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STUDENT RECORDS
In order to provide students with appropriate instruction and educational services, it is necessary for the District to maintain extensive educational and personal information. It is essential that pertinent information in these records be readily available to appropriate school personnel, be accessible to the student's parent(s) or the student in compliance with law, and yet be guarded as confidential information.
The Superintendent is responsible for the proper administration of student records in keeping with State law and federal requirements and the procedures for the collection of necessary information about individual students throughout the District.
Upon request, all records and files included in the student's cumulative file are available to parent(s) or the student (if he/she is over 18 years of age). This request must be in writing and is granted within seven calendar days. No records are to be removed from the school. A principal, teacher or other qualified school personnel must be present to explain any of the tests or other material.
All rights and protections given to parents under law and this policy transfer to the student when he/she reaches age 18 or enrolls in a postsecondary school. The student then becomes an "eligible student."
The District provides notice to parents and eligible students annually, in accordance with the procedures set forth under administrative regulations, of the rights held by parents and eligible students under law and this policy. It is the intent of the District to limit the disclosure of information contained in the student's education records except:
- by prior written consent;REQUEST TO PROHIBIT PUBLICATION
- as directory information and
- under other limited circumstances, as enumerated under administrative regulations.
The following rights exist:
- the right to inspect and review the student's education records;
- the right, in accordance with administrative regulations, to seek to correct parts of the student's education records, including the right to a hearing if the school authority decides not to alter the records according to the parent(s)' or eligible student's request;
- the right of any person to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education if the District violates relevant Federal law, specifically the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and
- the right to acquire information concerning the procedure which the parent(s) or eligible student should follow to obtain copies of this policy, the locations from which these copies may be obtained, as well as any fees to be charged for such copies. *(See administrative regulations.)
The District proposes to designate the following personally identifiable information contained in a student's education records as "directory information."
- student's legal name (first, middle, last)
- names of students' parents
- student's address
- student's date and place of birth
- student's class designation
- student's extracurricular participation
- student's achievement awards or honors
- student's weight and height, if a member of an athletic team
- student's photograph
- previous school and/or district attended
The above information is disclosed without prior written consent, except when the request is for a profit-making plan or activity. Student records that consist of "personally identifiable information" generally are exempt from disclosure. Student directory information, however, is released unless the parents have affirmatively withdrawn their consent to release in writing.
Administrative regulations set forth a procedure for annual notification to parents and eligible students of the District's definition of directory information. Parents or eligible students then have two weeks in which to advise the District, in accordance with such regulations, of any or all items which they refuse to permit as directory information about that student.
To carry out their responsibilities, school officials have access to student education records for legitimate educational purposes. The District uses the criteria set forth under administrative regulations to determine who "school officials" are and what constitutes "legitimate educational interests."
Other than requests as described above, school officials release information from, or permit access to, a student's education records only with the prior written consent of a parent or eligible student, except that the Superintendent or a person designated in writing by the Superintendent may permit disclosure in certain limited circumstances outlined under administrative regulations (e.g., transfers to another school district or to comply with judicial order or subpoena or where warranted, in a health or safety emergency, etc.).
The District maintains, in accordance with administrative regulations, an accurate record of all requests to disclose information from, or to permit access to, a student's education records and of information disclosed and access permitted.
[Adoption date: July 15,2003]
STUDENT SURVEYS
The Board recognizes the importance of maintaining student records and preserving their confidentiality. Student records containing personally identifiable information are kept confidential at collection, storage, disclosure and destruction stages. Boards that receive funds under any applicable program must provide reasonable notice to parents at least annually at the beginning of the school year that their children may be involved in Board-approved third party surveys. The school must also give the parents the opportunity to opt their child out of the activity. A student shall not be required, as part of any applicable program, to submit to a survey, analysis or evaluation that reveals information concerning:
- political affiliations or beliefs of the student or the student's parent
- mental or psychological problems of the student or the student's family, "potentially embarrassing to the student or family";
- sex behavior or attitudes;
- illegal, anti -social, self-incriminating or demeaning behavior;
- critical appraisals of other individuals with whom respondents have close family relationships;
- legally recognized privileged or analogous relationships, such as those of lawyers, physicians and ministers;
- religious practices, affiliations or beliefs of the students or student's parent, or
- income (other than that required by law to determine eligibility for participation in a program and/or for receiving financial assistance under such program).
Parents have a right to inspect a survey created by a third party before that survey is administered by the school to students. Parents are notified by the school when a survey is to be administered and will have at least two weeks to review the materials.
In order to protect student privacy rights when a school survey is to be administered that contains one of the prohibited eight items identified in this policy, parents have the right to inspect the survey. If parents do not want their child to be a participant in the survey, they must notify the school.
The collection, disclosure or use of student personal information for the purpose of marketing or selling that information, or providing the information to others for that purpose, is prohibited. This does not include personal information collected for the exclusive purpose of developing, evaluating, or providing educational products or services for or to students or educational institutions such as:
- postsecondary institutions or military recruiters;
- book clubs, magazines and programs providing access to low-cost literary products
- curriculum and instructional materials used by K-12 schools;
- tests and assessments used by grades K-12 to provide cognitive, evaluative, diagnostic, clinical, aptitude, or achievement information about students, or to generate other statistically useful data for the purpose of securing these tests and assessments, and the subsequent analysis and public release of the aggregate data from these tests and assessments;
- the sale by students of products or services to raise funds for school or education related activities or
- student recognition program.
For specific events, the school must notify the parents annually of the projected or approximate dates of the following activities:
- the collection, disclosure or use of student personal information for the purpose of marketing or selling that information, or providing the information to others for that purpose;
- the administration of a survey containing any of the eight items identified in this policy and
- annually, the District will notify parents of physical exams or screenings conducted on students except for vision, hearing or scoliosis.
[Adoption date: July 15,2003
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