The SafeInsights platform

Technical standards that match the stakes

While SafeInsights does not hold any student data, we work hard to make sure our platform is protected in every way. SafeInsights implements CIS Controls v8, the Trusted CI Framework, and the NIST cybersecurity framework — enterprise-grade standards used to strengthen data security. Ongoing engineer training, security reviews, and monitoring ensure these standards are enforced, not just documented.

Transparency through governance

Data Partners maintain complete control over their participation:

• Approve or deny each research study individually
• Review all code before it runs
• Vet results before researchers receive them
• Set policies determining what types of research are permitted

Access to millions of students

Participating platforms serve tens of millions of students across PreK-12, higher education, and continuing education. For researchers, that means:

• Statistical power to detect effects missed in small samples
• Many student populations across different demographics, geographies, and learning contexts
• Subgroup analysis to understand what works for whom
• Findings that generalize to real-world educational settings

Longitudinal insights that transform understanding

Learning doesn’t happen in isolated moments — it builds over time as students move through courses and educational experiences. SafeInsights enables research that reflects this reality.

Researchers can study how learning strategies predict later success, how students’ needs evolve across educational levels, and the long-term impact of interventions.

Cross-platform research

SafeInsights lets researchers study learning as it actually happens, analyzing patterns across platforms while each Data Partner keeps control of its data. This cross-platform view enables new research on how learning transfers, how tools complement each other, and which combinations best support different students.

You decide what gets shared

Each Data Partner controls their participation:

• Select which datasets are available
• Set policies on research topics and methods
• Approve or reject studies based on priorities and values
• Define who can request access
• Establish criteria for evaluating proposals

Minimized administrative burden

Traditional research partnerships come with high ongoing costs: legal reviews, engineering time to pull and anonymize data, staff managing researchers, and IT securing transfers.

SafeInsights minimizes this overhead:

• Standardized processes replace custom negotiations
• Automated workflows handle requests and code execution
• Researchers cover computing costs
• No manual data extraction needed

Once implemented, SafeInsights requires minimal staff time: review requests, approve aligned studies, and gain insights — without the operational burden of traditional partnerships.

Research insights that benefit your organization

SafeInsights supports actionable, practical research, generating insights to help you serve students better.

• For edtech platforms: See which features drive learning, validate product efficacy, and identify improvement opportunities.
• For educational institutions: Understand what drives student success and retention, inform decisions with your own data, and demonstrate evidence-based practices.
• For state agencies: Support policy research with less compliance overhead, leverage longitudinal data, and show ROI on educational technology.

The research works because it benefits everyone, from researchers to institutions to the students they serve

For researchers: focus on discovery, not administration

SafeInsights lets researchers get to the analysis stage faster:

• Learn about available datasets via our Knowledge Base.
• Design studies using standardized documentation
• Write analysis code with AI support
• Submit for review through automated workflows
• Receive aggregate results after partner approval

Fewer legal negotiations, simpler IRB review, and shorter waits.

For Data Partners: standardized, low-workload processes

Instead of negotiating custom terms for each study, Data Partners use standardized protocols:

• Consistent request formats
• Clear review criteria
• Automated code execution
• Standardized result vetting

The process scales easily: approve studies that align with your mission, decline those that don’t, with minimal staff effort.

Transparency at every step

Key actions in SafeInsights are documented. Researchers see exactly which Data Partners approved their study. Data Partners see exactly what code ran and what results were released. Administrators see complete records for compliance reviews. This transparency builds trust while eliminating the ambiguity that complicates traditional research partnerships.