Office of Accreditation & Teacher Quality

Student Rights & Responsibilities

School Records

Students' school records are confidential.  Authorized school personnel, parents (whether custodial or not), or legal guardians, state and local education officials, and persons with court orders may inspect student records.  Others must have the parent's written permission.  It is the responsibility of the school to know who has been allowed access to records and keep careful record of what was released to whom and for what purpose.  School officials are notified when access to student records is terminated by court order. 

In general, federal and state law on student records (FERPA) restricts the release of information in a student's permanent file to outside agencies without a court order or parental permission.  This does not mean that school officials cannot discuss a student's behavior with law enforcement or social services without a court order or parental permission. 

Under the state's compulsory attendance laws, parents have given over their child for instructional purposes to the school staff, retaining in the eyes of the law the right to inform themselves of the child's progress in school.  School officials can be required to interpret the contents of the file or to explain the meaning of test results.  In the case of parents with children receiving special education services, records must be available five (5) days prior to any meetings or hearings regarding IEPs, evaluations, or placements.

Parents may challenge the contents of their child's records and request a withdrawal of information.  If the school declines the request, parents may insist upon a hearing.  If the hearing officer determines that information in question is accurate and appropriate, the content will remain, but parents are allowed to provide a written rebuttal to be permanently attached to the document.

The following policy should govern the collection and administration of student records: 

1. A student's permanent file shall include only this information:  identifying data (including names and addresses of parents or guardian), birth date, academic work completed, level of achievement (grades, standardized achievement test scores), attendance data, and possibly medical records;
2. Any other records shall be available only to the student or parents or guardian of the student and the school staff.  All records shall be governed by strict safeguards for confidentiality and shall not be available to others in or outside of the school except upon the consent of a parent or 18-year-old student.  These other records shall be considered temporary and shall be destroyed when the individual leaves the school;
3. All records shall be open to challenge by an 18-year-old student or the parents or guardian of the student;
4. A student's opinion shall not be disclosed to any outside person or agency;
5. A student shall be free from punitive actions in evaluations of academic competency and in college or job references because of individual opinions; and
6. When a student reaches the age of eighteen (18), all rights concerning school records transfer from the parents to the student.  Parents no longer have a legal right to examine their child's records without the child's permission.

The school can make no charges for record searches or information retrieval, but may charge only a reasonable fee for photocopying.  In the case of special education records, such photocopying charges cannot preclude parental access to records.