- that resulted in an educational agency or institution’s use of the photo or video for disciplinary action (or other official purposes) involving a student (or, if disciplinary action is pending or has not yet been taken, that would reasonably result in use of the photo or video for disciplinary action involving a student);
- that shows a student in violation of local, state, or federal law;
- that shows a student getting injured, attacked, victimized, ill, or having a health emergency;
A photo or video should not be considered directly related to a student in the absence of these factors and if the student’s image is incidental or captured only as part of the background, or if a student is shown participating in school activities that are open to the public and without a specific focus on any individual.
Examples of situations that may cause a video to be an education record:
- A school surveillance video showing two students fighting in a hallway, used as part of a disciplinary action, is directly related to the students fighting.
- A classroom video that shows a student having a seizure is directly related to that student because the depicted health emergency becomes the focus of the video.
- If a school maintains a close-up photo of two or three students playing basketball with a general view of student spectators in the background, the photo is directly related to the basketball players because they are the focus of the photo, but it is not directly related to the students pictured in the background. Schools often designate photos or videos of students participating in public events (e.g., sporting events, concerts, theater performances, etc.) as directory information and/or obtain consent from the parents or eligible students to publicly disclose photos or videos from these events.
- A video recording of a faculty meeting during which a specific student’s grades are being discussed is directly related to that student because the discussion contains PII from the student’s education record.
Maintained by an educational agency or institution:
To be considered an education record under FERPA, an educational agency or institution, or a party acting for the agency or institution, also must maintain the record. Thus, a photo taken by a parent at a school football game would not be considered an education record, even if it is directly related to a particular student, because it is not being maintained by the school or on the school’s behalf. If, however, the parent’s photo shows two students fighting at the game, and the parent provides a copy of the photo to the school, which then maintains the photo in the students’ disciplinary records, then the copy of the photo being maintained by the school is an education record.
Exclusion for Law Enforcement Unit Records
The FERPA statute and regulations (20 U.S.C. 1232g(a)(4)(B)(ii) and 34 CFR §§ 99.3 and 99.8) exclude from the definition of education records those records created and maintained by a law enforcement unit of an educational agency or institution for a law enforcement purpose. Thus, if a law enforcement unit of an educational agency or institution creates and maintains the school’s surveillance videos for a law enforcement purpose, then any such videos would not be considered to be education records. If the law enforcement unit provides a copy of the video to another component within the educational agency or institution (for example, to maintain the record in connection with a disciplinary action), then the copy of the video may become an education record of the student(s) involved if the video is not subject to any other exclusion from the definition of “education records” and the video is: (1) directly related to a student; and (2) maintained by an educational agency or institution or by a party acting for the agency or institution.
2. Can the same recorded image be the education record of more than one student under FERPA?
Yes. For example, a surveillance video that shows two students fighting on a school bus that the school uses and maintains to discipline the two students, would be “directly related to” and, therefore, the education record of both students.
3. If a video is an education record for multiple students, can a parent of one of the students or the eligible student view the video?
When a video is an education record of multiple students, in general, FERPA requires the educational agency or institution to allow, upon request, an individual parent of a student (or the student if the student is an eligible student) to whom the video directly relates to inspect and review, or "be informed of" the content of the video, consistent with the FERPA statutory provisions in 20 U.S.C. § 1232g(a)(1)(A) and regulatory provisions at 34 CFR § 99.12(a). FERPA generally does not require the educational agency or institution to release copies of the video to the parent or eligible student.
In providing access to the video, the educational agency or institution must provide the parent of the student (or the student if the student is an eligible student) with the opportunity to inspect and review or "be informed of" the content of the video. If the educational agency or institution can reasonably redact or segregate out the portions of the video directly related to other students, without destroying the meaning of the record, then the educational agency or institution would be required to do so prior to providing the parent or eligible student with access. On the other hand, if redaction or segregation of the video cannot reasonably be accomplished, or if doing so would destroy the meaning of the record, then the parents of each student to whom the video directly relates (or the students themselves if they are eligible students) would have a right under FERPA to inspect and review or "be informed of" the entire record even though it also directly relates to other students.
For a fuller legal analysis and explanation of this issue, please see the 2017 Letter to Wachter.
4. If a video is an education record for multiple students, can the parent of one of the students (or the eligible student) receive a copy of the video?
While we do not advise on an educational agency’s or institution’s obligations under any state open records laws that may apply, we note that FERPA does not generally require an educational agency or institution to provide copies of education records to parents and eligible students[2]. That said, it would not violate FERPA for an educational agency or institution to non-consensually disclose to an eligible student or to his or her parents copies of education records that the eligible student or his or her parents otherwise would have the right to inspect and review under FERPA.
For a fuller legal analysis and explanation of this issue, please see the 2017 Letter to Wachter.
5. If redaction or segregation of an education record of multiple students can be reasonably accomplished without destroying the meaning of the education record, can educational agencies and institutions charge parents or eligible students for the costs of the redaction or segregation?
No. FERPA provides parents and eligible students with the right to inspect and review the student’s education records, and nothing in the FERPA statute or regulations permits educational agencies and institutions to charge parents or eligible students for fees or costs associated with exercising that right.
If a school elects to provide a parent or eligible student with a copy of the education records, then the FERPA regulations (34 CFR § 99.11(a)) generally permit (with the exception noted below) the school to charge for the costs required to make the copy. FERPA regulations (34 CFR § 99.11(b)) also provide that the school may not charge a parent or eligible student for the costs to search for or retrieve the education records. We view the costs, if any, to the school of redacting, or segregating, education records of multiple students as being like the costs of search and retrieval that may not be charged to parents or eligible students, rather than like the costs for copies that generally may be charged to parents and eligible students. As noted above, if an educational agency or institution can reasonably redact or segregate out portions of an education record that is directly related to other students, without destroying the meaning of the record, then the educational agency or institution must do so and therefore cannot charge parents or eligible students for the costs associated with exercising their right to inspect and review such education records.
In contrast, parents and eligible students generally may be charged for the costs of making copies of education records precisely because FERPA generally does not require the school to provide them with such copies. Thus, where the redaction or segregation of education records of multiple students can be reasonably accomplished without destroying the meaning of the education records, nothing in FERPA permits educational agencies or institutions to charge parents or eligible students for the costs of making the required redactions or segregation. Please note that the FERPA regulations (34 CFR § 99.11(a)) similarly provide that if a fee for copies effectively prevents a parent or an eligible student from exercising the right to inspect and review his or her education records, an educational agency or institution would be required to provide copies without payment. Such cases would be limited to a parent or an eligible student providing evidence of the inability to pay for the copies due to financial hardship.
6. Does FERPA permit legal representatives of parents or eligible students to inspect and review videos with the parent or eligible student?
Yes. FERPA permits legal representatives of a parent or an eligible student to inspect and review videos with the parent or eligible student. While FERPA does not require educational agencies and institutions to allow parents or eligible students to bring their attorney or other legal representative with them when they exercise their right to inspect and review the student’s education records, nothing in FERPA prevents educational agencies and institutions from allowing parents or eligible students to bring their attorney or other legal representative with them when they exercise their right to inspect and review the student’s education records under FERPA.
7. Does FERPA permit educational agencies and institutions turn over videos to the police upon request or following an incident that may warrant police involvement?
If the law enforcement unit of an educational agency or institution creates and maintains videos for a law enforcement purpose, then the videos would not be education records and FERPA would not prohibit the law enforcement unit of an educational agency or institution from disclosing the videos to the police. If the videos are education records, however, educational agencies and institutions may not turn over videos to the police upon request without having first either obtained the written consent of the parent or eligible student or determined that the conditions of an exception to the general requirement of consent have been met, such as if the disclosure is made in connection with a health or safety emergency (20 U.S.C. 1232g(b)(1)(I) and 34 CFR §§ 99.31(a)(10) and 99.36) or the law enforcement officer has presented the educational agency or institution with a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena (20 U.S.C. 1232g(b)(1)(J) and (b)(2) and 34 CFR § 99.31(a)(9)).
[1] The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) also contains privacy protections that apply to children with disabilities. 20 U.S.C. 1417(c) and 34 CFR §§ 300.610-300.626 and 34 CFR §§ 303.401-303.416. Under the IDEA, participating agencies must protect the personally identifiable information (PII), data, or records that are collected, maintained, or used by the participating agency. While the definition of “education record” under Part B of the IDEA cross-references the FERPA definition in 34 CFR § 99.3, the application of IDEA requirements may raise different questions.
[2] If circumstances effectively prevent the parent or eligible student from otherwise exercising their right to inspect and review the student’s education records (e.g., if the parent lives outside of commuting distance to the school), then the educational agency or institution would be required to either provide a copy of the records or to make other arrangements for the parent or eligible student to inspect and review the records. 34 CFR § 99.10(d)
How are Military Recruiter requirements under 10 U.S.C. § 503 enforced?
In addition to the potential for loss of funds under ESEA for failure to comply with § 9528 of the ESEA, an LEA that denies a military recruiter access to the requested information on students after July 1, 2002, will be subject to specific interventions under 10 U.S.C. § 503.
In this regard, the law requires that a senior military officer (e.g., Colonel or Navy Captain) visit the LEA within 120 days. If the access problem is not resolved with the LEA, the Department of Defense must notify the state’s Governor within 60 days. Problems still unresolved after one year are reported to Congress, if the Secretary of Defense determines that the LEA denies recruiting access to at least two of the armed forces (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, etc.). The expectation is that public officials will work with the LEA to resolve the problem.
Additionally, the Department of Defense has developed a national high school data base to document recruiter access. Presently, 95 percent of the nation’s 22,000 secondary schools provide a degree of access to military recruiters that is consistent with current law.
How are the Military Recruiter requirements under § 9528 of the ESEA enforced?
Schools that do not comply with § 9528 of the ESEA could jeopardize their receipt of ESEA funds.
How does § 544 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 amend the former Military Recruiter requirements under 10 U.S.C. § 503?
The law’s recruiting provisions apply only to LEAs (including private secondary schools) that receive funds under the ESEA. These provisions require access by military recruiters to students, under certain conditions, and to secondary school students’ names, addresses, and telephone listings. They also require LEAs to notify parents of their right to opt out of the disclosure of their children’s names, addresses, and telephone numbers and to comply with any such requests from the parents or the students.
How does a school know when a health or safety emergency exists so that a disclosure may be made under this exception to consent?
An educational agency or institution must make this determination on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the totality of the circumstances pertaining to a threat to the health or safety of a student or others. If the school determines that there is an articulable and significant threat to the health or safety of a student or other individuals and that a third party needs personally identifiable information (PII) from education records to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals, it may disclose that information to appropriate parties without consent.
How long does an educational agency or institution have to comply with a request to view records?
FERPA requires that educational agencies and institutions comply with a request by a parent or eligible student for access to education records within a reasonable period of time, but not more than 45 days after receipt of a request. Some States have laws that may require that parents and eligible students be granted access in a shorter time period. 34 CFR § 99.10(b).
How long must the Child Welfare Agency (CWA) or tribal organization maintain the education records of a child, and what must the CWA or tribal organization do with the education records when no longer needed?
Some of the FERPA exceptions to consent require the recipient of education records to destroy personally identifiable information (PII) from education records when it is no longer needed. We recommend that the school or LEA and the CWA or tribal organization work together to determine how long the CWA or tribal organization should maintain the education records disclosed under the exception. For example, the CWA or tribal organization could use its standard records retention and destruction guidelines or return the records to the disclosing school or LEA. Further, CWA and tribal organizations should be aware of the potential consequences of improperly redisclosing PII from the education records that are received from the school or LEA under the FERPA exception.
How may a parent or eligible student file a FERPA complaint with the Department of Education?
A parent or eligible student may file a written complaint with the Family Policy Compliance Office regarding an alleged violation under of FERPA. The complaint must be timely (submitted to the office within 180 days of the date that the complainant knew or reasonably knew of the violation) and state clearly and succinctly specific allegations of fact giving reasonable cause to believe that the school has violated FERPA.
I want to use online tool or application as part of my course. However, I am worried that it is a violation of FERPA. What should I do?
A teacher should first check with their school/district administration to see if that application or service is approved for use in the classroom. Any applications or services that collect personally identifiable information (PII) from students’ education records under the school officials exception to prior consent in FERPA must:
- Provides a service or function that the school would otherwise use its own staff
- Be under the direct control of the school with regard to the use and maintenance of the PII from education records
- Collection and use of the PII must be consistent with the school or district’s annual notification of rights under FERPA
- Not re-disclose or use the education data for unauthorized purposes.
Remember that the use of some applications or services may introduce security or privacy vulnerabilities into the school or districts IT systems. Teachers should always consult their IT representatives to discuss the use of these types of software tools prior to use to ensure compliance with FERPA requirements and promote a safe, secure computing environment.
If a parent opts out of the public, non-consensual disclosure of directory information (or any subset of such information), must the three data elements be released to military recruiters upon their request?
If a parent opts out of providing directory information to third parties, the opt-out relating to name, address, or telephone number applies to requests from military recruiters as well. For example, if the opt-out states that telephone numbers will not be disclosed to the public, schools may not disclose telephone numbers to military recruiters.
If a school or LEA discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from education records to a community-based organization under a FERPA exception to consent, what and how much PII from education records can it disclose to the organization?
The school or LEA has discretion under FERPA to decide what and how much PII from education records to disclose to community-based organizations (except in certain cases such as a court order or a subpoena). The school or LEA should determine which data elements are necessary for the activity in question and provide only those elements. Often LEAs and schools will discover that the organization can do the work in question without receiving PII from education records.
If a student under 18 is enrolled in both high school and a local college, do parents have the right to inspect and review his or her education records?
If a student is attending a postsecondary institution - at any age - the rights under FERPA have transferred to the student. However, in a situation where a student is enrolled in both a high school and a postsecondary institution, the two schools may exchange information on that student. If the student is under 18, the parents still retain the rights under FERPA at the high school and may inspect and review any records sent by the postsecondary institution to the high school. Additionally, the postsecondary institution may disclose personally identifiable information from the student’s education records to the parents, without the consent of the eligible student, if the student is a dependent for tax purposes under the IRS rules. Dual Enrollment Dually Enrolled
If a video is an education record for multiple students, can a parent of one of the students or the eligible student view the video?
When a video is an education record of multiple students, in general, FERPA requires the educational agency or institution to allow, upon request, an individual parent of a student (or the student if the student is an eligible student) to whom the video directly relates to inspect and review the video. FERPA generally does not require the educational agency or institution to release copies of the video to the parent or eligible student.
In providing access to the video, the educational agency or institution must provide the parent of the student (or the student if the student is an eligible student) with the opportunity to inspect and review the video. If the educational agency or institution can reasonably redact or segregate out the portions of the video directly related to other students, without destroying the meaning of the record, then the educational agency or institution would be required to do so prior to providing the parent or eligible student with access. On the other hand, if redaction or segregation of the video cannot reasonably be accomplished, or if doing so would destroy the meaning of the record, then the parents of each student to whom the video directly relates (or the students themselves if they are eligible students) would have a right under FERPA to access the entire record even though it also directly relates to other students.
For a fuller legal analysis and explanation of this issue, please see the 2017 Letter to Wachter.
If a video is an education record for multiple students, can the parent of one of the students (or the eligible student) receive a copy of the video?
While we do not advise on an educational agency’s or institution’s obligations under any state open records laws that may apply, we note that FERPA does not generally require an educational agency or institution to provide copies of education records to parents and eligible students[1]. That said, it would not violate FERPA for an educational agency or institution to non-consensually disclose to an eligible student or to his or her parents copies of education records that the eligible student or his or her parents otherwise would have the right to inspect and review under FERPA.
For a fuller legal analysis and explanation of this issue, please see the 2017 Letter to Wachter.
[1] If circumstances effectively prevent the parent or eligible student from otherwise exercising their right to inspect and review the student’s education records (e.g., if the parent lives outside of commuting distance to the school), then the educational agency or institution would be required to either provide a copy of the records or to make other arrangements for the parent or eligible student to inspect and review the records. 34 CFR § 99.10(d)
If an LEA has not provided notice relating to directory information, may it release a students name, address, and telephone number when requested by a military recruiter?
An LEA may provide a single notice regarding both directory information and information disclosed to military recruiters. If an LEA does not disclose “directory information” under FERPA, then it must still provide military recruiters access to secondary students’ names, addresses, and telephone listings. In addition, the LEA must notify parents that they may opt out of this disclosure. In other words, an LEA that does not disclose “directory information” must nonetheless provide a notice that it discloses information to military recruiters. The notice must be reasonably calculated to inform parents.
If redaction or segregation of an education record of multiple students can be reasonably accomplished without destroying the meaning of the education record.
can educational agencies and institutions charge parents or eligible students for the costs of the redaction or segregation?
No. FERPA provides parents and eligible students with the right to inspect and review the student’s education records, and nothing in the FERPA statute or regulations permits educational agencies and institutions to charge parents or eligible students for fees or costs associated with exercising that right.
If a school elects to provide a parent or eligible student with a copy of the education records, then the FERPA regulations (34 CFR § 99.11(a)) generally permit (with the exception noted below) the school to charge for the costs required to make the copy. FERPA regulations (34 CFR § 99.11(b)) also provide that the school may not charge a parent or eligible student for the costs to search for or retrieve the education records. We view the costs, if any, to the school of redacting, or segregating, education records of multiple students as being like the costs of search and retrieval that may not be charged to parents or eligible students, rather than like the costs for copies that generally may be charged to parents and eligible students. As noted above, if an educational agency or institution can reasonably redact or segregate out portions of an education record that is directly related to other students, without destroying the meaning of the record, then the educational agency or institution must do so and therefore cannot charge parents or eligible students for the costs associated with exercising their right to inspect and review such education records.
In contrast, parents and eligible students generally may be charged for the costs of making copies of education records precisely because FERPA generally does not require the school to provide them with such copies. Thus, where the redaction or segregation of education records of multiple students can be reasonably accomplished without destroying the meaning of the education records, nothing in FERPA permits educational agencies or institutions to charge parents or eligible students for the costs of making the required redactions or segregation. Please note that the FERPA regulations (34 CFR § 99.11(a)) similarly provide that if a fee for copies effectively prevents a parent or an eligible student from exercising the right to inspect and review his or her education records, an educational agency or institution would be required to provide copies without payment. Such cases would be limited to a parent or an eligible student providing evidence of the inability to pay for the copies due to financial hardship.
If the school does not list one or more of name, address, and telephone listing among its directory information, may it release that information to military recruiters?
If a school does not designate one or more of the three items as “directory information” under FERPA, it still must provide all three items to military recruiters upon request. Also, in that case, the school would have to send a separate notice to parents about the missing “directory information” item(s), noting an opportunity to opt out of disclosure of the information to military recruiters. An easier method, of course, would be for the school to designate all three items – name, address, and telephone listing – as “directory information.”
In the case of a divorce, do both parents have rights under FERPA?
Generally, yes. Unless a school is provided with evidence that there is a court order, state law, or other legally binding document relating to such matters as divorce, separation, or custody that specifically provides to the contrary, FERPA gives custodial and noncustodial parents alike certain rights with respect to their children’s education records. A school may ask for legal certification denoting parenthood, such as a birth certificate or court order, from the parent requesting access.
Source: 34 CFR § 99.4
Is an educational institution or agency permitted to disclose student records without consent to accrediting organizations?
Yes, an educational institution or agency is permitted to disclose student records to the extent accrediting organizations need the records in order to carry out their accrediting function.
Is it permissible to release grade point average (GPA) to honors organizations without consent?
No. FERPA does not generally permit a school to disclose a student’s GPA without the parent’s or eligible student’s consent.
Is prior written consent of the parent or eligible student required to disclose information to community-based organizations?
In most cases, yes. Written consent is generally required before personally identifiable information (PII) from students’ education records may be disclosed to community-based organizations. Except as set forth in § 99.31 of the regulations and in the statutory exceptions to consent at 20 U.S.C. 1232g, FERPA requires written consent from parents or eligible students before PII from education records are disclosed (34 CFR § 99.30). For activities that do not fit within the statutory exceptions to consent, we recommend that schools, local educational agencies (LEAs), and/or community-based organizations build written consent into the registration process so that when parents sign students up for services offered by a community-based organization, the organization obtains the consent needed to access those education records of the student that will be needed to provide its services to that student.
May a Child Welfare Agency (CWA) or tribal organization redisclose personally identifiable information (PII) from education records to other individuals or entities?
In some cases, FERPA does permit a CWA or tribal organization to redisclose PII from education records for a limited purpose. Specifically, it provides that redisclosures may only be made to an individual or entity “engaged in addressing the student’s education needs” and authorized by such agency or organization to receive such disclosure and such disclosure must be consistent with the state or tribal laws applicable to protecting the confidentiality of a student’s education records. 20 U.S.C. § 1232g(b)(1)(L).
May a Child Welfare Agency (CWA) or tribal organization that receives personally identifiable information (PII) from education records through the exception in FERPA use the PII for purposes other than addressing the education needs of the child?
No. FERPA is clear that the PII from education records disclosed to the CWA or tribal organization under the 2013 exception to FERPA must only be used to address the educational needs of children in foster care placement.
May a parent or eligible student have an attorney at an amendment hearing?
Yes, the parent or eligible student may, at their own expense, be assisted or represented by one or more individuals of his or her own choice, including an attorney.
May a postsecondary institution disclose financial aid records without written consent?
FERPA permits institutions to disclose, without consent, personally identifiable information from students’ education records when the disclosure is in connection with a student's application for, or receipt of, financial aid. Disclosures under this exception to consent may be made if the information is necessary for such purposes as to: (a) determine eligibility for the aid; (b) determine the amount of the aid; (c) determine the conditions for the aid; or (d) enforce the terms and conditions of the aid.
May a postsecondary institution disclose information about a disciplinary proceeding to the victim of a crime of violence or a non-forcible sex offense?
Yes, a postsecondary institution may disclose only the final results of the disciplinary proceeding to a victim of an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or a non-forcible sex offense. The institution may disclose to the victim the final results of the disciplinary proceeding regardless of whether the institution concluded a violation was committed.
May a school disclose de-identified data to community-based organization?
Yes. Schools do not need to obtain written consent or to inform parents or eligible students when releasing properly de-identified information.
May a school disclose directory information to a community-based organization without written consent?
Generally, yes. FERPA allows schools that have adopted directory information policies to disclose properly designated directory information without consent on students whose parents (or eligible students) have not opted out of the disclosure of directory information. See § 99.37(a). However, if a school adopts a directory information policy specifying that disclosure of directory information will be limited to specific parties, for specific purposes, or both, then the school is required to limit its directory information disclosures to those specified in its public notice. See § 99.37(d).
May a school make disclosures under FERPA’s health or safety emergency provision for emergency preparedness exercises?
No. Disclosures made under the health or safety emergency provision must be “in connection with an emergency,” which means it must be related to an actual, impending, or imminent emergency, such as a natural disaster, a terrorist attack, a campus shooting, or the outbreak of an epidemic disease.
May a social security number or other student identification number be listed as directory information?
A school may not designate a student’s social security number as directory information. However, directory information may include a student’s user ID or other unique identifier used by the student to access or communicate in electronic systems, but only if the electronic identifier cannot be used to gain access to education records except when used in conjunction with one or more factors that authenticate the student’s identity, such as a personal identification number (PIN), password, or other factor known or possessed only by the student or authorized user. 34 CFR § 99.3
May an educational agency or institution disclose directory information without prior consent?
Education records that have been appropriately designated as "directory information" by the educational agency or institution may be disclosed without prior consent. See 34 CFR §§ 99.31(a)(11) and 99.37. FERPA defines directory information as information contained in an education record of a student that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. 34 CFR § 99.3.
FERPA provides that a school may disclose directory information if it has given public notice of the types of information which it has designated as "directory information," the parent or eligible student’s right to restrict the disclosure of such information, and the period of time within which a parent or eligible student has to notify the school in writing that he or she does not want any or all of those types of information designated as "directory information." 34 CFR § 99.37(a). A school is not required to inform former students or the parents of former students regarding directory information or to honor their request that directory information not be disclosed without consent. 34 CFR § 99.37(b). However, if a parent or eligible student, within the specified time period during the student's last opportunity as a student in attendance, requested that directory information not be disclosed, the school must honor that request until otherwise notified.
May an educational agency or institution disclose education records if they are involved in litigation against a parent of student or an eligible student?
Yes, the educational agency or institution may disclose to the court the education records of the student that are relevant for the educational agency or institution to proceed with or defend against the legal action. 34 CFR § 99.31(a)(9)(iii).
May an educational agency or institution disclose information over the phone?
While FERPA does not specifically prohibit a school from disclosing personally identifiable information from a student’s education records over the telephone, it does require that the school use reasonable methods to identify and authenticate the identity of parents, students, school officials, and any other parties to whom the school discloses personally identifiable information from education records. 34 CFR § 99.31(c).
May an educational agency or institution disclose personally identifiable information from students education records for the purpose of a specified audit, evaluation, or for compliance and enforcement purposes under FERPA?
FERPA permits schools to disclose PII from students’ education records, without consent, to authorized representatives of state and local educational authorities, the Secretary of Education, the Comptroller General of the United States, and the Attorney General of the United States for specified purposes. Disclosures may be made under this exception as necessary in connection with the audit or evaluation off federal- or state-supported education programs, or in connection with the enforcement of federal legal requirements that relate to those programs. 34 CFR §§ 99.31(a)(3) and 99.35.
May an educational agency or institution disclose personally identifiable information from students education records to third parties for the purpose of conducting a study on its behalf?
FERPA contains an exception to its general consent rule under which an educational agency or institution may disclose personally identifiable information from education records without consent to organizations conducting studies for, or on its behalf. Studies must be only for the purpose of: developing, validating, or administering predictive tests; administering student aid programs; or improving instruction. A written agreement with the organization is required, specifying the purposes of the study and the use and destruction of the information. 34 CFR § 99.31(a)(6)
May an LEA non-consensually disclose personally identifiable information (PII) from education records to a community-based organization in order to conduct an audit or evaluation of the school system’s education programs?
Yes. FERPA’s audit or evaluation exception allows an LEA to designate a community-based organization as its authorized representative and disclose PII from education records without consent of parents or eligible students to audit or evaluate a federal- or state-supported education program, or to enforce or comply with federal legal requirements that relate to those education programs (audit, evaluation, or enforcement or compliance activity). See 34 CFR § 99.35. (This provision does not apply to individual schools that are not considered local educational authorities under state or local law.)
May an SEA redisclose, on behalf of its LEAs, the education records of students in foster care placement to the students’ Child Welfare Agencies (CWAs) or tribal organizations that are legally responsible for their care and protection?
Yes. An SEA may redisclose personally identifiable information (PII) from the education records of students in foster care placement to a CWA or tribal organization that is legally responsible for the care and protection of the student. The disclosure must be made on behalf of the LEA, as permitted under § 99.33(b)(1) of the FERPA regulations.
May parents or eligible students be provided access to education records that contain information on more than one student?
If the education records of a student contain personally identifiable information on other students, the parent or eligible student may inspect or review or be informed of only the specific information about the student in question. 34 CFR § 99.12.
May postsecondary institutions disclose results of disciplinary proceedings?
Postsecondary institutions may disclose the final results of disciplinary proceedings if the institution has found that the student has violated the institution’s rules or policies in regard to a crime of violence or a non-forcible sex offense. However, the institution may not disclose the name of any other student, including a victim or witness, without the prior written consent of that student.
May schools comply with a subpoena or court order for education records without the consent of the parent or eligible student?
Yes. FERPA permits disclosure of education records without consent in compliance with a lawfully issued subpoena or judicial order. See § 99.31(a)(9)(i) and (ii).
May schools publish honors and awards received by a student?
Schools may disclose honors and awards received by students if it has properly designated “honors and awards” as a category in its directory information policy and has followed the requirements in FERPA for notifying parents and/or eligible students about the policy.
May the community-based organization receiving personally identifiable information (PII) from education records redisclose PII from education records without written consent?
No. Regardless of whether the community-based organization received the PII under the school official, studies, or audit/evaluation exception, the answer is the same – the community-based organization may not redisclose it unless such redisclosure is on behalf of the disclosing entity and is consistent with FERPA. (34 CFR § 99.33). If further redisclosure is contemplated, we recommend that provisions addressing authorized redisclosures be included in any agreement with the community-based organization.
May the LEA disclose personally identifiable information (PII) from education records to a community-based organization under the audit or evaluation exception for the purpose of the community-based organization evaluating its own program?
Generally, no. The audit or evaluation by an community-based organization of its own program (i.e., to determine whether or not the organization’s program is effective) in most cases would not be permitted under the audit or evaluation exception because the audit or evaluation exception only permits the audit or evaluation of federal- or state-supported education programs, which FERPA defines as any program principally engaged in the provision of education, including, but not limited to, early childhood education, elementary and secondary education, postsecondary education, special education, job training, career and technical education, and adult education, and any program that is administered by an educational agency or institution.
May the school or LEA non-consensually disclose personally identifiable information (PII) from education records to a community-based organization that is conducting a study for the school or LEA?
Yes. The studies exception allows for the disclosure of PII from education records without consent to community-based organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, the school or LEA. FERPA limits the purpose of the studies conducted under this exception to: (1) developing, validating, or administering predictive tests; (2) administering student aid programs; or (3) improving instruction. See 34 CFR § 99.31(a)(6)(i).
Must a school have a written agreement or contract with a community-based organization to which it non-consensually discloses education records to outsource an institutional service under the school official exception?
No. While FERPA does not require written agreements or contracts when a school chooses to outsource an institutional service or function to a community-based organization under the “school official” exception, it is a best practice to do so. Written agreements help ensure that the community-based organization understands its obligations and responsibilities with respect to the use of and privacy protections accorded to the FERPA protected information. Further, appropriate contractual provisions can establish the direct control required by FERPA under this exception. Additionally, local or state policies or laws may require the use of written agreements or contracts for procurement.
Must a school inform parents and eligible students if the school non-consensually discloses personally identifiable information from their education records to a community-based organization to which the school has outsourced an institutional service?
No. While there is no specific notification requirement regarding disclosures under the exceptions to consent, FERPA does require that each school or LEA annually notify parents and eligible students of their rights under FERPA. 34 CFR § 99.7. As a part of the annual notice, the school or LEA must include in the notification a specification of the criteria for determining who constitutes a school official and what constitutes a legitimate educational interest. 34 CFR § 99.7(3)(iii).
Must a school or LEA record the non-consensual disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII) from education records to a community-based organization?
Yes. Generally, when a school or LEA discloses without consent PII from education records to a community-based organization, with the exception of disclosures made under the “school official” exception, the disclosure must be recorded. FERPA require schools to record all requests for access to, and all disclosures of, PII from the education records of each student, except for disclosures to school officials, disclosures related to some judicial orders or lawfully issued subpoenas, disclosures of directory information, and disclosures to the parent or eligible student. See 34 CFR § 99.32(d). Schools and LEAs must maintain these records with the student’s education records for as long as the student’s records are maintained. The recorded information must include the parties who have requested or received PII and their legitimate interests in requesting or obtaining the information. Parents and eligible students have a right to inspect and review the record of disclosures. See 34 CFR § 99.32 for the full list of recordation requirements.
Must an educational agency or institution have a written agreement to disclose personally identifiable information (PII) from education records without consent for the purposes of conducting a study or an audit or evaluation of an education program?
Yes. Both the studies exception and the audit or evaluation exception specifically require that the parties execute a written agreement when disclosing PII from education records without consent.
Must educational agencies and institutions record any disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII) from education records to the Child Welfare Agencies (CWAs) or tribal organization?
Yes. FERPA requires recordkeeping on requests for access to and disclosures of education records. See § 99.32. Thus, if a school discloses education records to the Child Welfare Agency (CWA) or tribal organization under this exception, the school must be compliant with the recordation requirements under FERPA and also must include: (1) the parties who have requested or received PII from the education records, and (2) the legitimate interests the parties had in requesting or obtaining the information. If an educational agency or institution discloses PII from education records with the understanding that further disclosures will be made, the educational agency’s or institution’s record of disclosure must include the names and legitimate interests of the additional parties.
Must postsecondary institutions provide a parent with access to an eligible student’s education records?
While the rights under FERPA transfer from the parents to the student when the student turns 18 or enrolls in a postsecondary institution at any age, FERPA provides ways in which an institution can share education records on the student with his or her parents. Schools may disclose any and all information to parents, without the consent of the eligible student, if the student is a dependent for tax purposes under the IRS rules. FERPA also permits a school to disclose information from an eligible student’s education records to parents if a health or safety emergency involves their son or daughter. Another provision in FERPA permits a college or university to let parents of students under the age of 21 know when the student has violated any law or policy concerning the use of possession of alcohol or a controlled substance. School officials may also share information with a parent about an eligible student that is based on that official’s personal knowledge or observation and that is not based on information contained in an education record.
Must the Child Welfare Agency (CWA) or tribal organization record any redisclosure of personally identifiable information (PII) from education records made by the welfare agency or tribal organization to an individual or entity?
No. FERPA does not require the CWA or tribal organization to record any redisclosure of PII from education records that it may make to an individual or entity, such as a contractor providing services to address a student’s education needs. However, if the CWA or tribal organization does redisclose PII from an education record on a student in foster care placement to anyone other than an agency- or organization-employed caseworker or other representative who has the right to access a student’s case plan, the Department recommends, as a good data management practice, that the CWA or tribal organization record the redisclosure and inform the school of the redisclosure for record keeping purposes.
Must the LEA ensure that a community-based organization designated as its authorized representative complies with FERPA?
Yes. Before the LEA discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from education records to a community-based organization designated as an authorized representative, the LEA is required to use “reasonable methods” to ensure to the greatest extent practicable that the community-based organization is FERPA-compliant. This specifically means ensuring that the community-based organization:
- Uses PII from education records only to carry out an audit or evaluation of federal- or state-supported education programs, or for the enforcement of or compliance with, federal legal requirements related to these programs. The LEA should make sure that the proposed audit or evaluation is legitimate, and require in the written agreement that the community-based organization use the PII from education records only for that audit, evaluation, or enforcement or compliance activity.
- Protects the PII from education records from further disclosures or other uses, except as authorized by the LEA in accordance with FERPA. The agreement must specify that the community-based organization may not further disclose the PII from education records, unless authorized.
- Destroys the PII from education records when no longer needed for the audit, evaluation, or enforcement or compliance activity. The agreement must specify that the community-based organization is required to destroy the PII from education records when it is no longer needed and specify the time period in which the PII must be destroyed. See 34 CFR § 99.35(a)(2).
Must the LEA have a written agreement with the community-based organization prior to disclosing personally identifiable information (PII) from education records under the Audit Evaluation Exception?
Yes. The LEA must use a written agreement to designate the community-based organization as its authorized representative. The written agreement must include certain mandatory components as described in § 99.35(a)(3)(ii) of the regulations. The specific policies and procedures outlined in the agreement should be consistent with FERPA and all other applicable laws.) For additional information, see § 99.35 of the regulations
Must the school or LEA have a written agreement with the community-based organization conducting the study?
Yes. Written agreements are required under the studies exception, §99.31(a)(6)(iii)(C), and must
- Specify the purpose, scope, and duration of the study and the information to be disclosed.
- Require the community-based organization to use personally identifiable information (PII) from education records only to meet the purpose(s) of the study as stated in the written agreement.
- Require the community-based organization to conduct the study in a manner that does not permit the personal identification of parents and students by anyone other than representatives of the organization with legitimate interests. This typically means that the organization should allow internal access to PII from education records only to individuals with a need to know, and that the organization should take steps to maintain the confidentiality of the PII from education records at all stages of the study.
- Require the community-based organization to destroy all PII from education records when the information is no longer needed for the purposes for which the study was conducted, and specify the time period in which the information must be destroyed.
Must the SEA record the redisclosure of education records to the Child Welfare Agency (CWA) or tribal organization?
Yes. Section 99.32(b)(2)(i) of the FERPA regulations generally requires that an SEA that makes further disclosures of personally identifiable information (PII) from education records must record the names of the additional parties (e.g., the CWA) to which it discloses PII from education records on behalf of the LEA and their legitimate interests in the information under FERPA. However, the SEA would not have to make a record of the redisclosure if the LEA had made a record of the disclosure to the SEA and included in that record the name of the CWA or tribal organization and its legitimate interest (i.e., to permit the CWA or tribal organization to address the education needs of the child) to which the additional disclosure of the education records would be made.
Preguntas frecuentes sobre fotos y videos bajo FERPA
1. ¿Cuándo una foto o un video de un estudiante es un registro educativo según FERPA?
Al igual que con cualquier otro “registro educativo”, una foto o un video de un estudiante es un registro educativo, sujeto a exclusiones específicas, cuando la foto o el video: (1) está directamente relacionado con un estudiante; y (2) mantenido por una agencia o institución educativa o por una parte que actúa en nombre de la agencia o institución. (20 U.S.C. 1232g(a)(4)(A); 34 CFR § 99.3 “Registro educativo [Education Record]”)[1]
Directamente relacionado con un estudiante:
Cuando hacen referencia a los registros educativos, las regulaciones de FERPA no definen exactamente lo que significa ser “directamente relacionado” a un estudiante. En el contexto de fotografías y videos, determinar si una representación visual de un estudiante está directamente relacionada con un estudiante (en lugar de tan solo incidentalmente relacionada con él o ella) a menudo es específico del contexto, y las agencias e instituciones educativas deben examinar ciertos tipos de fotografías y videos caso por caso para determinar si se relacionan directamente con alguno de los estudiantes representados en ellos. Entre los factores que pueden ayudar a determinar si las fotos o videos deben considerarse “directamente relacionados” con un estudiante se encuentran los siguientes:
- La agencia o institución educativa utiliza la foto o el video para medidas disciplinarias (u otros fines oficiales) que involucren al estudiante (incluida la víctima de dicho incidente disciplinario);
- La foto o el vídeo contiene una descripción de una actividad:
- que haya resultado en el uso de la foto o el video por parte de una agencia o institución educativa para medidas disciplinarias (u otros fines oficiales) que involucren a un estudiante (o, si hay medidas disciplinarias pendientes o aún no se han tomado, que razonablemente resultarían en el uso de la foto o el video para la acción disciplinaria que involucra a un estudiante);
- que muestre que un estudiante ha violado las leyes locales, estatales o federales;
- que muestre a un estudiante siendo lesionado, atacado, victimizado, enfermo o teniendo una emergencia de salud;
Una foto o video no debe considerarse directamente relacionado con un estudiante en ausencia de estos factores y si la imagen del estudiante es incidental o capturada solo como parte del fondo, o si se muestra a un estudiante participando en actividades escolares que están abiertas al público y sin un enfoque específico en ningún individuo.
Ejemplos de situaciones que pueden hacer que un video sea un registro educativo:
- Un video de vigilancia escolar que muestra a dos estudiantes peleando en un pasillo, utilizado como parte de una acción disciplinaria, está directamente relacionado con la pelea de los estudiantes.
- Un video en el aula que muestra a un estudiante sufriendo una convulsión está directamente relacionado con ese estudiante porque la emergencia de salud representada se convierte en el foco del video.
- Si una escuela mantiene una fotografía en primer plano de dos o tres estudiantes jugando baloncesto con una vista general de los estudiantes espectadores al fondo, la foto está directamente relacionada con los jugadores de baloncesto porque son el foco de la foto, pero no está directamente relacionado con los estudiantes que se muestran al fondo. Las escuelas a menudo designan fotografías o videos de estudiantes que participan en eventos públicos (por ejemplo, eventos deportivos, conciertos, representaciones teatrales, etc.) como información del directorio y/u obtienen el consentimiento de los padres o estudiantes elegibles para divulgar públicamente fotografías o videos de estos eventos.
- Una grabación de video de una reunión de profesores durante la cual se discuten las calificaciones de un estudiante específico está directamente relacionada con ese estudiante porque la discusión contiene Información de Identificación Personal (PII) del expediente educativo del estudiante.
Mantenido por una agencia o institución educativa:
Para ser considerado un registro educativo según FERPA, una agencia o institución educativa, o una parte que actúe en nombre de la agencia o institución, también debe mantener el registro. Por lo tanto, una fotografía tomada por un padre en un partido de fútbol escolar no se consideraría un registro educativo, incluso si está directamente relacionada con un estudiante en particular, porque la escuela no la mantiene ni tampoco el padre la mantiene a nombre de la escuela. Sin embargo, si la fotografía de los padres muestra a dos estudiantes peleando en el juego, y el padre proporciona una copia de la fotografía a la escuela, que luego mantiene la fotografía en los registros disciplinarios de los estudiantes, entonces la copia de la fotografía que mantiene la escuela es un registro educativo.
Exclusión de registros de la unidad de cumplimento de la ley (policía de la escuela)
El estatuto y los reglamentos de FERPA (20 U.S.C. 1232g(a)(4)(B)(ii) y 34 CFR §§ 99.3 y 99.8) excluyen de la definición de registros educativos aquellos registros creados y mantenidos por una unidad de cumplimiento de la ley (unidad policial) de un agencia o institución educativa con fines de aplicación de la ley. Por lo tanto, si una unidad policial de una agencia o institución educativa crea y mantiene videos de vigilancia de la escuela con fines policiales, dichos videos no se considerarán registros educativos. Si la unidad policial proporciona una copia del video a otro componente dentro de la agencia o institución educativa (por ejemplo, para mantener el registro en relación con una acción disciplinaria), entonces la copia del video puede convertirse en un registro educativo de el/los estudiante(s) involucrado(s) si el video no está sujeto a ninguna otra exclusión de la definición de "registros educativos" y el video está: (1) directamente relacionado con un estudiante; y (2) mantenido por una agencia o institución educativa o por una parte que actúa en nombre de la agencia o institución.
2. ¿Puede la misma imagen grabada ser el registro educativo de más de un estudiante según FERPA?
Sí. Por ejemplo, un video de vigilancia que muestra a dos estudiantes peleando en un autobús escolar que la escuela usa y mantiene para disciplinar a los dos estudiantes estaría “directamente relacionado” y, por lo tanto, ser parte del expediente educativo de ambos estudiantes.
3. Si un video es un registro educativo para varios estudiantes, ¿puede ver el video un padre de uno de los estudiantes o el estudiante elegible?
Por lo general, cuando un video es un registro educativo de varios estudiantes, la FERPA requiere que la agencia o institución educativa da acceso a un padre o un estudiante elegible a inspeccionar y revisar, o “ser informado” del contenido del video, a petición de un padre particular de un estudiante (o de un estudiante si es un estudiante elegible) de que el video se relacione directamente, en conformidad con las disposiciones legales de FERPA en 20 U.S.C. § 1232g(a)(1)(A) y las normas reglamentarias en 34 CFR § 99.12(a). Aun así, generalmente, la FERPA no requiere que la agencia o institución educativa da copias del video a los padres o al estudiante elegible.
Al brindar acceso al video, la agencia o institución educativa debe brindarle al padre del estudiante (o al estudiante si el estudiante es un estudiante elegible) la oportunidad de inspeccionar y revisar o "ser informados" del contenido del video. Si la agencia o institución educativa puede redactar o segregar razonablemente las partes del video directamente relacionadas con otros estudiantes, sin destruir el significado del registro, entonces la agencia o institución educativa debe hacerlo antes de proporcionar acceso al padre o al estudiante elegible. Por otro lado, si no se puede lograr razonablemente la redacción o segregación del video, o si hacerlo destruiría el significado del registro, entonces los padres de cada estudiante con quien el video se relaciona directamente (o los propios estudiantes si son estudiantes elegibles) tendrían derecho bajo FERPA a inspeccionar y revisar o “ser informados” de todo el expediente, aunque también se relacione directamente con otros estudiantes.
Para obtener un análisis legal más completo y una explicación de este problema, consulte la Carta a Wachter de 2017.
4. Si un video es un registro educativo para varios estudiantes, ¿puede el padre de uno de los estudiantes (o el estudiante elegible) recibir una copia del video?
Si bien no asesoramos sobre las obligaciones de una agencia o institución educativa según las leyes estatales de registros abiertos que puedan aplicarse, observamos que la FERPA generalmente no exige que una agencia o institución educativa proporcione copias de los registros educativos a los padres y estudiantes elegibles[2]. Dicho esto, no violaría la FERPA que una agencia o institución educativa divulgue sin consentimiento a un estudiante elegible o a sus padres copias de registros educativos que el estudiante elegible o sus padres de otro modo tendrían derecho a inspeccionar y revisión bajo FERPA.
Para obtener un análisis legal más completo y una explicación de este problema, consulte la Carta a Wachter de 2017.
5. Si la redacción o segregación de un registro educativo de varios estudiantes se puede lograr razonablemente sin destruir el significado del expediente educativo, ¿pueden las agencias e instituciones educativas cobrar a los padres o estudiantes elegibles por los costos de la redacción o segregación?
No. La FERPA brinda a los padres y estudiantes elegibles el derecho de inspeccionar y revisar los registros educativos del estudiante, y nada en el estatuto o las regulaciones de FERPA permite a las agencias e instituciones educativas cobrar a los padres o estudiantes elegibles tarifas o costos asociados con el ejercicio de ese derecho.
Si una escuela elige proporcionarle a un padre o estudiante elegible una copia de los registros educativos, entonces las regulaciones de FERPA (34 CFR § 99.11(a)) generalmente permiten (con la excepción que se indica a continuación) que la escuela cobre los costos requeridos para hacer la copia. Las regulaciones de FERPA (34 CFR § 99.11(b)) también establecen que la escuela no puede cobrar a un padre o estudiante elegible por los costos de búsqueda u obtención de registros educativos. Consideramos que los costos, si hay, para la escuela por redactar o segregar registros educativos de varios estudiantes son similares a los costos de búsqueda y obtención que no se pueden cobrar a los padres o estudiantes elegibles, a diferencia de los costos de las copias que generalmente se puede cobrar a los padres y estudiantes elegibles. Como se señaló anteriormente, si una agencia o institución educativa puede redactar o segregar razonablemente partes de un registro educativo que está directamente relacionado con otros estudiantes, sin destruir el significado del registro, entonces la agencia o institución educativa debe hacerlo y, por lo tanto, no puede cobrar a padres o estudiantes elegibles por los costos asociados con el ejercicio de su derecho a inspeccionar y revisar dichos registros educativos.
Por el contrario, a los padres y estudiantes elegibles generalmente se les puede cobrar los costos de hacer copias de los registros educativos precisamente porque FERPA generalmente no exige que la escuela les proporcione dichas copias. Por lo tanto, cuando la redacción o segregación de registros educativos de varios estudiantes se puede lograr razonablemente sin destruir el significado de los registros educativos, nada en FERPA permite a las agencias o instituciones educativas cobrar a los padres o estudiantes elegibles por los costos de realizar las redacciones o segregaciones requeridas. Por favor tenga en cuenta que las regulaciones de FERPA (34 CFR § 99.11(a)) también establecen que si una tarifa por las copias impide efectivamente que un padre o un estudiante elegible ejerza el derecho de inspeccionar y revisar sus registros educativos, una agencia o institución educativa será requerida a proporcionar copias sin recibir pago. Dichos casos se limitan a cuando un padre o un estudiante elegible que no puede pagar para las copias da pruebas de las dificultades financieras.
6. ¿Permite FERPA que los representantes legales de los padres o estudiantes elegibles inspeccionen y revisen videos con los padres o estudiantes elegibles?
Sí. FERPA permite que los representantes legales de un padre o un estudiante elegible inspeccionen y revisen videos con el padre o el estudiante elegible. Si bien FERPA no exige que las agencias e instituciones educativas permitan a los padres o estudiantes elegibles traer a su abogado u otro representante legal con ellos cuando ejercen su derecho a inspeccionar y revisar los registros educativos del estudiante, nada en FERPA impide que las agencias e instituciones educativas permitan a los padres o estudiantes elegibles a traer a su abogado u otro representante legal con ellos cuando ejerzan su derecho a inspeccionar y revisar los registros educativos del estudiante bajo FERPA.
7. ¿Permite FERPA que las agencias e instituciones educativas entreguen videos a la policía cuando lo soliciten o después de un incidente que pueda justificar la participación de la policía?
Si la unidad de cumplimiento de la ley de una agencia o institución educativa crea y mantiene videos con fines de policiales, entonces los videos no serían registros educativos y FERPA no prohibiría a la unidad de cumplimiento de la ley de una agencia o institución educativa revelar los videos a la policía. Sin embargo, si los videos son registros educativos, las agencias e instituciones educativas no pueden entregar videos cuando lo pida la policía sin haber obtenido primero el consentimiento por escrito de los padres o del estudiante elegible o sin haber determinado que se cumplen las condiciones de una excepción al requisito general de consentimiento, por ejemplo, si la divulgación se realiza en relación con una emergencia de salud o seguridad (20 U.S.C. 1232g(b)(1)(I) y 34 CFR §§ 99.31(a)(10) y 99.36) o el agente del orden público ha presentado a la agencia o institución educativa una orden judicial o una citación emitida legalmente (20 U.S.C. 1232g(b)(1)(J) y (b)(2) y 34 CFR § 99.31(a)(9)).
[1] La Ley de Educación para Individuos con Discapacidades (IDEA) también contiene protecciones de privacidad que se aplican a los niños con discapacidades. 20 USC 1417(c) y 34 CFR §§ 300.610-300.626 y 34 CFR §§ 303.401-303.416. Según la IDEA, las agencias participantes deben proteger la información personal identificable (PII) y los datos o los registros recopilados, mantenidos o utilizados por dicha agencia participante. Si bien la definición de “expediente educativo” según la Parte B de IDEA hace referencia y remite a la definición de FERPA en 34 CFR § 99.3, la aplicación de los requisitos de IDEA puede generar diferentes preguntas.
[2] Si las circunstancias efectivamente impiden que el padre o el estudiante elegible ejerza su derecho a inspeccionar y revisar los registros educativos del estudiante (por ejemplo, si el padre vive fuera de la distancia de desplazamiento a la escuela), entonces se requeriría que la agencia o institución educativa proporciona una copia de los registros o hace otros arreglos para que los padres o el estudiante elegible inspeccionen y revisen los registros. 34 CFR § 99.10(d)
