Office of Safe and 
Drug-Free Schools
Advisory Committee Meeting 
February 21, 2007
FERPA

•	Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

•	Statute:	 20 U.S.C. 1232g

•	Regulations: 34 CFR Part 99 
 Primary Rights of Parents under FERPA

•	Right to inspect and review education records

•	Right to seek to amend education records

•	Right to have some control over the disclosure of information from education records

(These rights transfer to student when student turns 18 or attends a postsecondary institution.)
Education Records

•	“Education records” are records which –

(1) contain information which is directly related to a student; and

(2) are maintained by an educational agency or institution or by a party acting for the agency or institution.
Record
•	“Record” means any information maintained in any way, including, but not limited to:

–	Handwriting	
–	Video or audio tape
–	Computer media
–	Film
–	Print	
–	Microfilm and microfiche

Personally Identifiable Information
•	“Personally identifiable information” includes, but is not limited to:

•	Student’s name
•	Parent’s name
•	Address of the student or student’s family.
•	A personal identifier, such as a social security number or student number
•	A list of personal characteristics or other information that would make the student’s identity easily traceable
§ 99.30 Under what conditions is prior consent required to disclose information?
•	Except for specific exceptions, a parent shall provide a signed and dated written consent before a school may disclose education records.  The consent must:
–	Specify records that may be disclosed;
–	State purpose of disclosure; and 
–	Identity party or class of parties to whom disclosure may be made.
§ 99.31 Under what conditions is prior consent not required to disclose information?
•	LEA exceptions (partial):
–	To school officials with legitimate educational interest (defined in annual notification) (a) (1)
–	To schools in which a student seeks or intends to enroll (a)(2)
–	To State and local officials in connection with serving the student under the juvenile justice system (a)(5)
–	To comply with a judicial order or subpoena reasonable effort to notify) (a)(9)
–	Health or safety emergency (a)(10)
–	Directory information (a)(11)
School Officials &
 Legitimate Educational Interests 
•	§ 99.31(a)(1)

•	Education records can be disclosed without consent to school officials who have been determined to have legitimate educational interests.
•	Criteria for determining “school officials” and “legitimate educational interests” must be set forth in LEA’s annual notification of rights under FERPA.
•	School district law enforcement unit officials may be designated as school officials with legitimate educational interests in education records required for them to perform their jobs for the school.
Health and Safety Emergencies
§ § 99.31(a)(10) and 99.36

•	Disclosure to appropriate parties in connection with an emergency if knowledge of information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or others.

PPRA
•	Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment

•	Statute:  20 U.S.C. 1232g

•	Regulations:  34 CFR Part 98 (not updated)

PPRA, cont.
•	ED-funded surveys – Schools and contractors must obtain prior written parental consent before minor students are required to participate in a survey that reveals information concerning one or more of eight protected areas of information.  (“Active consent”)

•	Other-funded surveys – Schools are required to notify parents of students who are scheduled to participate in a survey that concerns one or more of eight protected areas of information and must provide the parent with an opportunity to inspect and review the survey and an opportunity to opt their child out of participating in the survey.  (“Passive consent”)

•	Eight Protected Areas include:

1)  political affiliations or beliefs of the student or the student’s parent;
2)  mental and psychological problems of the student or the student’s family; 
3)  sex behavior or attitudes;
4)  illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;

•	Eight Protected Areas, cont.

5) critical appraisals of other individuals with whom respondents have close family relationships; 
6) legally recognized privileged or analogous relationships, such as those of lawyers, physicians, and ministers;
7) religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or student’s parent; or
8) income (other than that required by law to determine eligibility for participation in a program or for receiving financial assistance under such program).

•	LEAs must “directly” notify, such as through U.S. Mail or email, parents of students who are scheduled to participate in surveys at least annually at the beginning of the school year and must include the specific or approximate dates during the school year when activities are scheduled, or expected to be scheduled.

•	If the LEA is unable to identity the specific or approximate dates of the surveys requiring specific notification at the beginning of the school year, it must provide this notification to parents once the survey is scheduled.

PPRA, cont.

•	The notification must also advise parents of:

–	The right to opt their children out of activities involving the collection, disclosure, or use of personal information collected from students for the purpose of marketing or for selling that information, or otherwise providing that information to others for that purpose.

–	Specific or approximate dates scheduled for these types of activities.

–	The right to inspect surveys and instructional materials.
Technical Assistance
For technical assistance and advice to school officials:

			Family Policy Compliance Office 
			U.S. Department of Education
			400 Maryland Avenue, SW
			Washington, DC  20202-5920
	
			(202) 260-3887		Telephone
			(202) 260-9001		Fax
Informal Technical Assistance
For informal requests for technical assistance, email us at:
FERPA@ed.gov  or PPRA@ed.gov

Visit our web site:

www.ed.gov/offices/OII/fpco
			    or
http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/index.html