State Rep Thiesfeldt On Protecting Student Data

State Representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt says a Legislative Council Study Committee on Student Data has developed ideas for strengthening its protection. The state lawmaker from Fond du Lac chairs the commitee, which recently held its second meeting. He says student data is gathered by the Department of Public Instruction which can maintain it indefinitely. He says if the DPI is maintaining all that data they want to make sure outside entities are not getting access to it. He says there are plenty of people who would want that data to build profiles of those students. He says an expert told the Council that an average student profile is worth about $175 to some one who knows how to make use of it. Thiesfeldt says they haven’t found anything indicating improper use of the student data, but have learned of many enhancements that could be undertaken.