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    Model Notification of Rights under FERPA for Elementary and Secondary Schools (8/20/09)

     

    The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and studentsover 18 years of age ("eligible students") certain rights withrespect to the student's education records. These rights are:
     

    (1)The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day the School receives a request for access.

    Parents or eligible students should submit to the School principal [or appropriate school offi­cial] a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect.  The School official will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
     

    (2)The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that theparent or eligible student believes are inaccurate.

    Parents or eligible students may ask the School to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate.  They should write the School principal [or appropriate school official], clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate. If the School decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the School will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment.  Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.
     

    (3)The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records.  One exception to the right to consent permits disclosure without consent to school officials with legitimate educational interests.  A school official is a person employed by the School as an ad­ministrator, supervisor,instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the School Board; a person or com­pany with whom the School has contracted to perform a special task (such asan attorney, audi­tor, medical consultant, or therapist); or a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.

    A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educa­tion record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
     
    [Optional] Upon request, the School discloses education records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.  [NOTE:  FERPA requires a school district to make a reasonable attempt to notify the parent or student of the records re­questunless it states in its annual notification that it intends to forward recordson request.]   
     

    (4)The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerningalleged failures by the School District to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA are:

     

    FamilyPolicy Compliance Office

    U.S. Departmentof Education

    400 Maryland Avenue, SW

    Washington, DC  20202-5901

     


    [NOTE:  In addition, a school may want to include itsdirectory information public notice, as

    requiredby § 99.37 of the regulations, with its annual notification of rights underFERPA.]