## Requesting Education Records: Step-by-Step Guide

Who is an education rights holder (“ERH”)?

- • parents- Unless their rights have been limited or terminated by a court • parents- Unless their rights have been limited or terminated by a court
- • Parents with adoption order • Parents with adoption order
- • Guardians with letters of guardianship from a court • Guardians with letters of guardianship from a court
- • adults appointed by the court to hold education rights via JV-535 (ex. Foster parents, Relative • adults appointed by the court to hold education rights via JV-535 (ex. Foster parents, Relative caregivers, Court Appointed Special Advocates)

The Purpose of Requesting Records

- • education performance over time • education performance over time
- • help better understand the child’s needs • help better understand the child’s needs
- • determine interventions that have or have not worked in the past • determine interventions that have or have not worked in the past
- • allow comparison between old testing and new testing to monitor academic progress • allow comparison between old testing and new testing to monitor academic progress

Examples of Records you May Receive

- • cards: They will show academic progress throughout the child’s education history • cards: They will show academic progress throughout the child’s education history
- • These show how close to graduation a child may be based on their accumulated class credits • These show how close to graduation a child may be based on their accumulated class credits
- • records: They show whether the child is going to all of their class periods daily • records: They show whether the child is going to all of their class periods daily
- • Education Assessments: These show a child’s current functioning both academically and behaviorally • Education Assessments: These show a child’s current functioning both academically and behaviorally
- • Education Programs (“IEPs”): These show whether services/goals are meeting the child’s needs • Education Programs (“IEPs”): These show whether services/goals are meeting the child’s needs

Procedures for ERHs to Request Education Records

- Step 1. Complete the form: Sign and date the form on the reverse side of this document. Complete one for each school the child has attended.
- Step 2. Submit the form: Turn in the completed form and proof that you hold education rights to all the schools you’re requesting records from. Proof that you hold education rights may be: a minute order or JV-535 form from the court, guardianship letters or adoption order. If you are the biological parent to the child you DO NOT need to present any proof.
- Step 3. Get proof: You should get proof that the school received your records request, in case you later have any difficulties getting the school to send records. There are 3 possible ways to get proof that you submitted the records request form.
- a) If submitting the form in person, get a date stamp on the form and keep a copy as proof.
- b) If submitting via fax, keep a copy of the fax transmittal report confirming that the fax was received.
- c) If sending via mail, send it via certified mail. Make sure to keep the certified mail receipt as proof.
- Step 4. Get records: Schools, by law, have only 5 business days to send you the records you requested. You should call the school 2 days after submitting the records request form, to confirm that it was received and that they will be sending you records within 5 business days. If the school informs you that they do not have records for your child, ask that they put this in writing.
- Step Step 5. If by the day you have not received any records, contact the school and request that they send them to you immediately.
- Step 6. Organize and Review Records: Once you receive the records, organize them chronologically, by school year, and read through them to make sure you received everything you requested. You should make sure that you received all of the child’s report cards, attendance records, transcripts, behavior notes/suspension notices. If your child is in special education, pay close attention to the IEP dates and make sure that you have an IEP for each year they were eligible and an assessment every three years. If you notice that anything is missing, you should go back to the school and request that they give you the missing documents.