Frequently Asked Questions

FERPA rights for parents or legal guardians (and eligible students*) include:

• The right to see their child's educational records. Educational records include information kept specific to the individual student.
• The right to request an amendment to those records (and in certain cases append a statement to them).
• The right to consent to disclose their child's information except for directory information. 
• The right to request that their child's directory information be withheld from disclosure. 
• The right to file a complaint with the Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) concerning potential FERPA violations.

*When a student turns 18 years old or graduates from high school, they become eligible to exercise the same rights under FERPA.

Directory Information is student information that FERPA authorizes schools and educational institutions to disclose without consent. It includes information kept in a student’s official education record that “would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed”. 

By law we cannot withhold their directory information without your expressed permission.

Student directory information may include information such as: 

• your child's name, address, telephone number, email address
• their photograph or audio/video depiction
• their date and place of birth
• their grade level
• any participation in officially recognized activities and athletic teams (which may include the weight and height of athletes)
• any honors and awards received from the school or district
• dates of attendance
• and the name of the school your child has most recently attended

Yes. You can return to our district form on our website and change any previously submitted requests or notify your school of a cancellation of your request. 

No, once you indicate your preference it will not be changed unless you request a change via our district form online or in person at your child's school. 

The federal mandate included in FERPA requires Northshore to annually inform parents and eligible students of their FERPA rights. Northshore School District will ask for your preference at the beginning of every school year.

Some helpful terms to know:

• Announcements in a local newspaper including your child as a recipient of a district award would require the release of their directory information.
• Including your child in their school yearbook also requires the release of directory information.
• For high school students, the release of transcripts to post-secondary educational institutions requires the release of directory information.

You can also learn more at the U.S. Department of Education’s FERPA website. The official website contains the full text of the FERPA law and detailed explanations.