The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a releasedonkey.com/ federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. FERPA gives parents and eligible students certain rights with respect to their 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.”

FERPA gives parents and eligible students the following rights:

• The right to inspect and review the student’s education records.
• The right to request that the school amend the student’s education records if they are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights.
• The right to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except for certain disclosures that are authorized without consent.
• The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education if they believe that the school has violated their FERPA rights.

FERPA also requires schools to have a written policy in place that explains the rights of parents and eligible students under FERPA. Schools must also provide parents and eligible students with a copy of their FERPA policy upon request.

Here are some examples of education records that are protected by FERPA:

• Grades
• Test scores
• Attendance records
• Disciplinary records
• Medical records
• Special education records
• Transcript
• Class schedules
• Student ID numbers

Schools are allowed to disclose education records without consent to certain parties, such as school officials with legitimate educational interests, other schools to which a student is transferring, and certain government officials. Schools are also allowed to disclose education records without consent in certain emergencies, such as to protect the health or safety of the student or others.

FERPA is an important law that protects the privacy of student education records. Parents and eligible students should be aware of their rights under FERPA and should contact their school if they have any questions about FERPA.

Here are some tips for protecting your child’s privacy under FERPA:

• Review your school’s FERPA policy.
• Talk to your child about FERPA and their rights.
• Be careful about what information you share with the school.
• Ask the school for permission before releasing any information about your child to third parties.
• File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education if you believe that the school has violated your FERPA rights.