On Wednesday, October 21, Brea Olinda Unified School District families were notified of the ETS data security incident involving statewide assessment data as seen in recent local and national news. Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Dr. Cary Johnson shared the following details and information in a ParentSquare email to families:
Dear Brea Olinda Unified Families,
The California Department of Education (CDE) recently notified districts of a data security incident at Educational Testing Service (ETS). CDE contracts with ETS for California's statewide assessments, including CAASPP and ELPAC.
Between May 22, 2026, and September 18, 2026, an unauthorized party used compromised login credentials to access and copy student data from an ETS file-transfer site. This incident occurred within the state's testing vendor system and was not the result of any breach or security issue within BOUSD.
What Information Was Involved
While ETS is unable to share exactly how BOUSD student information was impacted, they did share that all students in their database had information accessed and copied to some extent. What was taken varies by student and may include:
Name, date of birth, address, school, district, and grade
Statewide (SSID) and local student ID numbers
Gender, race/ethnicity, primary language, country of origin, and English learner status
Disability and Section 504 status, and testing accommodations
Program eligibility (Title I, McKinney-Vento, Military-Connected)
Assessment registration, participation, and results
What Information Was Not Involved
According to CDE and ETS, no Social Security numbers, financial information, driver's license or passport numbers, passwords, or parent/guardian information were involved.
Steps Taken & Complimentary Identity Protection
ETS took the affected file-transfer site offline, established a new system with enhanced security controls, and notified law enforcement. Web monitoring has uncovered no evidence that the copied information has been made public.
To support affected families, ETS is offering 24 months of complimentary identity-protection services through Experian IdentityWorks:
For Students Under 18 (Minor Plus Package): Parents/guardians can enroll students online at https://www.experianidworks.com/minorplus using Activation Code: RSWMV3F3N.
For Students 18 and Older (Adult Package): Students can enroll directly at https://www.experianidworks.com/identity using Activation Code: N8MDNZPJD.
Enrollment Deadline: March 19, 2027. No credit card information is required to sign up.
More Information & Support
To learn more about this data security incident, please go to CDE's official information page at www.cde.ca.gov/ets. If you have specific questions about the incident or need help enrolling in Experian services, you may call the dedicated support line at 833-931-8488 (Monday–Friday, 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM PT). Please be prepared to provide Engagement Number B174774 (for students under 18) or B174775 (for students 18 and older).
This incident is an important reminder to be cautious of unexpected emails, texts, or calls that mention a student's school, testing data, or this incident. Should we receive more information regarding how BOUSD students were impacted, we will share it with you. Thank you for your continued trust and partnership.
Sincerely,
Cary Johnson, EdD
Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services