Data Requests
Please check the data available for download page for data needed before submitting a data request form. Many state-, district-, and school-level data sets are available for public use, however the department does not make student-level data available for public consumption. In reviewing requests for additional data, consideration is given to access permitted by statute and federal law, privacy concerns, security procedures, the availability of staff to monitor the data release and the perceived benefits. To request data, please complete this data request form.
Data Privacy & Security
The department is committed to protecting the confidentiality of the state’s students and teachers and complies with all applicable and federal and state laws. Additionally, the department believes that making effective education policy that leads students to higher levels of achievement is based on data and analysis.
Public Chapter 905 §5 (1), known as the Data Accessibility and Transparency Act, requires the state department of education to “create, publish, and make publicly available a data inventory and dictionary or index of data elements with definitions of individual student data fields currently in the student data system along with the purpose or reason for inclusion in the data system.”
Public Chapter 905 §6 requires the state department of education to outline "criteria for the approval of research and data requests from state and local agencies, the general assembly, and the public." The document linked below describes the department's current processes for handling confidential data requests and the protective measures required on any data that we provide for research purposes.
Research Partners
In order to evaluate the state’s education reforms, the department partners with outside research organizations and universities. In accordance with Public Chapter 905 Section 5 (A)(v), the department must provide public notice of all parties conducting research on behalf of the department. These requests approved in compliance with FERPA and other relevant state and federal privacy laws and policies.
| Researchers & Institution | Project | Data | Date of Termination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Correnti (University of Pittsburgh) | Study compares information provided by new TN constructed-response assessments with information from TCAP state assessments | Student testing and demographic data from TCAP, CRA, and Writing Assessments | September 30, 2014 |
| Educational Testing Service | Program evaluation of SITES-M Race to the Top program | Student enrollment and testing data for SITES-M locations | Following final submission of 2014 report |
| Walton Foundation | School-level value-added estimates and comparisons | Student demographic and testing data for Memphis students only | December 31, 2015 |
| Tennessee Consortium for Research, Evaluation, and Development (TNCRED) | Series of studies evaluating Tennessee Race to the Top initiatives | Student assessment, course-taking, demographics and staff data | June 30, 2015 |
| Jessica Rosner (Harvard University) | Quantitative study investigating impact of different levels of TVAAS and evaluation scores on novice and veteran teacher mobility and retention | De-identified teacher evaluation data and de-identified teacher retention data from 2011-12 and 2012-13 | July 30, 2015 |
| Strategic Data Project (Harvard University) | Study evaluates the landscape of the high school to college pipeline in TN | Masked student-level demographic, testing, and college-going data from 2008-2013 provided by MeasureTN | Discussing possible extension |
| Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) (Stanford University) | CREDO study compares outcomes for students in charter and non-charter schools | Student enrollment, demographics, and testing info | December 31, 2016 |
| CNA | Study looks at the impact of the Northeast Tennessee College and Career Ready Consortium on college readiness, AP participation and performance, and college enrollment and persistence. | Student enrollment, demographic, course-taking, ACT score, AP exam score data for students statewide. | September 30, 2016 |
| Matthew Ronfeldt (University of Michigan) | Study uses teacher observation data to understand link between teacher prep and teacher outcomes | De-identified teacher evaluation data | October 1, 2017 |
| John Papay and John Tyler (Brown University) Eric Taylor (Stanford University) | Study considers the effect of a teacher partnership intervention on various teacher and student outcomes | De-identified teacher evaluation data for active program years | December 31, 2017 |
| NAEP Governing Board | Study looks at the alignment between NAEP, other state assessments, and college outcomes | Student enrollment, demographics, and testing data for NAEP-tested students | May 14, 2018 |
| Steven Hemelt (University of North Carolina) and Susan Dynarski (University of Michigan) | Study looks at the effect of new TN dual credit courses on student outcomes | High school testing, enrollment, and demographic data and college enrollment and remediation for students in treatment and control schools | December 31, 2019 |
| Dale Farran, Mark Lipsey, and Kerry Hofer (Vanderbilt University) | Study considers the effects of Tennessee’s Voluntary Pre-K Program on short and long-term student outcomes | Student demographics, enrollment, and testing data tracking relevant pre-K applicants as they progress through elementary and junior high | June, 2020 |
| RTI International | TDOE has partnered in the construction of an “evaluation engine” site that will allow state-approved users to quickly evaluate the effects of state and district programs on student outcomes. Note: users will have no access to anything other than aggregate data. | Student demographics, testing data, and graduation/withdrawal status | Upon state withdrawal from project |
Compliance with Privacy and Security Laws
In accordance with Public Chapter 905, the department must “develop, publish, and make publicly available policies and procedures to comply with FERPA, T.C.A. §10-7-504, and other relevant privacy laws and policies.”