Appendix E_Data_Security_Policy

Child Trends’ Research Data Security Policy
Updated March 2016 

Purpose
Child Trends’ Research Data Security Policy is designed to ensure that all project staff, including subcontractors and 
consultants, understand the importance of keeping data confidential and understand how to do so for all projects. 
Keeping data secure is part of our obligation to protect study participants from harm that could occur to them if 
identifying information about them were disclosed. As such, this policy complements the Child Trends Human Subjects 
Research Protection Policy. This data security policy is also designed to ensure that we comply with the standards set 
forth by organizations and funders who may allow us to use their data. 

What This Policy Does Not Cover 
This policy addresses the security of research‐related secure data, such as data that contain personally identifiable 
information (PII) of research participants, but does not address operational data, such as data from human resources or 
financial operations. The security of those data is addressed in Child Trends’ forthcoming Operational Data Security 
Policy.  

In addition, human subject protections outside of data security are overseen by the Child Trends Institutional Review 
Board and their related policies. Though some research projects at Child Trends may not require IRB approval, all 
projects and work must comply with the appropriate and relevant standards for data security.  

Roles and Responsibilities
Researchers (all who work on projects, including subcontractors and vendors) and administrative staff have 
responsibilities for implementing this policy. The main parties are identified below. 

 Data Security Committee Chair (Jennifer Manlove)  
The Data Security Committee Chair (DSCC) is a senior research staff member appointed by the vice president 
(VP) overseeing research. The DSCC is responsible for ensuring 1) we meet the specifications of data security 
agreements with the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 2) that we annually train staff on data 
security and this policy (e.g., presentation at all‐staff meeting, video, or quiz) and that staff remain up to date in 
their training with tracking assistance from the compliance office, 3) that we annually audit the effectiveness of 
the data security procedures in place, 4) that we answer questions from staff about data security concerns, and 
5) that we update this policy at least every three years. The DSCC may invite one to five staff to serve on a Data 
Security Committee that supports the chair’s role.  

 Head of Compliance (Kathleen Skinner) 
The head of compliance or her staff designee shall 1) ensure we meet the specifications of any data security 
agreements with data providers other than NCES, 2) work with the IRB to maintain a list of the names of the 
datasets that include personally identifiable information (levels 2 or 3), the location of the datasets, the 
requirements of housing and using those datasets, and any relevant agreements including data‐sharing 
agreements and team member user agreements; 3) maintain a list of which trainings are needed for which staff 
for all datasets (except NCES, which will be tracked by the DSCC or her designee), track which staff have 
participated in relevant trainings and notify the individual, DSCC, and VPs when anyone falls out of compliance 
so that the DSCC may follow‐up with those staff; 4) ensure that subcontractors and consultants are 
appropriately trained consistent with the agreements, in coordination with the DSCC, and 5) ensure that the 
timely destruction of secure data is planned and occurs according to plan. In the event of a breach, the head of 
compliance will also initiate the involvement of an attorney. 
Child Trends research staff working with states or federal entities are responsible for knowing and abiding by the regulations of these entities. 

1



Information Technology (FedSolutions) 
The office of information technology (IT) is responsible for upholding or exceeding the levels of data security 
outlined in this policy (e.g., ensure that passwords and screen‐saver timeout are compliant), responding to any 
auditing or other issues raised in a timely manner, and following the incident protocol in the event of a data 
security breach. IT should notify Child Trends of opportunities to improve our data security or if any of our 
protections are not up to industry standards. IT is also responsible for making sure that any IT staff working on 
the Child Trends account are knowledgeable about and uphold this policy and the related agreements.  



Overseer of IT (Chief Financial Officer, Karen Calloo) 
The individual responsible for overseeing IT shall ensure that the requirements of this policy and any related 
data security agreements are written into our contract with the IT vender and that the vendor is held 
accountable for the implementation of the policy. 

Project Directors 
Project Directors (PDs) are responsible for 1) ensuring that all relevant research activities are reviewed by the 
IRB and all data collected, obtained, housed, or used by the project complies with this policy and any applicable 
agreements or regulations, as appropriate; 2) ensuring that their team members, including subcontracting staff, 
are up‐to‐date on IRB and data security trainings, for notifying the head of compliance of project staff changes, 
and for initiating the process of removing access to secure data when team members leave the project or fall 
out of compliance; and 3) immediately notifying IT, the DSCC, the head of compliance, and the VP for research in 
the event of a data breach or possible data breach. 





All Staff 
All staff are expected to treat data security as a critical requirement of our work, to follow the requirements 
outlined here and basic common practice (e.g., do not give out passwords, do not leave secure data room 
unlocked), and to notify the appropriate parties immediately if a breach of secure data is suspected (see breach 
protocol, below). 

 Vice President for Research (Natalia Pane) 
The Vice President for Research is responsible for appointing and overseeing the DSCC, updating this policy as 
needed including identifying and accommodating updates to data security as mandated by the federal 
government or as identified by increasing industry standards (working with IT, DSCC, and others), working with 
the Head of Compliance to ensure that no staff that are out of compliance are allowed access to secure data, 
being the point of contact should a breach occur, and establishing the importance of data security in the culture 
of the organization.   

In the Event of a Data Breach 
In today’s world, despite the safeguards many organizations have in place, breaches of secure data are an all too 
common event. As a result, we must not only guard against such breaches, but also prepare in the event one occurs. 
Breaches differ in severity; examples include: 
 An unauthorized individual attains access to a secure drive (e.g., by using someone else’s password). 
 A client sends PII data unencrypted through email to the wrong persons (although not our fault, we would still 
have to address the breach). 
 An employee leaves and has taken PII data with her. 
 A subcontractor housing CT secure data is hacked. 
 A stack of surveys with PII information are lost at the data collection site. 
 A laptop with newly collected PII data saved on the hard drive is stolen.  

As soon as any employee or team member suspects a data breach, the team member should immediately notify the VP 
for Research (Natalia Pane), the Head of Compliance (Kathleen Skinner), the relevant project director, and the DSCC. 
Child Trends research staff working with states or federal entities are responsible for knowing and abiding by the regulations of these entities. 

2

The staff member should also notify the IT vendor (FedSolutions) if the breach is related to technology.  The 
Communications protocol for Crisis Communications will then take effect. The head of compliance will be responsible for 
involving an attorney as soon as possible and when appropriate.  

Data Security Levels
Child Trends’ research data security policy is summarized in the table below. The standards contained in this table were 
adapted from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the National Center for Education Statistics 
(NCES).  These represent standards required by the respective funding agencies.  Standards are provided for the 
following elements of data security:  
 Using passwords and screensavers 
 Downloading and installing software 
 Reporting viruses 
 Securing physical facilities 
 Maintaining confidentiality 
 Collecting and receiving data 
 Storing data after collection/receipt 
 Sharing data 
 Accessing data remotely 
 Backing up data 
 Removing data 
 Using subcontractors/consultants 
 Training 

Child Trends categorizes secure data into three levels and builds the multi‐tiered data security policy around these 
levels. The levels of data security are defined according to the funder, sensitivity, and presence of personally identifiable 
information (PII) in the data.  Specifically: 
 Level 1: Minimum Standard. 
o This is the baseline level of data security to which all Child Trends staff must adhere. This level of data 
security is applicable to researchers not currently working with data and those working with public, non‐
restricted use data files. 
 Level 2: Strict Standard  
o This is the level when using data that include PII. Files may include administrative or restricted use data 
files as well as data collected by Child Trends, the federal government, state governments, or other 
entities. 
 Level 3: NCES Standard  
o Researchers working with restricted use data from the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of 
Education Sciences (IES), National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) are required to adhere to Level 
3 requirements. Those working with NCES on a project funded by HHS are also required to adhere to the 
standards listed for Level 3. Note that these standards are mandated by NCES for contractors and 
grantees. 

To identify the level of your data, answer the following questions: 

Child Trends research staff working with states or federal entities are responsible for knowing and abiding by the regulations of these entities. 

3

123

For data obtained from 
outside entities 

For data collected by Child 
Trends 

Are the data publicly 
available (i.e., available 
to anyone without any 
paperwork)? 
Yes 

The data are Level 1 

Did the data ever contain 
personally identifiable 
information (PII)?1 

No

Did the data ever contain 
personally identifiable 
information (PII)?1 
Yes

Have the data been de‐
identified? 
Yes 

Yes

Have the data been de‐
identified? 

No

Yes

No

If the data have been de‐
identified, but there is a possibility 
that PII could be uncovered, then 
the data are Level 22 

Yes

The data are either Level 2 (not 
NCES restricted data) or Level 3 
(NCES restricted data) 

The data are Level 1 

No

Has the de‐identification 
process been conducted at a 
level that would allow for 
widespread public release?3 

The data are Level 1 

No

The data are Level 2 

No

The data are Level 1 

The data are Level 2 

1
 Either now or before a de‐identification process. The definition of PII is available on page 5. Note that PII includes information that can be triangulated to identify an individual. For example, if a study of school attitudes 
does not collect student names, but does collect race/ethnicity and grade level information, and there are only five Native American children in the district in five different grades, it would be possible to identify the 
students by triangulating the information; thus, you have PII. 
2
Due to the potential of triangulating multiple pieces of information in order to identify an individual, it can be extremely difficult to de‐identify data in a way that eliminates all possibility of disclosure of an individual’s 
identity. 
3
 In other words, have the data been masked or aggregated to an extent that it would be impossible to identify an individual? Could you ethically post this data on a public website?

Child Trends research staff working with states or federal entities are responsible for knowing and abiding by the regulations of these entities. 

4

Important: Please note that whenever 1) a licensing agreement with a data provider for the use of their data 
or 2) when a contract with a funder for a project involving the collection of original data dictates data security 
procedures that are stricter than those described in Child Trends policy, project staff MUST adhere to the 
requirements of the data provider/funder. 

Child Trends’ data security committee will work with principal investigators or project directors to determine which level 
of data security is most appropriate for their project given their data source, the presence of personally identifiable 
information (PII), the sensitivity of the data, and the funder. Once this level of data security is determined, the project 
director will consult the Research Data Security Policy to determine what data security measures are necessary. The 
project director will then assign one member of their research team to oversee the implementation of the project’s data 
security plan. Additionally, Child Trends’ IT provider has access to all data and Child Trends has a blanket confidentiality 
agreement with the IT provider for Level 1 and Level 2 data. Select staff at the IT provider also have access to Level 3 
data.

Definitions 








Personally Identifiable Information (PII):  “Information which can be used to distinguish or trace an individual's 
identity, such as their name, social security number, biometric records, etc. alone, or when combined with other 
personal or identifying information which is linked or linkable to a specific individual, such as date and place of 
birth, mother’s maiden name, etc.…” (OMB).4  If the data include names, social security numbers, or addresses, 
for example, these data are personally identifying.  The data may also be personally identifying even if they do 
not include this type of information. For example, let’s say a study of school attitudes does not collect student 
names, but does collect race/ethnicity, and grade.  If there are only five Native American children in the district 
and each is in a different grade, you now have PII. Due to the potential of triangulating multiple pieces of 
information in order to identify an individual, it can be extremely difficult to de‐identify data in a way that 
eliminates all possibility of disclosure of an individual’s identity. For this reason, data should be de‐identified to 
the extent possible, and even after de‐identification occurs we foresee that most data should be treated as Level 
2 for data security purposes. Consult the IRB or data security committee if you need help assessing whether your 
data include PII.   
Remote work server: This server allows users to gain access to files on the Child Trends network from a remote 
location. A user who connects to the network from any connection outside a Child Trends office must first 
connect to the secure VPN network (i.e., NetExtender). If the user is using a Child Trends computer, no 
additional steps are necessary. If the individual is using a non‐Child Trends computer, then it is necessary to 
connect to the work server through Remote Desktop Connection to access network files.   
Remote access computer: Any computer (PC or desktop) used to access Child Trends’ network from outside of 
Child Trends’ offices. 
Data safe: A safe secured in a separate, locked space that is used for storing CDs or other electronic forms of 
data.  Only people who have permission from the data security committee and who have signed an NCES 
affidavit are permitted to have access to the data safe. 
NCES secure data room: The office within Child Trends’ suite that is used for analysis of NCES restricted data. 
The computers in this room are not networked to non‐NCES shared drives or the internet. 

4

 See OMB http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/memoranda/m03‐22.html 
Child Trends research staff working with states or federal entities are responsible for knowing and abiding by the regulations of these entities. 

5

Using Passwords
& Screensavers

Level 1: Minimum Standard

Level 2: Strict Standard

Level 3: NCES Standard

Public, Non-Restricted Data

PII, Restricted Use Data (non-NCES)

NCES Restricted Data

OR

Administrative Data with PII

Other non-PII

De-identified data that could include PII through triangulation (see
pg. 5 for definitions)

Passwords must contain a minimum of eight characters, including at least
three of the following four types of characters: 1) one upper case letter,
2) one lower case letter, 3) one number, and 4) one non-alpha-numeric
character.

Same as column 1; in addition the screensavers on
computers in the secure data room should be a marquee
setting with text: “Anyone who violates the confidentiality
provisions of this Act shall be found guilty of a class E
felony and imprisoned up to five years, and/or fined up to
$250,000.”

Same requirements as column 1; in addition:
Users working in a public location are encouraged to lock their screen
any time they leave their workstation.

Passwords should not be dictionary words, names, or personal data.
Passwords must be changed every 90 days, after an event of suspected
compromise, or upon system installation. This password update will be
automatically enforced. To change your password, hit CTRL+ALT+DEL
and select “Change a password.”
Passwords must not be reused until at least 6 other passwords have been
used.
Password must be committed to memory or stored in a secure office space.
After 5 incorrect attempts at entering a password, users will be locked
out for 15 minutes or until they contact IT.
Passwords should not be shared, unless with IT staff for the purposes of
troubleshooting or system setup. If passwords are shared with IT staff,
passwords should be changed immediately after IT staff are done
assisting you.
Screensavers are set to lock the computer or remote work server after a
period of inactivity.
Downloading and
Installing
Software

Users must obtain permission from the system administrator before installing
or downloading any non-business software. Staff should check with the
IT provider if they are unsure about the security of a program.

Same requirements as column 1.

Same requirements as column 1.

Same requirements as column 1.

Same requirements as column 1.

Same as column 1; in addition:

All work with NCES data must be done in the NCES secure
data room, which is not networked to non-NCES shared
drives or the internet.

Rules for downloading and installing software only apply to computers
owned by Child Trends.
Reporting Viruses

Users must inform IT or other designated staff immediately of any different or
out of the ordinary behavior that a computer or application exhibits, or
any virus detected.
All Child Trends computers are protected by antivirus software. No user
action is required to update or maintain the software.
If you remotely access the Child Trends work server from a non-Child
Trends PC, you need to have anti-virus protection.

Securing Physical
Facilities

Child Trends suites are only accessible through key cards.

Paper and portable media with secure data should be kept in a locked
drawer/file cabinet.

The NCES secure data room must remain locked when
unattended. The NCES secure data room can be
accessed by staff on the NCES secure data license
through a code punched into a number key pad.

Users must ensure that no data is visible when others are present.
If a computer or device is stolen or lost while a user is actively logged in
to the remote work server, the user must report that loss
immediately to IT, who will terminate the active remote session (all
unsaved work will be lost). Losses should also be reported to the
program area director.

Only individuals on the Child Trends NCES license are
allowed in the secure data room (except in the rare case
in which building maintenance needs to be performed. In
this instance, the maintenance person may work in the
room as long as they are always accompanied by a

Child Trends research staff working with states or federal entities are responsible for knowing and abiding by the regulations of these entities. 

6

Level 1: Minimum Standard

Level 2: Strict Standard

Level 3: NCES Standard

Public, Non-Restricted Data

PII, Restricted Use Data (non-NCES)

NCES Restricted Data

OR

Administrative Data with PII

Other non-PII

De-identified data that could include PII through triangulation (see
pg. 5 for definitions)
Child Trends employee on the NCES license).
Keep materials (printed output, etc.) that contain any
personally identifiable information in a locked filing
cabinet (if printing is mandatory) and shred the copies
when finished using them.
The data security committee should contact IES in case of
suspected and confirmed breaches of security.

Maintaining
Confidentiality

Not applicable.

Access to secure drives should be requested through the IT provider
but will only be allowed once the Program Area Director (PAD)
approves the user.

Employees must have an affidavit of nondisclosure on file
with NCES prior to accessing NCES restricted data.
Contact the data security committee to be added to the
NCES license.

A signed and completed confidentiality agreement for all data users is
required by the IRB in some cases (see the IRB committee for more
information).

Employees must read and understand the NCES security
procedures before using data.

Note: Some projects may require signatures on additional confidentiality
agreements/forms.

Employees should have 3 documents on file, which you
should be able to give someone during a spot
check/audit: (1) Child Trends’ license (2) Child Trends’
data security plan form (3) A copy of your NCES
affidavit.
Employees should be able to tell an auditor that: Jennifer
Manlove is the Principal Project Officer, the IT provider is
responsible for day-to-day security of NCES data, and
that Carol Emig is the Senior Official on our NCES
license.
Employees must be able to remember (and be able to tell an
inspector) that anyone who violates the confidentiality
provisions of this Act shall be found guilty of a class E
felony and imprisoned up to five years, and/or fined up to
$250,000.
Data users are required to send any documents based on
NCES licensed data to the IES data security office prior
to dissemination to non-licensed individuals, cc’ing Jen
Manlove (see ‘sharing data’ for more information).

Collecting and
Receiving Data

No requirements.

A Child Trends computer or other device that meets security
requirements must be used for data collection.

When submitting a request for new data, please cc Jen
Manlove. For information on how to request new or
additional NCES data sets, contact the data security
committee.

Any PII collected should be saved to a secure drive as soon as
possible.
Any project collecting Level 2 data through an online survey platform
(e.g., SurveyMonkey, SurveyGizmo, etc.) should restrict access to
the data (e.g. by acquiring your own license) to prevent
unauthorized access. Level 1 data can be collected using a Child
Trends-wide account.
No data should be saved to an external media device, such as a flash
drive or voice recorder, unless the device is password protected.
Encrypted devices are preferred if they are affordable and
available. These devices can be obtained by either using project

Child Trends research staff working with states or federal entities are responsible for knowing and abiding by the regulations of these entities. 

7

Level 1: Minimum Standard

Level 2: Strict Standard

Level 3: NCES Standard

Public, Non-Restricted Data

PII, Restricted Use Data (non-NCES)

NCES Restricted Data

OR

Administrative Data with PII

Other non-PII

De-identified data that could include PII through triangulation (see
pg. 5 for definitions)
funds or through discussion with the Overseer of IT. Current
devices without password-protection capabilities may continue to
be used until they need to be replaced. When new devices need to
be acquired, they must have password-protection capabilities.
Data should never be transferred from external devices to a non-Child
Trends computer.
Data should never be shared or transferred on Basecamp.
Child Trends has a secure FTP site for sending and receiving level 2
data. Please contact IT for additional information.

Storing Data After
Collection/Receipt

No requirements.

Electronic data must be stored either on the secure server or in the data
safe. In addition, document-level password protection is required for
an additional layer of security for (1) consent forms that contain PII
(names and/or contact information) and (2) files that are used as a
"key" for PII and participant identifiers (i.e. “linking files”). Different
passwords must be used for consent forms and linking files. It is
encouraged that consent forms be scanned into one document. If
they are stored in multiple documents, one password should be
used for all of that project’s consent forms.

All data CDs, DVDs, flash drives, disks, or tapes containing
NCES data must be kept in the data safe. The data safe
is in a locked cabinet in the locked NCES secure data
room.
Restricted data must be stored on the secure server in the
NCES secure data room.
The data safe is locked at all times and can be accessed by
only a limited number of staff through a code punched
into a number key pad. Please contact the data security
committee if you need access to materials in the data
safe.

While a project is active, all secure project files (data, consent forms,
linking files, etc.) should be stored in the project's folder on the
secure drive. After the project ends, consent forms, linking files, and
any other project-specific IRB files (along with passwords) should
be transferred from the project folder to the IRB folder on the
secure drive so they can be retained for the three years we are
required to keep IRB-related documentation. Contact the IRB
Committee for more information.
Non-electronic data (e.g., data on paper) should be stored in a locked
cabinet, and the location should be registered with the IRB in the
IRB monitoring tool. Paper copies of linking files must be stored
separately from other project files/data (different locked filing
cabinets).Contact the IRB Committee for more information.
Note: Every effort should be made to store data electronically ONLY
and shred any hard copies of data. This includes the storage of
consent forms.
Sharing Data

No requirements. Sharing of data is permitted.

Project staff must not disclose or share data on individual study
participants with individuals/entities outside the project team (i.e.,
third parties), nor may they transmit or give data on individual study
participants to third parties, unless allowed under the licensing
agreement or IRB.

NCES restricted data should remain in the Child Trends
NCES secure data room and should not be transported.
NCES data cannot be transmitted electronically.
Data users are required to send publications based on NCES
licensed data to the IES data security office prior to
dissemination to non-licensed individuals, cc’ing Jen
Manlove. Publications can only be disseminated to
people that are not on Child Trends’ NCES license once
IES approval is obtained. NCES will check that all
unweighted sample size numbers are rounded to the
nearest ten (nearest 50 for ECLS-B) in all information
products (i.e.: proposals, presentations, papers or other

When sharing is permitted and PII are not needed by the third party,
Child Trends will de-identify individual data (such as names, birth
dates, social security numbers, etc.) prior to sharing the data. Note
that some de-identified data can still contain PII through
triangulation (see notes about this on page 5).
When sharing is permitted and PII are needed (e.g., funders may need
PII data to do a follow-up survey), Child Trends will inform the

Child Trends research staff working with states or federal entities are responsible for knowing and abiding by the regulations of these entities. 

8

Level 1: Minimum Standard

Level 2: Strict Standard

Level 3: NCES Standard

Public, Non-Restricted Data

PII, Restricted Use Data (non-NCES)

NCES Restricted Data

OR

Administrative Data with PII

Other non-PII

De-identified data that could include PII through triangulation (see
pg. 5 for definitions)
recipient of the data of the importance and need to maintain
individual study participants’ confidentiality and will request that
data recipients adhere to data security procedures that provide for a
level of security similar to that of Child Trends’ policy. Where
possible, Child Trends will review recipients’ data security policies
for this purpose.

documents that are based on or use restricted use data).
For all other datasets, including administrative datasets
produced by other agencies within the Department of
Education (e.g. EDFacts, CRDC, etc.), disclosure
avoidance standards will vary. The required disclosure
avoidance measures for these non-IES datasets will be
listed in a readme.txt file included with that specific
dataset. The product cannot be disseminated to nonlicensed individuals until formally notified by IES that no
potential disclosures were found (the review process
usually takes 3 to 5 business days). Note that IES review
is required even when sharing preliminary tables/output
with Child Trends colleagues who are not on the NCES
license.

Data on individual study participants collected by entities other than
Child Trends and provided as secondary data to Child Trends (e.g.,
administrative data provided by state or local governments) may not
be shared with a third party without a formal agreement with the
data provider.
PII data should never be shared or transferred on Basecamp.
Child Trends has a secure FTP site for sending and receiving data.
Please contact IT for additional information.
Accessing Data
Remotely

Remote access is permitted. All Child Trends employees must use the
NetExtender software when accessing the remote work server.

Same requirements as column 1; in addition:

Backing Up Data

Child Trends regularly backs up all data in the server room, which includes
all drives. Backups of most servers occur incrementally 6 times per day
(only files that have changed that day are backed up). One full backup is
done each day. Backups are stored locally and in the cloud. No user
action is required.

Same as column 1. No backup copies of data should be stored on
individual workstations or on home computers.

Removing Data

Upon employee departure, administration and the IT provider will
immediately disable all access and privileges to departmental systems,
networks, and facilities.
All retired work station hard drives get removed. They are demagnetized and
the data is cleaned. The hard drives are then discarded.

Not applicable. No analyses of NCES restricted data may be
conducted outside the secure data room.

Data users may have remote access to level 2 data unless the Project
Director restricts such access.

Licensees are permitted to make 1 copy of each NCES
restricted data set. Only 1 copy of the entire data set is
allowed, no additional or partial copies are permitted.
This copy must be kept in the data safe.

If you have data that should not be backed up, please contact IT and
they will put it on a server that is not backed up.

No routine backups should be made of NCES restricted data.
Same requirements as column 1; in addition:

Return all original data to NCES at the end of the project or
when the license expires.

Where required by project funders/owners of the data, users must work
with IT to destroy electronic data when the project is completed or
when data are no longer needed. If not defined in other documents,
data should be destroyed within three years of study completion.

When an employee who is listed on the NCES license leaves
Child Trends, they should be removed from the license
immediately.

Electronic data should be permanently deleted. For data stored on the
Child Trends server this can be done by right clicking and selecting
delete or pressing shift + delete. For data not stored on the Child
Trends server (hard drive, flash drive, or other external media) you
must use File Shredder, a free tool (http://www.fileshredder.org/), to
securely delete the file.
Destroy other media by physically shredding (e.g., shred paper copies
or cut up CDs or DVDs).
Note: Where appropriate, every effort should be made to allow Child
Trends to retain data for potential future use. When data are
retained beyond the conclusion of a project, they should be deidentified (unless longitudinal follow-up is planned with study
participants) to minimize risk of the disclosure of participants’
identities.

Child Trends research staff working with states or federal entities are responsible for knowing and abiding by the regulations of these entities. 

9

Using
Subcontractors/
Consultants

Training

Level 1: Minimum Standard

Level 2: Strict Standard

Level 3: NCES Standard

Public, Non-Restricted Data

PII, Restricted Use Data (non-NCES)

NCES Restricted Data

OR

Administrative Data with PII

Other non-PII

De-identified data that could include PII through triangulation (see
pg. 5 for definitions)

No requirements.

Staff shall receive an orientation to Child Trends’ data security policy and be
trained about how to implement all aspects of the policy.

Subcontractors are required to follow the same data security provisions
as Child Trends. If subcontractors have access to PII, they must
undergo training on Child Trends’ Human Subjects Research
Protection Policy or provide evidence of comparable training. Prime
contractors are responsible for ensuring compliance by
subcontractors. See the ‘Sharing Data’ row.
Same requirements as column 1.

Subcontractors who wish to use NCES data at their sites
must obtain their own authorization for use of NCES
data.
Consultants may access NCES data from Child Trends if the
subcontractor is listed on our license and meets the
other requirements.
Same requirements as column 1; in addition
Users will receive training on NCES data security when
signing their affidavit.

In addition, users will ensure that they receive any supplemental training
required by a specific data provider, as dictated by data licensing
agreements or other communications with data providers.

Child Trends research staff working with states or federal entities are responsible for knowing and abiding by the regulations of these entities. 

10