FERPA for School Athletes: Compliance Explained

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Okay, lets talk about FERPA and school athletes. It sounds super boring (and lets be honest, sometimes it is), but its actually really important for protecting student privacy. FERPA, which stands for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is basically a federal law that gives students (and in some cases, their parents) certain rights regarding their education records.


Now, you might be thinking, "Education records? What does that have to do with sports?" Well, a lot, actually. An education record is pretty broad. It can include things like grades, transcripts, disciplinary records, and even things like class schedules. managed service new york check So, if a coach or the athletic department has access to any of that information, FERPA comes into play.


The big thing FERPA does is give students the right to access their education records and to control who else can see them. Schools generally need written consent from the student (or the parents, if the student is under 18) before they can release those records to anyone else.


So, how does this affect athletes specifically? Well, lets say a college coach from another school wants to see a high school athletes transcript. The high school cant just hand it over. They need the students (or their parents) permission first. Same goes for things like sharing information about an athletes academic performance with the media.


There are some exceptions to this rule though. For example, schools can disclose whats called "directory information" without consent. Directory information is usually things like a students name, address, phone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, and weight and height of athletic team members. (Yes, even height and weight!) However, even with directory information, schools have to let students opt out of having their information shared. So, even if its considered "directory information," an athlete can say, "Hey, I dont want my information released."


Why is all this important? managed services new york city Well, imagine a situation where an athletes grades are shared without their consent, and it affects their chances of getting a scholarship, or it leads to unwanted media attention.

FERPA for School Athletes: Compliance Explained - managed it security services provider

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FERPA is there to prevent those situations. Its about protecting students privacy and giving them control over their own information.


Schools have a responsibility to train their staff, including coaches and athletic department personnel, on FERPA regulations. They need to understand what information they can and cant share, and what procedures they need to follow. It's also a good idea for athletes and their parents to understand their rights under FERPA, so they can make informed decisions about their education records. Its not the most exciting topic, but knowing your rights can really make a difference.

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School FERPA Best Practices: Compliance Checklist

FERPA for School Athletes: Compliance Explained