Roles and Responsibilities:
1. The School Board in cooperation with the superintendent and board attorney is responsible for setting a policy that governs the collection, manipulation, and disbursement of data related to the school system.
2. All administrators, faculty, and support staff will be required to safeguard all reported data (paper copy or online) under their domain. This would include student data (including discipline, attendance, and personal data) and personnel data that may be transferred to or through their department.
Data Collection and Reporting Requirements:
1. The Ocean Springs School District will collect, update, and maintain all accountable data in a secure environment ensuring the privacy of the data at all times. The data will be compiled consistently throughout the district, checked for validity, and safeguarded with a backup plan.
2. Forms will be standardized throughout the district to ensure data integrity from year to year as data is “rolled up” from school to school. Adjustments will be reflected with respect to varying needs of elementary versus secondary level.
3. Reports will be designed that allow the student data specialist (SDS) to validate the thoroughness and correctness of the data. Procedures will be set forth to ensure that accurate and meaningful reports are standardized and available when requested.
4. A “data relevant” timeline calendar will be produced for each school year and will be retained by each student data specialist (SDS), principal, and any or all district administrators with data requirements. This calendar will include dates pertinent to school starting and ending, holidays, deadlines for reporting data to MSIS, time schedules for grading, transportation data timelines, and other significant dates that affect data moving throughout the district.
5. Critical data elements include any and all data deemed pertinent to the operation of the school system. All data will be maintained with the same integrity that is required for specified data fields that are required by MSIS. The Ocean Springs School District requires that all data significant to the district be validated and safeguarded by everyone that comes in contact with that data.
Common Collection Methods:
1. Elementary level data collection is performed by the student data specialist (SDS) at each school with assistance when needed by the guidance counselor and/or school secretary. Secondary level data collection is performed in the guidance office as a joint effort between the guidance secretary and/or clerk and the guidance counselors. Upon completion of documentation, the registration packet is then sent to the SDS so that the data can be verified and entered into Sasi.
2. Several forms (ie: registration form, transportation form) are required to be filled out and submitted by parents along with supporting documentation (ie: birth certificate, proof of residence, immunization compliance form, etc).
3. Forms will be checked for completeness and supporting documentation will be duplicated for storage in student’s permanent file.
Data Protection and System Security:
1. Network servers will be stored in a secure environment. Elementary level servers can be stored in a monitored area that can be secured when school is not in progress. Secondary level servers will be stored in secured room/closet and not accessible without a key.
2. Facility and equipment security will be maintained in administrative offices (district and school level) and support staff environments (district and school level) to protect data from unauthorized access. When necessary, specific offices may require re-keying locks for limited access to those areas. Special tasks computer systems may have added access security (ie: cmos level passwords, network lockout passwords).
3. Users at all levels will be held accountable for protecting their login information (user name and passwords) for all software access (Sasi and MSIS). When personnel leave the district, those user names and passwords will be disabled in a timely manner. Users will be warned against sharing their logon information and will face reprimand if violations are found.
a. Sasi users at all levels will have logon accounts with secure passwords and inactivity timeout passwords.
b. All MSIS users will have a state assigned username and will be required to select a password upon initial logon to the MSIS system. This password will remain until the account is deleted or the password is changed by the user or over-written by the state MIS department.
c. All MSIS users will sign an “Oath of Confidentiality” which is kept on file by the Primary MSIS Contact person and by the state MIS department.
d. High security users (SDS, Child Nutrition, personnel administrator, etc) will also have cmos passwords and possibly network lockout passwords if deemed necessary by the district technology department.
4. Students will not be allowed to use faculty or administrative computer systems. Exceptions may be allowed on the K-4 grade level, if supervised at all times, due to limited number of computers available for student use.
5. Backups will be maintained at various levels on both fixed and removable media. School level SDS will perform backups on a scheduled basis either to zip, cd, or hard drive media. District level technology department will perform and archive backups to be stored for data recovery and disaster preparedness purposes.
Resource Commitment:
The Ocean Springs School District is committed to providing the most efficient means of data collection and storage available within its financial means. Servers will be upgraded or replaced on a two or three year rotating basis. High-end user equipment will be upgraded or replaced on a three or four year rotation. Network operating system software will be serviced, with upgrades and patches maintained. Workstation operating software will be maintained to allow peak operation of the equipment and to safeguard against security flaws and hacking. Anti-virus and anti-spyware software will be installed on all applicable equipment and will be continuously updated to provide current real-time protection to data and systems used to manipulate that data.
A full-time data position will be funded by the district at the district level and one each at the school level. This positions main purpose will be to enter, validate, maintain and report the data pertinent to the school system.
Procedures Related to Data Collection
Student Entry:
1. Student is enrolled in SASI using the appropriate entry date and entry code. If the student is enrolling from another Mississippi school, a request is made for the student’s release in MSIS. Release requests are made by sending a fax or an email to the school that has current ownership of the student. Once the release is completed, the student is transferred into the receiving school. If a student is transferring from an out of state school or a private school, an MSIS number is requested and entered in SASI.
2. The guidance office and/or student data specialist (SDS) enters all student data (demographic, emergency, historical, vocational, etc.) into SASI using the registration data furnished.
3. The SDS will make updates to student data when documented changes are received from parents, teachers, guidance staff or administrators.
Student Withdrawal
Upon receipt of a completed withdrawal form from the guidance office and/or administrator, the SDS will inactivate the student in SASI using the correct withdrawal code and date. If the student is transferring to another Mississippi public school, the student will be released to the new school upon request. Documentation of all MSIS releases and requests for release will be kept.
Daily/Monthly MSIS Data Checklist
Prior to submitting data to MSIS on a daily or monthly basis, the items on the following checklist are reviewed and verified:
1. All new students from Mississippi schools have been released and transferred
(Verify by printing MSIS Student Roster – Ownership Report)
2. Obtain MSIS numbers for all new out-of-state students
3. Enter MSIS number in SASI for all new students – ensure number matches in SASI and MSIS
4. Enter all data for new students (demographic, emergency, historical, vocational,)
5. Verify social security number is correct and matches in SASI and MSIS
6. Verify date of birth is correct and matches in SASI and MSIS
7. Verify race is correct and matches in SASI and MSIS
8. Gender is correct and matches in SASI and MSIS
9. Ensure all new students have schedules
10. Verify that any new SPED student is marked SPED “Y” and IEP “Y”
11. Check any student who has Gifted added or removed – Gifted Tag Changed
12. Verify vocational data completed if student is enrolled in vocational course (secondary only)
13. Verify vocational tags are correct on students going to and from Alternative Education
Center (secondary only)
14. Check enrollment/withdrawal codes of new/withdrawn students for accuracy
15. Check enrollment and withdrawal dates
16. Send any changes made to Master Schedule to District MSIS Personnel Office
17. Correct any errors that appeared on SASI edit when attempting to build MSD file
Attendance Data Entry
Daily attendance is entered by classroom teachers using ClassXP, the classroom component of SASI. Data is monitored by the school attendance director and/or student data specialist (SDS), who also enters the correct absence code for each student absence (excused, unexcused, etc.).
The attendance director and/or student data specialist will update attendance throughout the day on those students who arrive late or checkout. At regular intervals throughout the school year, the student data specialist (SDS) will generate reports to determine students who have excessive absences.
Student Schedule Data Entry
School guidance counselors and/or student data specialist enter course selections into SASI to create class schedules for new students.
Student Discipline Data Entry
Administrators at each school enter student discipline data. On the secondary level, discipline can also be entered directly from the Alternative Education Center. The SDS will correct any errors in discipline data entry that are detected during the monthly edit process before files are transmitted to MSIS.
Data Backup and Storage
Data will be backed up daily to zip disk and stored in a fire proof vault. Data is backed up twice weekly at the district technology office.
OATH OF CONFIDENTIALITY AND
NON-DISCLOSURE OF RELEASED INFORMATION
(MUST be completed by ALL MSIS Users)
I understand that the data maintained by the Mississippi Student Information System (MSIS) is sensitive and confidential. I acknowledge the access to and release of MSIS information is governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and Section 37-15-1, et seq. of the Mississippi Code of 1972, Annotated, as amended. I further acknowledge that this data may only be accessed and used for legitimate educational interests and is sensitive, confidential, and not subject to disclosure.
I agree that I shall not release MSIS data unless authorized to do so according to applicable laws, rules and regulations, neither shall I access and use the information contained therein except for legitimate educational interests.
I acknowledge that I fully understand that the release by me of this information to any unauthorized person could subject me to disciplinary action including termination and/or criminal and civil penalties imposed by law.
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ADOPTED: 10/17/2006