Kansas education officials describe what student data the agency collects and how KSD will secure it as KEDS replaces KIDS

At the Kansas State Board of Education meeting on May 14, Kansas State Department of Education staff outlined what student and educator data the agency collects, why the data are collected, how districts supply it, and the security and privacy controls KSDE applies — including plans to replace the legacy KIDS system with a new KEDS statewide submission platform.

"We collect the data we have to do the things we're required to do," said Dr. Harwood, opening KSDE's presentation and summarizing the agency's view that most collections exist to meet federal and state reporting and school-finance requirements. Kyle Lord, an assistant director in IT, told the board the department’s collections include demographic and identity fields, attendance and membership, program participation and outcomes (including career and technical education), assessment rosters and results, special‑education and graduation reporting, and district and building inventories.

Why it matters

KSDE officials said aggregated and longitudinal student records underpin funding formulas, federal and state accountability reporting, accreditation and audits. Board members raised questions about what the state collects versus what local districts retain, how chronically absent students are counted for federal reporting, and how KSDE shares limited student-level files with outside vendors that administer assessments or return postsecondary matches.

How districts submit data and what will change with KEDS

Lord and other staff described the current work flow: districts export files from local student information systems and upload them to KIDS, KSDE’s long‑standing longitudinal system. That process produces errors and duplicate records because districts often correct uploads in a separate file rather than correcting the district system itself. "This is not a great process," Lord said.

KSDE is moving to KEDS, a modernized ingestion and storage system that will directly accept standardized submissions from district student information systems. Lord said KEDS "directly replace[s] KIDS" and does not change what data elements KSDE collects — it changes only how KSDE receives and stores them. The department has piloted KEDS: about one‑third of districts are connected, and KSDE will run both systems next year while KEDS becomes the official source. Lord said KEDS will reduce manual steps, push error checking earlier into district workflows, and make federal reporting easier by using common educational data standards (CEDS).

Unique identifiers, Social Security numbers and student level access

KSDE staff described the department's unique student identifier system. "When a child or a student enters into a program ... we issue a new 10‑digit unique identifier," Lord said. That identifier — not names — is used to join records across datasets. Lord emphasized KSDE does not collect student Social Security numbers: "We do not collect Social Security numbers on students. That is something that we don't have. That is something that we actively do not want to have."

Use of disaggregated (student‑level) data

Lord told the board that districts transmit student‑level data and KSDE uses those data to compute aggregates for finance, accountability and auditing. "Publicly, you will never see that student level data," he said, citing the Kansas Student Data Privacy Act and KSDE safeguards. KSDE provides disaggregated files back to districts through authenticated, permissioned portals so teachers and administrators can view class‑ or student‑level reports; extracts that leave KSDE for other organizations are restricted and governed by data‑sharing agreements.

Chronic absenteeism, opt‑outs and what the state actually reports

Multiple board members asked about chronic absenteeism. Lord explained KSDE's available EOIA end‑of‑year accountability submission includes only two data points for each student: days in membership at a district and days attended. "For data purposes, we make no value judgment whatsoever," Lord said. The recorded percentage of days attended is what KSDE reports for accountability. Whether an absence is recorded as excused or unexcused, and what local policy remedies are used (for example, Saturday school), are district policy decisions.

Who receives student data and what protections are required

KSDE staff listed common third‑party recipients of student‑level records where operationally necessary: the University of Kansas (assessment administration and scoring), ACT (state‑funded ACT administration) and the National Student Clearinghouse (postsecondary matchbacks). Lord said data are shared only when required and under written data‑sharing agreements that specify allowed uses, retention, destruction and reporting obligations. "There has to be some version of trust," he said. Staff said KSDE reviews those recipients’ security practices and includes contractual security obligations.

Cybersecurity and privacy controls

Ryan Kerman, KSDE IT director, briefed the board on the department's security posture. Kerman said KSDE has adopted the NIST cybersecurity framework and operates to a NIST 800‑53 rev.5 moderate baseline, and that the department uses a "defense‑in‑depth" architecture, role‑based access controls, multifactor authentication, continuous monitoring, aggregated logging and a documented incident‑response program. "We participate with the LPA audits. We also do internal self assessments," he said. KSDE also requires vendor security assessments and contractual security commitments.

Artificial intelligence, training and guidance

Kerman and other staff told the board KSDE is preparing AI policies to separate public chat‑style tools from purpose‑built educational AI, and is advising districts to avoid putting personally identifiable information into public AI tools. "Write your policy. Do not put any personal information out," he said. KSDE provides district cybersecurity and data‑quality training and certifies district staff who have access to student data. Kerman said the department will recommend approved AI uses and evaluate vendor back ends before districts adopt AI products.

Questions and next steps

Board members asked staff to publish the statutes and federal requirements that drive KSDE collections; Dr. Harwood said KSDE would provide those references in a Friday note. Lord said the department will continue to provide KEDS rollout updates and guidance on what districts should expect during the transition; KEDS will be the official KSDE data source next year after a parallel‑run period.

What KSDE would not do

KSDE officials repeatedly emphasized limits: public aggregate reporting does not reveal individual student identities; KSDE does not permit unrestricted federal or vendor access to student records; the department purposely avoids storing Social Security numbers; and policy responses such as how to handle chronic absenteeism or discipline are local decisions.

Ending

KSDE staff told the board the department sees the move to KEDS as a technical and process improvement — not a change in what is collected — and that the department will continue to refine privacy, security and governance procedures while assisting districts in the transition.

(Reporting in this article is drawn from KSDE presentations and Q&A at the State Board meeting on May 14, 2025.)