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Policies

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Below are some policies and additional information that parents may find helpful.

FERPA: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

The FERPA, or the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law that affords parents the right to have access to their children’s education records, the right to seek to have the records amended, and the right to have some control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the education records. An education record is defined as those records that contain information directly related to a student and which are maintained by an educational agency or institution or by a party acting for the agency or institution. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18, “eligible student,” or enters a postsecondary institution at any age. The FERPA statute is found at 20 U.S.C. § 1232g and the FERPA regulations are found at 34 CFR Part 99. Parents and eligible students are granted the following rights:

  • The right to inspect and review the student’s education records
  • The right to request that a school correct the student’s education record if he or she believes information is inaccurate or misleading
  • The right to a hearing if the school decides not to amend the student’s education record
  • The right to place a statement with the education record on what he or she believes is accurate if the school decides not to amend the student’s education record

Schools, generally, must have written consent from the parent or eligible student to release information from a student’s education record. However, FERPA allows disclosure to certain parties without written consent under certain conditions.

The FERPA does not govern retention or disposition of education records. Virginia public schools, K-12, must comply with the Library of Virginia records retention schedule for public school records (PDF).

Centralized Reporting of Student Directory Information to Military Recruiters

On June 24, 2024, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Navy Talent Acquisition Group Richmond (NTAG Richmond) for the purpose of sharing student "directory information," as defined in 20 U.S.C. § 1232g(a)(5)(A) and 34 CFR §§ 99.3, 99.37, between the parties in a manner consistent with FERPA. This law, 20 U.S.C. §7908 along with Sec. 595 of  The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 requires that School Administration provide to military recruiters the student’s name, address, email addresses and telephone listings upon request. Unless you, as a parent/guardian or eligible student, request otherwise, this information may be disclosed to the recruiters in a twice annual centralized student information report provided by VDOE to military recruitment commands operational in Virginia to satisfy the fulfillment of the federally required report. 

Parents and students who are 18 years of age have the right to refuse to allow all or any part of the above information to be designated as directory information and to be disclosed to recruiters upon request. If you wish to exercise this right, you must notify the principal of the school that the student is enrolled in writing within 10 days after enrollment. Military recruiters’ engagements are limited in scope and would only include those related to the sharing of information concerning training, employment, and scholarship opportunities available through military enlistment.

PPRA: Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment

The PPRA, or the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment applies to the programs and activities of a state education agency (SEA), local education agency (LEA), or other recipient of funds under any program funded by the U.S. Department of Education.  It governs the administration to students of a survey, analysis, or evaluation that concerns one or more of the following eight protected areas:
  1. political affiliations or beliefs of the student or the student’s parent;
  2. mental or psychological problems of the student or the student’s family;
  3. sex behavior or attitudes;
  4. illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
  5. critical appraisals of other individuals with whom respondents have close family relationships;
  6. legally recognized privileged or analogous relationships, such as those of lawyers, physicians, and ministers;
  7. religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or student’s parent; or
  8. income (other than that required by law to determine eligibility for participation in a program or for receiving financial assistance under such program).

PPRA also concerns marketing surveys and other areas of student privacy, parental access to information, and the administration of certain physical examinations to minors.  The rights under PPRA transfer from the parents to a student who is 18 years old or an emancipated minor under state law.