Important Notice: CDE's ETS Statewide Assessment Data Incident
Posted Date: 10/23/26 (12:43 PM)
Dear Families,
This message is to inform you about a recent cybersecurity incident announced by the California Department of Education (CDE) involving one of its contractors, Educational Testing Service (ETS).
This incident did not involve the Linden Unified School District, and no Linden Unified School District systems, networks, or databases were impacted.
ETS, which manages statewide testing such as the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) and the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC), was recently compromised, resulting in the theft of data. According to CDE and ETS, unauthorized access to student records was identified on Sept. 25, 2026. The incident affected data associated with California public school students enrolled during the 2023-24 school year through the current school year, regardless of whether a student participated in state testing.
● Student Data Involved: Name, date of birth, addresses of student, district, grade level, statewide identifier, gender, ethnicity, primary language, English learner status, disability status, English language proficiency, and eligibility status for Title I.
● Data Not Involved: Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, financial information, passwords, and parental/guardian details (with the exception of home addresses).
ETS will be directly notifying affected students and families whose information was accessed during this incident and providing free Experian identity-protection services.
Important Reminder: The CDE, ETS, and Linden Unified School District will never call, text, or email you to request passwords, Social Security numbers, or payment information to enroll in the free Experian protection or to resolve testing records.
For more information about the incident, visit the CDE’s Frequently Asked Questions and Educational Testing Service (ETS) Notification webpages or call 833-931-8488.