Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

Definition

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. This act gives parents certain rights regarding their children's education records, including the right to access, amend, and consent to disclosures of these records. FERPA is crucial in ensuring data privacy and security within educational institutions, as it sets guidelines for how student information can be handled and shared.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. FERPA applies to all schools that receive funding under programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education.
2. Under FERPA, parents have the right to review their child's education records until the child turns 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level.
3. Schools must provide annual notification to parents and eligible students about their rights under FERPA.
4. FERPA allows schools to disclose student information without consent in specific situations, such as to school officials with legitimate educational interests or during health and safety emergencies.
5. Violations of FERPA can result in the loss of federal funding for educational institutions.

Review Questions

• How does FERPA empower parents and students regarding access to educational records?
  • FERPA empowers parents and students by granting them specific rights concerning educational records. Parents can access their children's records, request amendments to these records if they believe they are inaccurate, and control who has access to this information. Once students reach 18 years old, these rights transfer to them, allowing them to manage their own educational records.
• Discuss the implications of FERPA's consent requirements for schools when disclosing student information.
  • FERPA's consent requirements place a significant responsibility on schools when it comes to sharing student information. Schools must obtain explicit permission from parents or eligible students before disclosing any personally identifiable information from educational records. This ensures that sensitive student data is kept private and secure unless there are legitimate reasons for sharing it, thereby protecting the student's right to privacy.
• Evaluate how FERPA balances the need for data privacy with the operational needs of educational institutions.
  • FERPA strikes a balance between data privacy and operational needs by allowing certain disclosures without consent while imposing strict guidelines on how information is handled. It recognizes that schools need access to educational records for legitimate purposes, like improving student services or conducting research. However, it also enforces rigorous standards for protecting personal information, which helps maintain trust between students, parents, and educational institutions while ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.

Related terms

Educational Records: Records that contain information directly related to a student and maintained by an educational agency or institution.

Consent: A requirement under FERPA that mandates educational institutions obtain permission from parents or eligible students before disclosing personally identifiable information from education records.

Directory Information: Information contained in a student's educational record that is generally not considered harmful if disclosed, such as a student's name, address, and phone number.