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Breach Notifications

View notifications and information about breaches of student data in accordance with the Student Online Personal Protection Act.

Updated August 21, 2022

Breach Notification for May 20, 2022

Below is an official notification of a breach involving a CPS vendor, Battelle for Kids.

Families and staff members who were directly impacted by the breach will receive a personalized email notification and/or a personalized letter with important information about the breach, our response, free resources for families and staff to protect personal information, and safeguards put in place to prevent this type of incident in the future.

We have posted a generic copy of that letter here in the following languages:

Note: The Battelle for Kids hotline and identity monitoring enrollment services expired August 21, 2022.

Below the official breach notification, you can find Frequently Asked Questions about this incident.

  1. The date of the breach:

    December 1, 2021
  2. The description of the covered information that was compromised:

    495,448 student records containing Name, date of birth, gender, grade level, school, Chicago Public Schools student ID number, State Student ID number, information about the courses students took, and scores from performance tasks used for teacher evaluations during school years 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and/or 2018-2019.

    56,138 staff records containing Name, school, employee ID number, CPS email address, Battelle for Kids username, course information from school years 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and/or 2018-2019.

    Please call the toll-free hotline at 833-909-4007 or email BFK-Breach-Info@cps.edu for any additional information.
  3. Toll free numbers and other information for consumer reporting agencies:

    Impacted parties can access a free credit report through annualcreditreport.com, a free resource authorized by the federal government. Additionally, the following credit reporting agencies offer a free service allowing you to receive fraud alerts and to freeze access to your or your child’s credit if necessary:
  4. Toll free numbers and other information for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC):

    Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-800-FTC-HELP (1-800-382-4357) or visit the FTC website at https://www.identitytheft.gov/#/Info-Lost-or-Stolen for more information about fraud alerts and security freezes from consumer reporting agencies. 

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Battelle for Kids Data Security Incident

What is a Data Breach?

A breach refers to the unauthorized acquisition of computerized data that compromises the security, confidentiality, or integrity of covered information maintained by an operator or school. 

Parents will be notified of breaches of covered information within 30 calendar days of receipt of notice that a breach has occurred. Notification may be delayed if this would interfere with a criminal investigation.  Notification will include, but is not limited to:

  • The date of the breach
  • The description of the covered information that was compromised
  • Information that the parent may use to contact the operator and the school about the breach
  • Toll free numbers and other information for consumer reporting agencies
  • Toll free numbers and other information for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
  • A statement that the parent may obtain information from the FTC and consumer reporting agencies about fraud alerts and security freezes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about what the Student Online Personal Protection Act means for CPS students, parents, teachers and principals.

View FAQs

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