FERPA is an important privacy protection for students. There are important basic elements that all faculty and administrators need to know in order to protect the release of personally identifiable education information. This session provides a common-sense review of FERPA and the significant elements of this privacy law that must be observed. The areas of this law to be discussed include:
- What is an Education Record?
- What is a “legitimate educational interest?”
- What are the major exceptions to FERPA privacy?
- What is the FERPA standard for Law Enforcement Records? What about Health Service or Counseling Records?
- What do you need to know about writing letters of recommendation?
- What are the rights of parents?
- What is required in a FERPA release?
Learning outcomes:
- Participants will learn the foundational principles of FERPA
- Participants will understand the framework of privacy rights
- Participants will understand how and when personally identifiable education records may be released
- Participants will understand what constitutes an education record
- Participants will learn the circumstances when a FERPA release must be signed