Anita Hapshie

FERPA has guidlines for student records while they are an active students at the school and after graduation. The students have the right to access thier records and review them for accuracy. They can add notes or comments if they do not agree with what is in the record. 

It is important to understand the rules and regulations pertaining to student records. It is understable that some of the rules may be confusing, which means that anyone that has access to the records, should be aware of the FERPA rules and how to follow them.

In some ways FERPA is similar to HIPAA. The student information should be protected and you should only have access on a need to know basis. If you are making personal notes about a student, then make them factual with personal comments or that show a bias. This way if a student requests to review their records, there are no surprises.

When it comes to phone calls and giving out information, it is like is stated, you really do not know who is on the phone. Social media is another area where the rules may need to be updated to… >>>