School district personnel need to ask the question: Is your use of social networking FERPA compliant?
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. You can read more about FERPA at their website.
There are things schools may disclose with or without consent of parents or eligible students but it is important to know the distinction.
Teens are heavy users of social networking and do not seem to be overly concerned about giving out sensitive personal information. Yet educators must be vigilant about releasing personal student data.
Nothing we do on the web is private. Find out about what’s protected under FERPA. Share some scenarios or guidelines that will help facilitate discussion and understanding amongst colleagues and parents.
