The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. This includes many businesses that provide educational services, such as online learning platforms, tutoring companies, and test eduvine.ca
Under FERPA, businesses that maintain student education records must:
- Give parents or eligible students (students who are 18 years old or older) the right to inspect and review their education records.
- Allow parents or eligible students to request that the school correct any inaccurate or misleading information in their education records.
- Give parents or eligible students the right to consent to the disclosure of their education records, except in certain limited circumstances where disclosure is allowed without consent.
Businesses that violate FERPA can be subject to civil penalties of up to $19,665 per violation.
Here are some specific examples of how FERPA applies to businesses:
- An online learning platform must give parents or eligible students the right to inspect and review their child’s grades, attendance records, and other educational records.
- A tutoring company must give parents or eligible students the right to inspect and review their child’s tutoring records, such as progress reports and test scores.
- A test preparation service must give parents or eligible students the right to inspect and review their child’s test scores and other test preparation records.
Businesses that maintain student education records should take steps to comply with FERPA. This includes developing policies and procedures for protecting student privacy, training employees on FERPA requirements, and responding to parent and student requests for access to education records.
If you have any questions about FERPA, you should consult with an attorney who specializes in education law.