FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), affords parents and students over 18 years of age (“eligible student”) certain rights with respect to the student’s educational records. They are:

 

The right to inspect and to review the student’s educational records within 45 days of the date ISOK receives a request for access.

 

Parent/Legal Guardian or eligible students (age 18 and above) will submit to the ISOK Head of School (or appropriate school official) a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Head of School or designee will arrange a records inspection for the parent or eligible student.

 

The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes is
inaccurate or misleading.

 

Parents or eligible students (age 18 and above) may ask ISOK to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the Head of School; clearly identify the part of the record they want changed and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.

 

If ISOK decides to not amend the record as requested by the Parent/Legal Guardian or eligible student, notice will be given to the Parent/Legal Guardian or eligible student of the decision. Information will be given advising him or her of the right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the Parent/Legal Guardian or eligible student when they are notified of the right to a hearing.

 

The right to consent to disclosure of personal information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

 

One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by ISOK as a principal, teacher , or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the ISOK Board; a person or company with whom ISOK has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); or a Parent/Legal Guardian 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.

 

Upon request, ISOK will disclose education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll. (Note: FERPA requires a school district to make a reasonable attempt to notify the student of the records request unless it states in its annual notification that it intends to forward records on request.)

 

The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by ISOK to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:

 

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
600 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20202-4605

 

ISOK maintains records concerning all children enrolled, including students with disabilities. Records containing personally identifiable information about or related to children with disabilities could include, but are not limited to, cumulative grade reports, discipline records, enrollment and attendance records, health records, individualized education programs, notices of recommended assignment, notices of intent to evaluate and to reevaluate, comprehensive evaluation reports, other evaluation reports by public school staff and by outside evaluators, work samples, test data, data entered in any state system, correspondence between school staff and home, instructional support team documents, referral data, memoranda and other education-related documents. Records may be maintained electronically, on paper, microfiche, audio and videotape. Records may be located in the central administrative offices of ISOK, electronic storage systems and in the secure possession of teachers, principals, specialists, psychologists, counselors and other school staff with a legitimate educational interest in the information contained therein. All records will be maintained in the strictest confidentiality.

 

Records will be maintained as long as they remain educationally relevant. The purposes of collecting and maintaining records are to:

 

When educational records, other than those required, are no longer educationally relevant, ISOK will notify parents in writing and may destroy records or, at the request of the parents, may destroy these records. ISOK is not required to destroy records that are no longer educationally relevant unless the parents request so in writing.