The U.S. Department of Education’s office of inspector general has released an audit sharply criticizing the Institute of Education Sciences’ security screenings for federal education contractors.
The research agency collects data on millions of students nationwide, and it is one of the primary agencies connecting researchers to student data. The audit suggests it needs to tighten its processes to ensure researchers know how to safeguard student privacy.
Auditors examined a sample of 95 employees assigned to IES’ five largest contractors. They found nearly half the 81 employees who needed a screening to work with student data had no evidence of receiving one.
