What does the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protect?

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law designed specifically to safeguard the privacy of student education records. This legislation grants parents and eligible students (those over 18 or attending post-secondary institutions) certain rights regarding access to and control over these educational records. Under FERPA, schools must have written permission from a parent or eligible student to release any information from a student's educational record, ensuring confidentiality and protection against unauthorized disclosure.

This focus on the privacy of student records is crucial in the educational landscape, as it fosters a trusting environment between students, families, and educational institutions. The act empowers families to manage how their child's educational information is handled and shared, which is fundamental to student privacy rights. Thus, with the aim of protecting sensitive information about students and ensuring that it is used appropriately, this aligns directly with the core purpose of FERPA.