Privacy Enhancing Technologies for EdTech Service Providers

Educational research answers questions about program effectiveness, equity, access, and long‑term outcomes. EdTech vendors typically need student-level data and enough context to ensure their research is effective and accomplishes their goal. At the same time, disclosing student data to EdTech vendors may increase the risk of reidentification. The risk is not limited to direct identifiers such as names or student IDs; uncommon or rare characteristics and small groups can also reveal too much.

Some analyses—particularly those that rely on predefined queries or aggregate statistics—can be completed without direct access to student-level data. Agencies can enable analysis through protected environments or Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs). PETs are methods that help reduce the risks of sharing student data while also preserving its value. While not every use of student data may require the use of PETs, they can be useful for lowering the amount of sensitive data shared, supporting safer publication of results, and protecting small groups. PETs can also support and complement good governance goals such as data minimization, role-based access controls, auditability, and enforceable agreements.