMS) for its student unit record data system. All public K-12 students and all students attending community colleges and state system universities are included in PIMS. A couple of private colleges have also voluntarily agreed to participate in the PIMS. On February 8, 2010 the Director of the PDE Bureau that oversees teacher preparation programs sent a memo to all college Education Deans and Chairs informing them that their institutions must begin to use the PIMS data system to submit required data for their teacher preparation students. This collection will occur in the winter-spring of 2011. 

 

            Last spring, AICUP staff communicated our concerns to PDE regarding this new PIMS requirement, noting the privacy, data security, cost, and liability issues. We noted that we had given them a list of concerns back in the fall of 2008 as well as specific changes to the Department’s draft data policy manual. One major concern is immunity from liability if the data is misused or lost. 

           

PDE officials already require institutions receiving Act 101 funds to submit PIMS data on the Act 101 students. By requiring PIMS data on teacher prep students, the Department is expanding its reach, arguing it has the authority to require this data collected in this way due to its oversight responsibilities for teacher preparation programs. PDE officials acknowledge that teacher preparation faculty are likely to be concerned about how PDE was going to use this data to measure program effectiveness, and they acknowledge that measuring effectiveness is a complicated task.

 

Introduced by Senate Education Committee Chairman Piccola (R-Dauphin), this bill prohibits PDE from collecting any identifying information on any postsecondary education students. Such information includes name, birthdate, social security number, driver’s license number, nongovernmental identification number, telephone number and other identifying information. This bill is scheduled for a hearing on October 12 before the Senate Education Committee. AICUP will prepare questions for the Committee staff and will testify regarding our concerns. We know that Penn State and Pitt share our concerns, but we expect the State System and Community Colleges to support the PIMS system at the hearing. Language included in HB 13521 ACT 24, 2011 – Omnibus Ed. Code.

 

Introduced by House Education Committee Chairman Roebuck (D- Philadelphia), this legislation provides immunity to independent institutions in Pennsylvania that provide student unit records to the Department of Education with individually-identifiable information. This bill was referred to the House Judiciary Committee. No date is set for review. Language included in HB 1352/Act 24 2011 – Omnibus Ed. Code.

 

 

Language limiting PDE’s collection of student unit data passed in HB 1352/ Act 24 2011 – Omnibus Ed. Code.