ERIC Number: EJ904659
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Apr
Pages: 3
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0036-651X
EISSN: N/A
Privacy Concerns: The Effects of the Latest FERPA Changes
Cossler, Christine
School Business Affairs, v76 n3 p22-24 Apr 2010
Privacy, something once taken for granted, has again become top-of-mind for public school districts thanks to technology's increasing reach, as well as new changes to privacy laws governing student information. Recently, educators have had to face important changes to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), originally signed into law in 1974. As school business officials are more than aware, FERPA has a twofold purpose: (1) to ensure that parents have access to their children's education records; and (2) to protect the privacy rights of both parents and children by limiting access to those records without parental consent. The latest round of amendments to this 35-year-old law went into effect on January 8, strengthening some areas of privacy and clarifying others. Many of these amendments codify positions taken by courts over the years in interpreting FERPA, while other amendments impose new requirements. All changes affect how school districts must handle such issues as school safety, access to education data for research and accountability, and the safeguarding of education records. This article discusses the most recent FERPA changes and provides information on how to stay within the law when a person receives a public records request or when other issues arise pertaining to the privacy of the district's education records.
Descriptors: Student Records, School Safety, Courts, Privacy, School Districts, Access to Information, School Business Officials, Federal Legislation, Childrens Rights, Civil Rights, Accountability, Laws
Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO). 11401 North Shore Drive, Reston, VA 20190. Tel: 866-682-2729; Fax: 703-478-0205; e-mail: asboreq@asbointl.org; Web site: http://www.asbointl.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act 1974
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A