Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records, including those of students with disabilities in special education. It gives parents the right to access their child’s educational records, request changes to inaccurate information, and control who can see those records. For students over 18, these rights transfer to them. FERPA ensures sensitive information is kept confidential, helping to safeguard the dignity of students and fostering trust between families and educational institutions.