State longitudinal data systems can be a powerful tool to support student success and spur equity-minded improvement throughout state education systems, but state policymakers must ensure that students’ information is safe and secure. In a case study looking at Louisiana’s efforts to secure student data, this profile illuminates some of the unintended consequences of well-intentioned privacy policies that fail to appropriately account for the complexity of state longitudinal data systems. This report offers recommendations for state policymakers to pursue student privacy and security measures in a way that strengthens the goals of student data systems and promotes student success.