Student Data Tracking is Old News

"This will go down on your permanent record!"

Ever recall a teacher or administrator threatening you with this statement in school? And yet little to nothing happened... until now.

With CCSS (Common Core State Standards) as part of RTTT (Race To The Top) and, well, as part of a plethora of other acronyms for that matter, your child's "permanent record" will he basically just that. Anything can be inputted, even without parental consent as per the tweaking of FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) passed on a December 2011 day- probably when lawmakers were already on holiday or who were more concerned with vacation than some FERPA change. So now schools can, without restrictions, work on collecting data about your children such as; dwelling ownership, hair color, health condition at birth, or religious affiliation, to name a few. This "data dream list" is legit and can be found in one of my past blog posts at http://3rseduc.blogspot.com/2011/10/big-bro-knows-everything-thank-you.html or the original source, http://nces.sifinfo.org/datamodel/eiebrowser/techview.aspx?instance=learner  I do not know the original date of the "dream list", but my original post was from October 2011. Therefore, the idea of changing FERPA and implementing a Big Brother data tracking system of children began in 2011 if not before.

Actually, it was in the works before 2011 in Florida. Data from as early as 1995. From http://edwapp.doe.state.fl.us/EDW_Facts.htm one can find;

"EDW Characteristics

• K-20 public education data integration

• Allows longitudinal analyses

• Student centric

• Historical (1995 forward, when available) and current data

• Confidentiality ensured (personally identifiable information removed)

• State-of-the-art analytical capabilities"

the readable version can be found at
http://www.workingpoorfamilies.org/pdfs/WPFPpolicybrief-fall09.pdf

 

 

Yes, data from as far back as 1995, although what type of data and how it was used is not specific. Note that the most current information states personally identifiable information shall be removed; however, it is only a matter of time before the information is no longer so discreet; as when it is entered by the public K-12 school, it is very personal. What if the information is hacked? 

 

To embellish on the graphics shown,  the EDW (Education Data Warehouse)  is, and I quote from http://edwapp.doe.state.fl.us/,

 

"The mission of the Florida K-20 Education Data Warehouse (EDW) is to provide stakeholders in public education-including, but not limited to, administrators, educators, parents, students, state leadership, and professional organizations-with the capability of receiving timely, efficient, consistent responses to inquiries into Florida's Kindergarten through University education"

 



from http://edwapp.doe.state.fl.us/edw.htm#



The EDW blueprint at http://edwapp.doe.state.fl.us/edw.htm# is worth a gander; as you see; the P20 (tracking students from preschool through college/post college) is part of EDW; a current or former student's employment (for five years following the student's last enrollment) and military status is warehoused. This information is obtained from employers and the government and provided to the Florida EDW. So the notion of CCSS data following a student through life, their permanent record being provided to, say, an employer, is true as is the reverse situation. Employers now report back to the school on their former and current students' employment data.

 

To zoom in and focus on FETPIP, a larger graphic to refer to.

The FETPIP website (http://www.fldoe.org/fetpip/) states,

 

 

                          Florida has been ahead of the game.

From http://www.workingpoorfamilies.org/pdfs/WPFPpolicybrief-fall09.pdf 

comes an image regarding Florida's data tracking of students.

"The Florida Education and Training Placement Information Program (FETPIP) is a data collection and consumer reporting system established by Florida Statutes Section 1008.39 to provide follow-up data on former students and program participants who have graduated, exited or completed a public education or training program within the State of Florida. The statute requires all elements of Florida's workforce development system to use information provided through FETPIP, for any project they may conduct requiring automated matching of administrative records for follow-up purposes. "

 

When one unites Florida's data tracking via FETPIP and EDW with CCSS and the data "wish list", and adds in that FERPA has removed parental permission (and there is no "opt out" of CCSS data tracking thus far), it gets a little too real. That's because it is real, folks. And it is nothing new.