R277-419-10. Student Identification and Tracking

  (1)(a) Pursuant to Section 53E-4-308, an LEA shall:

  (i) use the SSID system maintained by the Superintendent to assign every student enrolled in a program under the direction of the Board or in a program or a school that is supported by public school funding a unique student identifier; and

  (ii) display the SSID on student transcripts exchanged with LEAs and Utah public institutions of higher education.

  (b) The unique student identifier:

  (i) shall be assigned to a student upon enrollment into a public school program or a public school-funded program;

  (ii) may not be the student's social security number or contain any personally identifiable information about the student.

  (2) An LEA shall require all students to provide their legal first, middle, and last names at the time of registration to ensure that the correct SSID follows students who transfer among LEAs.

  (a) A school shall transcribe the names from the student's birth certificate or other reliable proof of the student's identity and age, consistent with Section 53G-6-603;

  (b) The direct transcription of student names from birth certificates or other reliable proof of student identity and age shall be the student's legal name for purposes of maintaining school records; and

  (c) An LEA may modify the order of student names, provide for nicknames, or allow for different surnames, consistent with court documents or parent preferences, so long as legal names are maintained on student records and used in transmitting student information to the Superintendent.

  (3) The Superintendent and LEAs shall track students and maintain data using students' legal names.

  (4) If there is a compelling need to protect a student by using an alias, an LEA should exercise discretion in recording the name of the student.

  (5) An LEA is responsible to verify the accuracy and validity of enrollment verification data, prior to enrolling students in the LEA, and provide students and their parents with notification of enrollment in a public school.

  (6) An LEA shall ensure enrollment verification data is collected, transmitted, and stored consistent with sound data policies, established by the LEA as required in Rule R277-487.