Among the great challenges posed to democracy today is the use of technology, data, and automated systems in ways that threaten the rights of the American public. Too often, these tools are used to limit our opportunities and prevent our access to critical resources or services. These problems are well documented. In America and around the world,…

The work of the National Forum on Education Statistics (Forum) is a key aspect of the National Cooperative Education Statistics System (Cooperative System). The Cooperative System was established to produce and maintain, with the cooperation of the states, comparable and uniform education information and data that are useful for policymaking at…

This legal and policy guidance provides a summary framework for state policymakers as they work to use longitudinal data to improve student achievement while also protecting the privacy and security of individual student records. Summarizing relevant federal privacy and security laws, with a focus on the Family Educational Records and Privacy Act…

This information memorandum describes three federal laws which govern public access to federal records and the treatment of personally identifiable information by federal agencies or under federal programs. It is noted that these laws generally apply only to federal agencies in the executive branch of government. The first of four major sections…

This report explains how to use the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act of 1974. It reflects all changes to the laws made since 1977: major amendments to the Freedom of Information Act passed in 1974 and 1986; a major addition to the Privacy Act of 1974 was enacted in 1988; and minor amendments to the Privacy Act were made in…

An important federal statute impacting student records is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), enacted to ensure student/parent access to education records and to limit disclosures to others for unauthorized purposes. FERPA Regulations set forth the basic federal records retention and destruction requirements. The records of…

In order to examine the implementation of the Privacy Act of 1974 by federal government agencies, the General Accounting Office (GAO) examined organizational issues at 13 cabinet-level departments and the Veterans Administration and reviewed Privacy Act operations in detail at 6 of these agencies and 37 of their components. This study focused on…

In this policy briefing, the technological developments of recent years are linked to the erosion of individuals' informational privacy under the press of bureaucratic efficiency and the ever-growing needs of executive agencies for more information. It is noted that privacy protection within federal agencies may entail costs, and therefore, may be…