The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects:

Question

Accepted Answer

The privacy of student education records. FERPA protects the privacy of student education records by giving parents (and eligible students over 18) the right to access their education records, the right to request corrections, and the right to control the disclosure of personally identifiable information. Schools must obtain written consent before releasing student records to third parties, with certain exceptions.

Teachers' employment records are protected by different privacy laws and personnel regulations, not FERPA. FERPA does not protect schools from lawsuits; it actually creates obligations for schools and potential penalties for non-compliance. Limiting protection to student athletes' medical information is far too narrow; FERPA covers all education records for all students, including grades, disciplinary records, and personal information.

FERPA is an important education law on the DSST exam because it governs how schools handle student information. In the digital age, FERPA's implications have expanded to include electronic records, online learning platforms, and educational technology tools. Understanding its requirements helps educators and administrators properly handle student data and avoid violations.

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