Student Privacy & K-12 Data Governance

OPI Data Governance Committee - The OPI Data Governance Committee establishes and enforces policies related to the collection, access, use and dissemination of all information and data at the OPI, including student information.

OPI Student Records Confidentiality Policy - All student information and data published by the OPI follows the OPI’s Student Records Confidentiality Policy, which prohibits the OPI from disclosing data from student groups that are 5 or fewer in number or would otherwise reveal the identity of an individual student. Montana has many small schools and small sub-group populations where an individual student’s identity could be revealed without this safeguard. In places where data has been suppressed to protect student privacy, you will see an asterisk ( * ) instead.
- OPI Student Records Confidentiality Training

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) - Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.
- Parent's Guide to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act: Rights Regarding Children’s Education Records
- Parent's Guide for Understanding K-12 School Data Breaches

Transparency And Public Availability Of Public School Performance Data -- Reporting -- Availability For Timely Use To Improve Instruction (20-7-104, MCA) - The State of Montana law specifying what student data may be collected and how it can be shared and disseminated.
- K-12 Data Task Force - The K-12 Data Task Force advises the OPI on the data collection policies, practices and the use of data in schools.