Utah Code § 53E-3-526 — Utah Code / Title 53E / Chapter 53E-3 / § 53E-3-526
§ 53E-3-526. Student data systems and reporting study.
Status: in_force

(1) As used in this section: (a) "Advisory committee" means the Data Systems and Reporting Advisory Committee created in Subsection (3). (b) "Data retention schedule" means a schedule for maintaining and disposing of student data in accordance with Section 63G-2-604. (c) "Legacy system" means a student information system that: (i) was implemented before May 1, 2025; and (ii) may require manual data transmission to the state board in varying formats. (d) "Manual data transmission" means a process that requires LEA staff to: (i) extract data from a student information system; (ii) modify the data format; or (iii) manually enter data into a separate system. (e) "Reporting requirement" means any obligation that requires an LEA to submit data or information to the state board or another governmental entity established in: (i) statute; (ii) state board rule; or (iii) state board policy. (f) "Student information system" means a computer database that: (i) provides the functions described in Section 53E-3-518; and (ii) maintains student records and data over time. (g) "Student personally identifiable information" means student data that: (i) identifies a student; or (ii) is used by the holder to identify a student as defined in Section 53E-9-301. (h) "System modification" means a change to a student information system required or caused by: (i) statutory amendments; (ii) administrative rule changes; or (iii) state board policy updates. (2) The state board shall: (a) conduct a comprehensive study of LEA data practices, systems, and reporting; (b) coordinate with the advisory committee throughout the study process; (c) seek input from relevant stakeholders, including: (i) school district superintendents; (ii) charter school administrators; (iii) LEA technology directors; (iv) LEA student data managers; (v) the Utah School Boards Association; (vi) the Utah Association of Public Charter Schools; (vii) student information system vendors; and (viii) other parties the state board determines necessary; and (d) establish working groups as needed to examine specific study components. (3) The state board shall create a Data Systems and Reporting Advisory Committee that: (a) includes representatives from: (i) urban school districts; (ii) rural school districts; (iii) charter schools; (iv) the state board; (v) the Department of Administrative Services with expertise in regulations related to government records; and (vi) other stakeholders as determined by the state board; (b) provides guidance on study scope and methodology; (c) reviews preliminary findings and recommendations; (d) meets at least quarterly during the study period; and (e) assists in preparing the final report. (4) The advisory committee shall ensure the study of student data retention examines: (a) types of student personally identifiable information collected by LEAs, including: (i) information required by federal law; (ii) information required by state law; (iii) information required by administrative rule; (iv) optional information collected by an LEA; and (v) retention requirements for each type; (b) methods used by LEAs to: (i) store student personally identifiable information; (ii) secure stored data; (iii) control access to data; (iv) maintain data quality; (v) track data retention schedules; and (vi) dispose of outdated data; (c) compliance with: (i) retention schedules under Section 63G-2-604; (ii) privacy requirements under Chapter 9, Student Privacy and Data Protection; (iii) security standards established by the state board; and (iv) federal privacy laws; (d) potential requirements for: (i) annual data audits; (ii) regular purging of non-essential data; (iii) standardized retention schedules; and (iv) data disposal verification; and (e) fiscal and operational impacts of recommended changes. (5) The advisory committee shall ensure the study of student information systems examines: (a) current LEA expenditures for: (i) system licensing; (ii) hosting services; (iii) technical support; (iv) staff training; (v) data extraction; (vi) custom programming; and (vii) system modifications; (b) staff time required for: (i) manual data transmission; (ii) data validation; (iii) error correction; (iv) report generation; and (v) system maintenance; (c) frequency and cost of system modifications required by: (i) legislative changes; (ii) rule updates; and (iii) new data requests; (d) capabilities and limitations of: (i) current LEA systems; (ii) the state board system under Section 53E-3-518; and (iii) potential alternative solutions; (e) examples of statewide student information systems in other states; (f) analysis of: (i) total statewide spending on individual LEA systems; (ii) projected costs of a single statewide system; (iii) potential savings from consolidation; (iv) implementation challenges; and (v) transition requirements; and (g) recommendations for improving system efficiency and cost-effectiveness. (6) The advisory committee shall ensure the study of reporting requirements examines: (a) existing reporting obligations, including: (i) statutory reports; (ii) administrative rule reports; (iii) grant-required reports; (iv) federal reports; and (v) other regular data submissions; (b) for each identified requirement: (i) legal basis; (ii) intended purpose; (iii) current uses; (iv) submission frequency; (v) required data elements; (vi) collection burden; and (vii) continued relevance; (c) potential criteria for: (i) evaluating reporting necessity; (ii) consolidating similar reports; (iii) eliminating obsolete requirements; and (iv) sunsetting provisions; (d) methods to: (i) track reporting obligations; (ii) evaluate requirement impacts; (iii) coordinate review processes; and (iv) implement sunset procedures; (e) processes for: (i) annual reporting review; (ii) sunset recommendations; (iii) requirement reauthorization; and (iv) stakeholder input; and (f) proposed structures for: (i) managing reporting requirements; (ii) implementing sunset provisions; and (iii) maintaining transparency. (7) On or before September 15, 2025, the state board shall: (a) prepare a report that includes: (i) study findings related to student information systems as described in Subsection (5); (ii) stakeholder input related to student information systems; (iii) fiscal impacts; (iv) implementation considerations; and (v) specific recommendations for: (A) student information system improvements; (B) statutory changes related to student information systems; (C) rule modifications related to student information systems; and (D) implementation timelines; and (b) present the report to the Education Interim Committee. (8) On or before September 15, 2026, the state board shall: (a) prepare a report that includes: (i) study findings related to: (A) student data retention as described in Subsection (4); and (B) reporting requirements as described in Subsection (6); (ii) stakeholder input related to these components; (iii) fiscal impacts; (iv) implementation considerations; and (v) specific recommendations for: (A) data retention policies; (B) reporting requirement management; (C) statutory changes related to these components; (D) rule modifications related to these components; and (E) implementation timelines; and (b) present the report to the Education Interim Committee. (9) The Education Interim Committee shall: (a) review the state board reports described in Subsections (7) and (8); (b) accept public testimony on the recommendations; (c) evaluate implementation requirements; and (d) consider whether to recommend legislation for: (i) the 2026 General Session based on the report described in Subsection (7); and (ii) the 2027 General Session based on the report described in Subsection (8).