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Board committee presses staff, legal review of proposed data-sharing MOUs with vendors
Summary
Committee members flagged privacy and de-identification concerns in three proposed MOUs with instructional vendors (i-Ready, Scholastic/Achieve 3000, McGraw). Members asked staff to get legal sign-off, require de‑identified data where possible and provide sample end reports before the full board considers the items.
The New Haven School District operations committee on Tuesday debated three proposed memoranda of understanding that would let vendors access student and teacher data to evaluate the effectiveness of instructional programs.
Committee members said the agreements — with i-Ready, Scholastic/Achieve3000 and McGraw — raise privacy questions and should be reviewed by district counsel before the items advance to the full board. Board President Dr. Yarbrough said he was “generally speaking, not a big fan about sharing our data, especially data that are identifiable,” and asked whether the district could require de‑identification before any information leaves district control.
District staff described the MOUs as vendor‑initiated research requests meant to measure program impact. “These next three are pretty similar in many regards,” said the staff presenter, noting the studies would use program usage and outcome data and that parents and teachers would be able to opt in. Staff said two of the studies are time‑sensitive because the literacy programs are scheduled for implementation in specific buildings this month and next month.
Several board members asked for examples of the vendors’ end reports and pressed staff to limit the demographic fields the district would share. “If we want to de‑identify it on our end, then I think we should be able to do that,” said one committee member. Another asked that legal counsel confirm whether proposed changes that vendors have made to the district’s standard data‑sharing terms are acceptable, including requests that would lengthen the period for deletion after a request from two days to 28 days.
Staff proposed two options: (1) hold the three MOUs and bring them back after legal review and any requested edits, or (2) move them to the full board with a requirement that staff provide legal review and responses before the board packet posts. Committee members agreed to advance the items to the full board while requiring staff to return with legal feedback and any requested clarifications before Friday’s posting.
Committee members also asked for a separate discussion item at a future meeting to review the district’s standard data‑sharing template and the process by which vendors request changes. The committee requested that staff provide sample vendor reports and a clearly labeled exhibit showing the specific fields proposed for sharing.
Why it matters: School vendors commonly request student‑level data for program validation. Committee members said they want stronger assurances of de‑identification, tighter limits on fields shared, and explicit legal review before authorizing any data transfer.
