DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O.
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 248
November 30, 2007
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Billy K.
Cannaday, Jr. Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) |
In the wake of
the Virginia Tech tragedy, President Bush asked Secretary of Education Margaret
Spellings, Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt and former
Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez to conduct a listening tour across the
country with educators, first responders, parents and others to address
concerns related to emergency preparedness and school safety. Several recurring
themes were heard across the country, including the need for additional
guidance on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the federal
law that protects the privacy of students' education records.
In response,
the U.S. Department of Education has developed three new guides: one for K-12
educators, one for higher education officials and one for parents. The FERPA
brochures for school officials include contact information for obtaining
additional guidance and assistance.
The law
empowers school officials to act quickly and decisively when problems arise. These
guides expand key emergency management resources available from the U.S.
Department of Education to help public schools and institutions of higher
education plan for, respond to, and recover from a serious incident. The
guides, accompanied by a letter and handout on emergency management resources,
were sent to schools, school boards, associations and others nationwide on
October 30, 2007. The letter and handout on emergency management resources are
available online at http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/secletter/071030.html.
The new FERPA
guidance and brochures are available online at http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/safeschools/.
Brochures may
be ordered from the U.S. Department of Education's
Balancing
Student Privacy and Campus Safety: A Guide to the Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act for Colleges and Universities (ED003905H)
Balancing
Student Privacy and School Safety: A Guide to the Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act for Elementary and Secondary Schools (ED003906H)
Parents' Guide
to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act: Rights Regarding Your
Children's Education Records (ED003907H)
Should there
be questions about FERPA, please contact Dr. Sandra E. Ruffin, director,
federal program monitoring at 804-225-2768 or by e-mail: sandra.ruffin@doe.virginia.gov.
Questions about school safety resources may be directed to Arlene D. Cundiff,
coordinator, safe and drug-free schools program, at 804-225-2871 or by e-mail: arlene.cundiff@doe.virginia.gov.
BKCJr/ADC/nc