What is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)?
Education is one of the most important pillars of society. As parents, it is crucial to protect our children's rights and privacy when making decisions about their education. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a vital law in the United States that safeguards these rights and privacy within the field of education. In this article, we will take a closer look at what FERPA is, what it regulates, and what rights it provides.
What is FERPA?
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a law passed by the United States Congress in 1974. FERPA aims to protect the privacy of student education records and ensure their accuracy and currency. The law applies to any educational institution or agency receiving federal funding, covering all levels of education from elementary to higher education.
Objectives of FERPA
- Protecting the privacy of student education records: FERPA ensures that student education records are protected against unauthorized access. This means parents and students have the right to access and control these records.
- Ensuring the accuracy and currency of education records: FERPA aims to ensure that education records are accurate, complete, and up to date. Parents and students can request corrections or updates to incorrect information in these records.
- Informing parents and students: FERPA emphasizes the importance of informing parents and students about education records. Educational institutions are required to clearly communicate which information can be shared under FERPA.
Rights Under FERPA
- Right to access: FERPA grants parents and students the right to access student education records. This allows parents to review, copy, or make corrections to their child’s education records.
- Right to control information sharing: FERPA stipulates that parents and students have the right to control the sharing of student education records with third parties. Educational institutions may only share these records with parental or student consent.
- Right to correct inaccurate information: FERPA provides parents and students the right to request corrections or updates to inaccurate or outdated information in student education records. Parents or students can make such requests directly to the educational institution.
FERPA and Technology
Today, technology plays an increasingly significant role in education. The storage and transmission of student education records in digital formats raise new questions about how FERPA is applied. FERPA encompasses technological security measures aimed at safeguarding student data and preventing unauthorized access.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a critical law that provides significant protections in the field of education. FERPA supports rights such as safeguarding the privacy of student education records, controlling information sharing, and ensuring parents and students are well-informed. It aims to enable parents and students to play a more active role in the educational process and ensure the accuracy of records. As technology advances, FERPA’s implementation continues to evolve to address the challenges of digital environments.
You should check out other
Accessiblee Blogs
Compliance
17.03.2025
Web Accessibility Laws: WCAG, ADA, Section 508, and KAMIS
Web accessibility is supported by laws and standards designed to ensure that individuals can access websites and digital content without barriers. Many countries and international organizations have established various regulations to make web accessibility mandatory. Here are the most common web accessibility standards and laws:
Compliance
24.10.2024
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) refers to a legal framework that regulates the protection of personal data in European Union (EU) countries.