State and federal laws require Michigan's K-12 public schools to collect and submit data about students, personnel and individual schools to the state and federal government. Districts submit their data to CEPI, and CEPI stores that data in a warehouse. Some of the data that are required by the state and federal government include:

• Individual student data: racial/ethnic data, program participation, performance scores (MEAP), etc.
• Individual personnel data: credential license number, racial/ethnic data, etc.
• Building-level data: general contact information, financial data, school safety practices, incidences of crime, etc.

These data are used to determine state aid payments, adequate yearly progress, accreditation, a teacher's qualifications, and what constitutes a "safe school" - to name just a few.