Parent Privacy Rights

New York State’s Freedom of Information Law  (FOIL) (Public Officers Law §87 et. seq.) allows members of the public to access records of governmental agencies. FOIL provides a process for the review and copying of an agency’s records.

Sample FOIL request for records  

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are "eligible students."

Federal Regulations: Title 34, Part 99--Family Educational Rights and Privacy