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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Saturday, January 15, 2005

Flow of student data in question

By Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Education Writer

A glitch in the Department of Education's computer system might prevent student information from going to colleges if their parents requested that their contact information be kept from military recruiters.

A mother of a high school student found the problem when her son's school informed her that if she turned in the DOE's annual privacy notice with a request to keep his information from military recruiters, then college recruiters would not get the information either.

DOE spokesman Greg Knudsen said this is not the intent of the form and that parents of students in grades six through 12 should be able to request that their child's information be kept only from the military, which the form indicates is possible.

As soon as he found out yesterday morning that this was not the case, he said, "I sounded the alarm pretty widely. Something needs to be done."

The DOE is working to upgrade its computer system to distinguish between whether parents want information kept only from military recruiters, or if they want information kept from everyone.

"If we absolutely cannot offer the choices that the form says are available then we have to inform parents of that fact," he said.

In the meantime, he said, parents should not panic. Even if they signed the nondisclosure form, all it means is that information will not be disclosed without prior approval.

"That doesn't mean that the information doesn't get sent. The school should contact the parent or eligible student for consent," Knudsen said.

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8014.