[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-586444-105":59,"doc-detail-586444-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","best-practices-for-data-destruction","Best Practices for Data Destruction","","Best Practices for Data Destruction outlines how education stakeholders should handle student-level longitudinal data after it is no longer needed or required for retention. It explains that simple deletion is often insufficient because underlying digital data can be preserved and “undeleted,” so technical disposal methods affect recovery risk. The document provides an overview of electronic data disposal methods and connects those methods to legal obligations, especially FERPA requirements for safeguarding personally identifiable information and managing destruction through applicable exceptions.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/best-practices-for-data-destruction/586444/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/best-practices-for-data-destruction/586444.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Quinn Holloway","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-18","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":14},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"Why is deleting a digital file often not enough to destroy student data?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"Because underlying digital data may remain preserved in systems and can often be “undeleted.” Disposal methods therefore strongly influence the likelihood that information can be recovered.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What does FERPA generally protect regarding student information?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"FERPA protects the confidentiality of student information and safeguards personally identifiable information from disclosure from education records without required consent, unless a specific exception applies.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"Under FERPA, what additional destruction-related requirements can apply when student data are shared?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"When PII is shared under applicable FERPA exceptions, additional legal requirements regarding destruction may apply, including written agreement terms that require destruction when no longer needed and a specified destruction time period.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},586444,1792352770,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":14,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":52,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144},2336474466712,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_a8503ba1806abce46bf441b54a3ca4cd","| \u003Cbr>For more information, please visit the Privacy Technical Assistance Center: [http://ptac.ed.gov](http://ptac.ed.gov) |\n| --- |\n| Best Practices for Data Destruction |\n| About PTAC |\n| The U.S. Department of Education established the Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) as a“one-stop” resource for education stakeholders to learn about data privacy, confidentiality, and security practices related to student-level longitudinal data systems and other uses of student data. PTAC provides timely information and updated guidance on privacy, confidentiality, and security practices through a variety of resources, including training materials and opportunities to receive direct assistance with privacy, security, and confidentiality of student data systems. More PTAC information is available on [http://ptac.ed.gov](http://ptac.ed.gov).\u003Cbr>PTAC welcomes input on this document and suggestions for future technical assistance resources relating to student privacy. Comments and suggestions can be sent to [PrivacyTA@ed.gov](PrivacyTA@ed.gov). |\n| Purpose |\n| Educational agencies and institutions increasingly collect and maintain large amounts of data about students in order to provide educational services. Some data, like students’ transcript information, may need to be preserved indefinitely. Other student information will need to be preserved for a prescribed period of time to comply with legal or policy requirements governing record retention, then will need to be destroyed once those time periods have elapsed. But a large amount of student information – some of which may still be highly sensitive – may become unnecessary or irrelevant the moment a student graduates or otherwise leaves the school, and can be destroyed immediately. Similarly, third parties providing services to a school or district, or conducting research or evaluations for a state or local educational agency, are often authorized to receive and use student data, but are typically required (either by law or by contract provisions) to destroy the student data when it is no longer needed for the specified purpose.\u003Cbr>In most of these cases, merely deleting a digital record or file will be insufficient to destroy the information contained therein – as the underlying digital data are typically preserved in the system, and can often be “undeleted.” Specific technical methods used to dispose of the data greatly impact the likelihood that any information might be recovered.\u003Cbr>This document will provide an overview of various methods for disposing of electronic data, and will discuss how these methods relate to legal requirements and established best practices for protecting student information. |\n\nLegal Requirements  \nThe Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law that protects the confidentiality of student information. FERPA protects personally identifiable information (PII) from students’education records from disclosure without written consent from the parent or “eligible student”(a student who is 18 years of age, or who is attending a post-secondary institution), unless an exception to that consent requirement applies. For a detailed explanation of FERPA, the various exceptions to the consent requirement, and the requirements and conditions for each, please visit the PTAC website at [http://ptac.ed.gov](http://ptac.ed.gov).  \nFERPA does not provide any specific requirements for educational agencies and institutions regarding disposition or destruction of the data they collect or maintain themselves, other than requiring them to safeguard FERPA-protected data from unauthorized disclosure, and not to destroy any education records if there is an outstanding request to inspect or review them. When educational agencies andinstitutions disclose (or “share”) PII from education records with third parties under an applicable exception to FERPA’s written consent requirement, however, additional legal requirements regarding destruction of that PII may ","cbCairi7vrKKNOFh","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCairi7vrKKNOFh","pdf",541918,"English","# Purpose\n# Legal Requirements\n## FERPA confidentiality and disclosure exceptions\n## Destruction obligations for shared data\n## Written agreements for studies and audit/evaluation exceptions","[{\"question\":\"Why is deleting a digital file often not enough to destroy student data?\",\"answer\":\"Because underlying digital data may remain preserved in systems and can often be “undeleted.” Disposal methods therefore strongly influence the likelihood that information can be recovered.\"},{\"question\":\"What does FERPA generally protect regarding student information?\",\"answer\":\"FERPA protects the confidentiality of student information and safeguards personally identifiable information from disclosure from education records without required consent, unless a specific exception applies.\"},{\"question\":\"Under FERPA, what additional destruction-related requirements can apply when student data are shared?\",\"answer\":\"When PII is shared under applicable FERPA exceptions, additional legal requirements regarding destruction may apply, including written agreement terms that require destruction when no longer needed and a specified destruction time period.\"}]","Best Practices for Data Destruction | PDF",1792057936,25]