The primary purpose of this document is to help state & local education agencies & schools develop adequate policies & procedures to protect information about students & their families from improper release, while satisfying the need for school officials to make sound management, instructional, & service decisions. Sections include: a primer for privacy; summary of key federal laws; protecting the privacy of individuals during the data collection process; securing the privacy of data maintained & used within an agency; providing parents access to their child's records; & releasing information outside an agency. 5 appendices.

Education-agency and school staff are legally and ethically responsible for safeguarding student information. In addition to federal and state laws and regulations, education agencies need policies and procedures to guide their everyday information-maintenance operations. This document provides examples of policies and procedures as well as guidelines for deciding what is needed to ensure the privacy of student information. Section 1 provides an overview of the issues and discusses important concepts and terminology used throughout the document. Section 2 describes federal laws protecting the privacy of students that have implications for the maintenance and release of student data by state and local education agencies. The third section describes appropriate procedures for collecting individual information about students. Section 4 explains the management controls and policies needed to maintain and use data within the agency or school. It also addresses the issue of assessing who in an agency or school has a "legitimate educational interest" in specific information about an individual student. The fifth section describes procedures for providing access to a student's education record by the eligible student or the parent. The final section suggests procedures for handling external requests to release information from individual school records. The appendices contain the text of key federal rules and regulations. A topical index, section summary, an index of commonly asked questions, and 22 exhibits are included. Each section includes references, an overview, commonly asked questions, and guidelines. (LMI)

Designed to protect the privacy of individual student test scores, grades, and other education records, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 places limits the access of educational researches, and slows research not only in education but also in related fields, such as child welfare and health. Recent trends have converged to greatly increase the supply of data on student performance in public schools. Education policies now emphasize education standards and testing to measure progress toward those standards, as well as rigorous education research. At the same time, private firms and public agencies, including schools, have replaced most paper records with electronic data systems. Although these databases represent a rich source of longitudinal data, researchers' access to the individually identifiable data they contain is limited by the privacy protections of FERPA. To explore possibilities for data access and confidentiality in compliance with FERPA and with the Common Rule for the Protection of Human Subjects, the National Academies and the American Educational Research Association convened the Workshop on Protecting Student Records and Facilitating Education Research in April 2008.

The Handbook of Human and Social Conditions in Assessment is the first book to explore assessment issues and opportunities occurring due to the real world of human, cultural, historical, and societal influences upon assessment practices, policies, and statistical modeling. With chapters written by experts in the field, this book engages with numerous forms of assessment: from classroom-level formative assessment practices to national accountability and international comparative testing practices all of which are significantly influenced by social and cultural conditions. A unique and timely contribution to the field of Educational Psychology, the Handbook of Human and Social Conditions in Assessment is written for researchers, educators, and policy makers interested in how social and human complexity affect assessment at all levels of learning. Organized into four sections, this volume examines assessment in relation to teachers, students, classroom conditions, and cultural factors. Each section is comprised of a series of chapters, followed by a discussant chapter that synthesizes key ideas and offers directions for future research. Taken together, the chapters in this volume demonstrate that teachers, test creators, and policy makers must account for the human and social conditions that shape assessment if they are to implement successful assessment practices which accomplish their intended outcomes.

Rentz’s Student Affairs Practice in Higher Education introduces readers to the functions of all student affairs services on college campus and to the nuts and bolts on what student affairs professionals in each specific area do to achieve their goals of providing students with meaningful collegiate experiences and accomplish the institution’s mission. The book not only includes the evolution of student affairs but also how its philosophy and theories are integrated into its practice. By reading this edition experienced student affairs professionals will acquire a thorough understanding of each student affairs service on college/university campus and increase their competence in practice. This new sixth edition has 17 chapters which include the philosophical heritage of student affairs, historical perspective of higher education and student affairs, admissions to enrollment management, academic advising, career services, counseling centers, student conduct, multicultural affairs and special support services, orientation, residence halls, student life programs, fraternity and sorority life, collegiate recreation, financial aid, student learning assessment, health services, and future of student affairs. It has been integrated with the most recent literature on student affairs development, especially how the global pandemic has impacted the practice of student affairs in higher education and how the social, political, and economic dynamics at the national level have influenced the climate of college and university campus as well as the most recent professional standards. A unique feature of the book is that its contributors are expert practitioners and scholars. Through this book student affairs professionals will learn knowledge and wisdom not only from the current generation in student affairs but also from the generations many years in the past. The sixth edition has advanced the knowledge base of student affairs while inheriting its values and missions for higher education.

Legal Issues in School Health Services offers a legal resource never before available for education and health professionals, and their legal advisors. All professionals involved in the development, implementation, and evaluation of school health services will find this an exceptional tool. This book addresses the spirit and letter of the laws, the related standards, the conflict between them, and how they affect the delivery of school health services in regular and special education. Special attention is given to pertinent issues for school administrators, school attorneys, and school nurses, in order to foster school practices that are safe and effective. Designed as a guide and reference work, this book is written by 15 highly-credentialed nurses, attorneys, and educators and offers detailed discussions of the legal challenges that exist in the 21st century. KEY FEATURES School nursing practice, standards, and performance issues Risk management strategies for school administrators, school boards, and attorneys Multi-disciplinary approaches in ethico-legal problem solving Collaborative approaches in promoting student learning and success Financial, special education, record confidentiality, and future genetic challenges In-depth legal references, citations, and research, plus a comprehensive glossary and table of federal statutes and regulations

From Compliance to Learning: A System for Harnessing the Power of Data in the State of Maryland builds on a 2015 World Bank report that assessed Education Management Information Systems (EMISs) in the state of Maryland. That report uncovered a successful system, and this one expands on lessons learned and ways to apply them in practice. The goal of this study is to distill Maryland’s good practices in education data systems and share them in a way that is useful to education stakeholders interested in harnessing the power of data to strengthen learning outcomes. This study also examines the history of education data collection and use in the United States with a focus on Maryland, including a review of federal and state legislation that has helped to shape Maryland’s education data policies and systems. In the digital age, information is power. When information is effectively harnessed and aligned with student learning, it carries the potential to radically transform the delivery of education, as well as the sector as a whole. Increasingly, education systems are moving away from using education data narrowly for compliance purposes; instead, they are embracing data as a tool to drive systemwide innovation, professionalization, and, most importantly, learning. Whether to prioritize and optimize data and information systems around student learning is no longer an option; it is imperative for education systems that aim to excel and achieve strong learning outcomes. Over the past several decades, fundamental shifts have occurred in the way that education data are collected, managed, and used. Today real-time learning data inform classroom instruction; predictive analytics identify at-risk youth before they drop out of school; and data from preschool to workforce are linked to help guide education reforms. These represent just a few of the innovative ways that schools and other stakeholders across the United States are harnessing data to improve education. The state’s success in establishing an enabling environment for education data systems and data utilization has built a strong foundation. Maryland effectively aligned a complex, statewide data system to deliver value. Prioritization of integration and alignment was key. The state then launched a longitudinal data system center that would drive an adaptive education system with insights that track students from pre-kindergarten to entry in the workforce. Data across the state are high quality and follow strict rules to preserve privacy and enhance security. Maryland’s utilization of data also offers valuable lessons. The statewide data system supports policy makers and decision makers in planning and management, as well as teachers, students, and families in instruction and learning. Consistent across Maryland’s structuring and use of data systems were a strong vision and a road map to execute that vision. Maryland’s journey offers many lessons, not only for countries with advanced data systems but also for those in less developed stages. While the technology and information exist to achieve data for learning, harnessing data within the right information system and ensuring utilization are challenging endeavors. An array of factors must align—leadership, policies, processes, and resources, to name a few—to effectively harness data to support and drive strong learning outcomes.