This article documents results of a survey of 73 school social workers regarding their record-keeping practices. These social workers indicated that time pressures are a major challenge to documentation; they struggle to know what to include, and they worry about privacy. More than half fail to consistently include assessment information, progress…

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is launching a new series of Technical Briefs on various aspects of the protection of personally identifiable information in students' education records. While driven by recent events, the principles and practices that are outlined in this series can be applied more generally to personally…

This document provides the public with a single document containing all regulatory provisions pertaining to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Included is a summary of the major comments received after publication of a notice of proposed rule-making. Each summary of comments is followed by a response that indicates whether or not a…

This chapter examines the main aspects of the Buckley Amendment, giving special attention to the definition of "educational record" and to the ten instances in which an institution may release information about a student without the student's consent. (IRT)

Some of the laws, rules, and principles related to student privacy, especially as they relate to the electronic era, are described. Some of the key elements of the Buckley Amendment are detailed and the ethical implications are discussed. (Author/MLW)

All students have privacy rights. Principals must understand the legal guarantees of confidentiality of records, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act's intent and alignment with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act regarding disabled students' records, and disclosure of information in educational records, particularly to…

Looks at the arguments against keeping secret records on schoolchildren. (Editor)

Describes the legal responsibilities of schools and colleges in the disclosure of student records, information, and evaluations, with particular reference to the impact of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. Provides some guidelines to follow when maintaining or disclosing information concerning students. (PGD)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) pertains broadly to education records, though an institution can exempt its law enforcement records from FERPA coverage. The primary purpose of this report was to examine FERPA's effect on the flow of information between institutions of higher education and law enforcement agencies. Study…

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…

This manual is intended to provide schools with guidance in complying with federal laws and regulations regarding record keeping and confidentiality in their services to students with disabilities. Part 1 focuses on requirements of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which ensures student/parent access to education records and…

The question of who should be permitted to access information about themselves, and what information they should have access to is discussed. Clemson University's policy on access to data in their records is described. (MLW)

Maintaining safe schools requires the forging of partnerships to share information between schools and youth-serving agencies, including the police department, court system, youth parole and probation offices, and child protective services. All public elementary and secondary schools are subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act…

Discusses issues in the University of California's policies concerning recording of disciplinary actions on student transcripts, including the conflicting recommendations of a number of professional associations in higher education concerning student records, provisions of the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, and inconsistency in…

In response to a request by the Presidential Task Force on Regulatory Relief, this report offers specific recommendations for reform of federal regulations. A cover letter explains the constraints imposed by the recommended format: that the report is unable to address adequately the area of federal regulatory activity generating the most adverse…