Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

• Parents or eligible students have the right to inspect and review the student’s education records maintained by the school.  Schools are not required to provide copies of records unless, for reasons such as great distance, it is impossible for parents or eligible students to review the records.  Schools may charge a fee for copies.

• Parents or eligible students have the right to request that a school correct records which they believe to be inaccurate or misleading. If the school decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student then has the right to a formal hearing. 听证会结束后, if the school still decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student has the right to place a statement with the record setting forth his or her view about the contested information.

• 一般, schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any Information from a student’s education record. 然而, FERPA allows schools to disclose those records, 不同意, to the following parties or under the following conditions (34 CFR § 99.31):
  • School officials with legitimate education interest;
  • Other schools to which a student is transferring;
  • Specified officials for adult or evaluation purposes;
  • Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student;
  • Accrediting organizations;
  • To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena;
  • Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies; and
  • State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law.

Schools may disclose, 不同意, “directory” information such as student’s name, address, 电话号码, date and place of birth, 荣誉及奖励, and dates of attendance. 然而, schools must tell parents and eligible students about directory information and allow parents and eligible students a reasonable amount of time to request that the school not disclose directory information about them. Schools must notify parents and eligible students annually of their rights under FERPA. The actual means of notification (special letter, inclusion in a PTA bulletin, 学生手册, College web site or newspaper article) is left to the discretion of each school.