20 U.S.C. § 1015e: State higher education information system pilot program

improve the capacity of States and institutions of higher education to generate more comprehensive and comparable data, in order to develop better-informed educational policy at the State level and to evaluate the effectiveness of institutional performance while protecting the confidentiality of students’ personally identifiable information; and identify how to best minimize the data-reporting burden placed on institutions of higher education, particularly smaller institutions, and to maximize and improve the information institutions receive from the data systems, in order to assist institutions in improving educational practice and postsecondary outcomes. a State higher education system; or a consortium of State higher education systems, or a consortium of individual institutions of higher education, that is broadly representative of institutions in different sectors and geographic locations. design, test, and implement systems of postsecondary student data that provide the maximum benefits to States, institutions of higher education, and State policymakers; and examine the costs and burdens involved in implementing a State-level postsecondary student data system. A grant awarded under this section shall be for a period of not more than three years. how the eligible entity will ensure that student privacy is protected and that individually identifiable information about students, the students’ achievements, and the students’ families remains confidential in accordance with section 1232g of this title (commonly known as the “Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974”); and how the activities funded by the grant will be supported after the three-year grant period. design, develop, and implement the components of a comprehensive postsecondary student data system with the capacity to transmit student information within a State; improve the capacity of institutions of higher education to analyze and use student data; serve the needs of institutions of higher education for institutional research and improvement; provide students and the students’ families with useful information for decision-making about postsecondary education; and provide State policymakers with improved information to monitor and guide efforts to improve student outcomes and success in higher education; estimate costs and burdens at the institutional level for the reporting system for different types of institutions; and test the feasibility of protocols and standards for maintaining data privacy and data access. conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the pilot program authorized by this section; and report the Secretary’s findings, as well as recommendations regarding the implementation of State-level postsecondary student data systems, to the authorizing committees. There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2009 and each of the five succeeding fiscal years.