Which act is primarily about protecting the privacy of student education records?

• A. FERPA
• B. IDEA
• C. CAPTA
• D. NCLB

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is who controls and protects the privacy of students’ education records. FERPA does this most directly by giving students and, for younger students, their parents, the right to access and review their records, request amendments if something is inaccurate, and control disclosure of that information. Disclosures are generally allowed only with the student’s or parent’s consent, with specific permitted exceptions for school officials with a legitimate educational interest or for certain types of information (like directory information) that can be released unless the family opts out.

This focus on rights to inspect records, amend them, and limit who can see them is what makes FERPA the primary law governing privacy of education records. Other acts touch related areas—IDEA centers on services and protections for students with disabilities (including confidentiality aspects within IEPs), CAPTA concerns child protection and reporting, and NCLB (now ESSA) focuses on accountability and school performance. But when it comes to safeguarding the privacy of education records themselves, FERPA is the key authority.