Types of Data to Share

Cheung, Clements, and Pechman (1997) assert that the first step in interagency collaboration and policy analysis is the establishment of procedures that maintain distinctions between different types of data. They also note that education agency managers and staff who work with student records must understand and adhere to confidentiality restrictions and procedures. They describe two categories of information that staff may be asked to share:

• Nonpersonally identifiable information. "Nonpersonally identifiable data do not reveal specific information about a particular individual. They usually describe a group of persons (e.g., the aggregate number of students participating in extracurricular activities) without identifying any one student. Or, they consist of individual records stripped of any information that would make it possible to identify the person described. Release of nonpersonally identifiable data is generally allowed. A district or school may determine how this type of information is released. However, it is advisable to designate appropriate officials within the agency to review the compiled data, making sure that no single individual can be identified by a combination of several pieces of nonpersonally identifiable information." (Cheung, Clements, & Pechman, 1997, p. 79)

• Personally identifiable information. "Personally identifiable data are those that contain information that would make the student's identity and any related information about him or her easily recognized. Release of this type of data is subject to established policy in the school district, as well as state and federal laws." (Cheung, Clements, & Pechman 1997, p. 79)