Model Notification of Rights under FERPA for Elementary 

and Secondary Schools

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students who are 

18 years of age or older ("eligible students") certain rights with respect to the student's education 

records. These rights are:

1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days after the 

day the [Name of school (“School”)] receives a request for access. 

Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal [or appropriate school 

official] a written request that identifies the records they wish to inspect. The school 

official will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the 

time and place where the records may be inspected. 

2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or 

eligible student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the 

student’s privacy rights under FERPA.

Parents or eligible students who wish to ask the [School] to amend a record should write 

the school principal [or appropriate school official], clearly identify the part of the record 

they want changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the school decides not to 

amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the school will notify the 

parent or eligible student of the decision and of their right to a hearing regarding the 

request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be 

provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.

3. The right to provide written consent before the school discloses personally identifiable 

information (PII) from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA 

authorizes disclosure without consent.

One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials 

with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the 

school as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including 

health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel) or a person serving on the 

school board. A school official also may include a volunteer or contractor outside of the 

school who performs an institutional service or function for which the school would 

otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of the school with 

respect to the use and maintenance of PII from education records, such as an attorney, 

auditor, medical consultant, or therapist; a parent or student volunteering to serve 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 education 

record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
[Optional] Upon request, the school discloses education records without consent to 

officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll, or is 

already enrolled if the disclosure is for purposes of the student’s enrollment or transfer. 

[NOTE: FERPA requires a school district to make a reasonable attempt to notify the 

parent or student of the records request unless it states in its annual notification that it 

intends to forward records on request.]

4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged 

failures by the [School] to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and 

address of the Office that administers FERPA are:

Family Policy Compliance Office

U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20202

[NOTE: In addition, a school may want to include its directory information public notice, as 

required by § 99.37 of the regulations, with its annual notification of rights under FERPA.]

[Optional] See the list below of the disclosures that elementary and secondary schools may

make without consent.

FERPA permits the disclosure of PII from students’ education records, without consent of the 

parent or eligible student, if the disclosure meets certain conditions found in § 99.31 of the 

FERPA regulations. Except for disclosures to school officials, disclosures related to some 

judicial orders or lawfully issued subpoenas, disclosures of directory information, and 

disclosures to the parent or eligible student, § 99.32 of the FERPA regulations requires the 

school to record the disclosure. Parents and eligible students have a right to inspect and review 

the record of disclosures. A school may disclose PII from the education records of a student 

without obtaining prior written consent of the parents or the eligible student—

 To other school officials, including teachers, within the educational agency or institution 

whom the school has determined to have legitimate educational interests. This includes 

contractors, consultants, volunteers, or other parties to whom the school has outsourced 

institutional services or functions, provided that the conditions listed in 

§ 99.31(a)(1)(i)(B)(1) - (a)(1)(i)(B)(2) are met. (§ 99.31(a)(1))

 To officials of another school, school system, or institution of postsecondary education 

where the student seeks or intends to enroll, or where the student is already enrolled if the 

disclosure is for purposes related to the student’s enrollment or transfer, subject to the 

requirements of § 99.34. (§ 99.31(a)(2)) 

 To authorized representatives of the U. S. Comptroller General, the U. S. Attorney

General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or State and local educational authorities, such 

as the State educational agency in the parent or eligible student’s State (SEA). 

Disclosures under this provision may be made, subject to the requirements of § 99.35, in 
connection with an audit or evaluation of Federal- or State-supported education 

programs, or for the enforcement of or compliance with Federal legal requirements that 

relate to those programs. These entities may make further disclosures of PII to outside 

entities that are designated by them as their authorized representatives to conduct any

audit, evaluation, or enforcement or compliance activity on their behalf. (§§ 99.31(a)(3) 

and 99.35)

 In connection with financial aid for which the student has applied or which the student 

has received, if the information is necessary to determine eligibility for the aid, determine 

the amount of the aid, determine the conditions of the aid, or enforce the terms and 

conditions of the aid. (§ 99.31(a)(4))

 To State and local officials or authorities to whom information is specifically allowed to 

be reported or disclosed by a State statute that concerns the juvenile justice system and 

the system’s ability to effectively serve, prior to adjudication, the student whose records 

were released, subject to § 99.38. (§ 99.31(a)(5))

 To organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, the school, in order to: (a) 

develop, validate, or administer predictive tests; (b) administer student aid programs; or 

(c) improve instruction. (§ 99.31(a)(6))

 To accrediting organizations to carry out their accrediting functions. (§ 99.31(a)(7))

 To parents of an eligible student if the student is a dependent for IRS tax purposes. 

(§ 99.31(a)(8))

 To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena. (§ 99.31(a)(9))

 To appropriate officials in connection with a health or safety emergency, subject to 

§ 99.36. (§ 99.31(a)(10)

 Information the school has designated as “directory information” under § 99.37. 

(§ 99.31(a)(11).