- Introduction
The main purpose of this document is to provide teachers, administrators, school and school district staff, and other appropriate school officials with an overview of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). There are numerous references to other resources, primarily the Code of Federal Regulations. The subjects covered in this document include the release of education records, the rights of students to review their records, and the administrative requirements for the protection of education records. This manual will serve as a reference to those working with education records. It will provide an overall understanding of FERPA. In addition, specific and frequent references to the act are provided to show the relationships between the regulations and the act. The manual does not cover all provisions of the Act and Regulations. Instead, the Association on an ongoing basis will develop guidance and training program to assist schools, school districts, and postsecondary institutions in understanding and complying with FERPA. This comprehensive resource includes tools for developing school policy and instruction on how to train your staff about FERPA. Step-by-step guidance on the entire FERPA process allows you to become one of our experts. Start with some basic training on FERPA, move on to take our FERPA Quiz, and get a certificate in FERPA to announce your hard work and knowledge. All of these resources and more are available to assist you with FERPA. Students and parents also have rights. An objective of the Act is to assure that students and parents view education records, seek amendment of records, and have some control over the disclosure of information from records as it pertains to providing written consent that lists what records are to be disclosed, the purpose of the disclosure, and who the records are being disclosed to. Corrections of misrepresenting or inaccurate information maintained in a student’s record and the opportunity for a hearing to challenge information believed to be inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of privacy are the final rights of the students or parents. This manual has been updated and adapted by Kris Ranganath. Compiled from information and guidelines provided by LeRoy Rooker. Provided under the Family Policy Compliance Office, Kris has made adaptations to the manual to better help and cater to the needs of school. This manual is an in-depth resource for understanding FERPA and can serve as a guide and training instrument for better understanding FERPA_GO.
1.1 Purpose of the document
The purpose of this document is to set out guidelines and practices for ensuring student confidentiality, while still promoting the vital use of student documents in research and evaluation. FERPA gives students the right to access documents that directly relate to themselves and the right to have accurate and not misleading documents. It is important for educational agencies and institutions that deal with student documentation to have a clear understanding of what is considered confidential under FERPA and what is not considered personally identifiable information. This verse is important simply because even though giving out any information that could directly identify a student is illegal under FERPA, it is not considered personally identifiable information unless it has a high chance of being able to identify an individual person. Educational agencies and institutions must understand this factual information when employing the guidelines and practices to internal and external research and evaluation that is a very important part of the education system today.
1.2 Scope of the guidelines
Guidelines 4: For the regulations on written consent to work effectively and consistently across a variety of contexts and applications, the rule provides for many different requirements for the consent form and its contents. Similarly, consent comes in many different forms. This section ensures that students and their parents understand what is expected to authorize specific disclosures of PII.
Guidelines 3: The disclosure and use provision of FERPA is detailed and far-reaching, with consequences that permeate virtually all aspects of school operations and instruction. As such, it requires comprehensive treatment, as well as careful guidance on both the regulatory provisions and their practical ramifications. The requirements for written consents to disclose PII and for the form and content of the consent also call for definitive guidance.
Guidelines 1: This section addresses the final rule’s disclosure and use of PII. It contains both the general and specific disclosure and use provisions and includes the following exceptions to the PII disclosure requirement: directory information, disclosures to school officials who have legitimate educational interests, disclosures to specified officials for audit and evaluation purposes, and disclosures connected to financial aid for which the student has applied or received. The section also includes the requirements for written consent to disclose PII and specifications for the form and substance of the consent.
1.3 Overview of FERPA
FERPA defines education records as all records that schools or education agencies maintain about students. The term “education records” is broadly defined and includes records in whatever medium (handwritten, digital, print, electronic, tape, film, microfilm, etc.) containing information directly related to a student and maintained by any school or educational agency. This includes information which is maintained by a person other than an educational agency or institution such as a school psychologist or nurse. Particular mention is made of health and medical records maintained about a student by a school. The term does not include personal working notes of teachers or other records in the sole possession of the maker and not accessible or revealed to any other person except a substitute. An education record containing information about more than one student may be inspected and reviewed by the parents of only one of the students or eligible students. This student or eligible student shall only have access to that part of the record which pertains to him or her.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are “eligible students.”
- Understanding FERPA
2.1 Definition of student records
2.2 Rights of parents and eligible students
2.3 Responsibilities of educational institutions
- Maintaining student confidentiality
3.1 Identifying and classifying student records
3.2 Secure storage and access control measures
3.3 Encryption and data protection techniques
3.4 Handling and disposal of student records
- Obtaining consent and release of information
4.1 Consent requirements under FERPA
4.2 Valid reasons for releasing student information
4.3 Proper procedures for obtaining consent
- Responding to requests for student information
5.1 Verifying the identity and authority of requestors
5.2 Evaluating the legitimacy of requests
5.3 Documenting and tracking information disclosures
5.4 Notifying parents and eligible students of disclosures
- Training and awareness programs
6.1 Educating staff on FERPA regulations
6.2 Providing guidance on handling student records
6.3 Conducting regular privacy and security training
- Monitoring and auditing compliance
7.1 Establishing internal controls and policies
7.2 Conducting periodic privacy assessments
7.3 Auditing access logs and data handling practices
- Reporting and addressing violations
8.1 Reporting incidents of non-compliance
8.2 Investigating and addressing privacy breaches
8.3 Implementing corrective actions and sanctions
- Conclusion
9.1 Summary of key guidelines and best practices
9.2 Importance of ongoing compliance efforts
FAQs
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