Annual Notice of Parent and Student Rights (Annual FERPA Confidentiality Notice)
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) affords parents and students over 18 years of age (“eligible students”) certain rights with respect to the student’s educational records. These rights include the following:
The Right to Inspect and Review
Parents and/or eligible students have the right to inspect and review the student’s educational records within 45 days of the day the school receives access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the Campus Principal or designee a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. Golden Rule will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student for the time and place where the records may be inspected.
If circumstances effectively prevent the parent or eligible student from exercising the right to inspect and review the student’s educational records, Golden Rule shall provide the parent or eligible student with a copy of the records requested to make arrangements for the parent or eligible student to inspect and review the requested records.
If the student’s educational records contain information on more than one student, the parent or eligible student may inspect and review or be informed of only the specific information about that student.
The Right to Seek Amendment of the Student’s Educational Records
Parents or eligible students may ask Golden Rule Schools to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student’s privacy rights. Parents or eligible students should submit to the Campus Principal or designee a written request that clearly identifies the part of the record they want changed, and specifies why it is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student’s privacy rights. Golden Rule will decide whether to amend the record as requested within a reasonable time after receiving the request. If Golden Rule decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent of eligible student, the school will notify the parent of eligible student of the decision and advise them to their right to a hearing to challenge the content of the student’s education records on the grounds that the information contained in the educational records is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student’s privacy rights.
If, as a result of the hearing, Golden Rule decides that the information in the educational record is not inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student’s privacy rights, it shall inform the parent or eligible student of the right to place a statement in the record commenting on the contested information in the record or stating why he or she disagrees with the decision of Golden Rule. If the school places an amended statement in the student’s educational records, Golden Rule is obligated to maintain the amended statement with the contested part of the record for as long as the record is maintained and disclose the statement whenever it discloses the portion of the record to which the statement relates.
The Right to Consent Prior to Disclosure
Parents and/or eligible students have the right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s educational records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interest. A “school official” is a person employed by Golden Rule as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the Board of Directors; a person or company with whom Golden Rule has outsourced services or functions it would otherwise use its own employees to perform (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee; or a parent, student, or other volunteer assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.
A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educational record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
Upon request, Golden Rule discloses educational records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll or is already enrolled, so long as the disclosure is for purposes related to the student’s enrollment or transfer.
The Right to File a Complaint
Parents and/or eligible students have the right to file a complaint with the Family Policy Compliance Office of the U.S. Department of Education (“Office”) concerning alleged failures by Golden Rule to comply with the requirements of FERPA. These complaints should be addressed as follows:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW. Washington, D.C. 20202
Access to Medical Records
Parents are entitled to access their student’s medical records.
Notice for Directory Information
Under FERPA, Golden Rule Schools must, with certain exceptions, obtain written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from a student’s education records. However, Golden Rule may disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent, unless a parent or eligible student has advised Golden Rule, in writing, to the contrary. The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the school to include this type of information from a student’s education records in certain school publications.
Golden Rule has designated the following categories of information as directory information for the purpose of disclosure relating to school-related purposes:
- Student name;
- Date and place of birth;
- Major field of study
- Degrees, honors, and awards received;
- Dates of attendance;
- Grade level;
- Most recent educational institution attended;
- Participation in officially recognized activities and sports; and
- Weight and height of members of athletic teams.
- School-related purposes are those events/activities that Golden Rule conducts and/or sponsors to support the school’s educational mission. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Extracurricular programs or events (school plays, concerns, athletic events, graduation ceremony, etc.).
- Publications (newsletters, yearbook, etc.).
- Honor roll and other student recognition lists.
- Marketing materials of Golden Rule (print media, website, videos, newspaper, etc.).
Golden Rule shall not release directory information except for the purposes indicated above, namely, disclosure relating to school-sponsored/school-affiliated purposes.
A PARENT OR ELIGIBLE STUDENT MAY OPT OUT OF THE RELEASE OF DIRECTORY INFORMATION FOR EITHER OR BOTH OF THESE PURPOSES BY SUBMITTING A WRITTEN OBJECTION TO THE SCHOOL OFFICE WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER RECEIVING THIS “NOTICE OF PARENT AND STUDENT RIGHTS (ANNUAL FERPA CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE).”