Authored by PIPC Staff

11 Steps to Privacy: The Right to Inspect and Review under FERPA April 24, 2019 David Sallay and Amelia Vance Future of Privacy Forum   Shared Under Creative Commons License This blog is the first in a series about how schools can practically apply FERPA. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) grants parents and eligible students the right to inspect and review education records and to receive an explanation or interpretation of those records. To fulfill these rights, schools are obligated to follow a fair process. Specifically, schools must Give parents and eligible students the opportunity to inspect […]

Disclosing Student Information During School Emergencies: A Primer for Schools December 28, 2018 Chanda Marlowe, Sara Collins, and Amelia Vance Future of Privacy Forum   Shared Under Creative Commons License Schools are responsible for keeping students safe, but they also need to balance safety measures with privacy protections. When emergencies happen, schools may want or be asked to disclose information about students. In doing so, schools must comply with the primary federal student privacy law, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Schools must also avoid sharing information that could stigmatize students, make them feel that they can’t share

FERPA 101 For Higher Education October 2018 Sara Collins, Trevor Schmitt, and Amelia Vance Future of Privacy Forum   Shared Under Creative Commons License Overview The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law enacted in 1974 that governs information in a student’s education record. The law guarantees, among other things, that an “eligible student” who attends a post-secondary institution has access to their own education record and restricts who else can access, use, and re-disclose student information. FERPA is the primary federal law addressing student data rights and protections. FERPA applies to schools that receive funding

Dept of Ed: Schools Cannot Require Parents or Students to Waive Their FERPA Rights Through Ed Tech Company’s Terms of Service January 20, 2018 Lindsey Barrett and Amelia Vance Future of Privacy Forum   Shared Under Creative Commons License This blog was previously posted on the Future of Privacy Forum blog.  Policymakers, parents, and privacy advocates have long asked whether FERPA is up to the task of protecting student privacy in the 21st century. A just-released letter regarding the Agora Cyber Charter School might signal that a FERPA compliance crack-down – frequently mentioned as their next step after providing extensive guidance by

Law Enforcement Access to Student Records: A Guide for School Administrators and Ed Tech Service Providers September 2017 Amelia Vance and Sarah Williamson Future of Privacy Forum   Shared Under Creative Commons License Questions about when schools or third-party service providers are allowed to disclose student personal information to law enforcement can be complex. This document is a basic primer on the compliance landscape of data requests to schools and service providers from law enforcement; it is not legal advice. Law enforcement may request data through informal requests, subpoenas, and court orders, among other processes. Schools and service providers should