In the 1997 pilot project, Grossmont-Cuyamaca district and SDSU worked together to establish a process for sharing student information. A framework was developed to exchange data between different computer systems and to work with different sets of data. Developing safeguards to protect students' privacy was crucial. Individual Social Security numbers are encrypted to maintain confidentiality and no information can be traced back to individual students. The success of the pilot project led to exploration of an agreement with Grossmont Union High School District.
Further expansion is planned to include other universities and all regional high school districts.
The project is expected to become a model for other districts around the state. Our partnership with other districts is a giant step toward better communication between educational systems. We have a process for high school and college faculties to exchange ideas. We're developing faculty councils in math, English and sciences. Our bottom line is that students are prepared to succeed as they move to and from each education level.