In order to provide students with appropriate instruction and educational services, it is necessary for the school system to maintain extensive and sometimes personal information about them and their families. It is essential that pertinent information in these records be readily available to appropriate school personnel, be accessible to the student’s parents/guardians and/or the student in accordance with law, yet be guarded as confidential information.
The Superintendent will provide for the proper administration of student records in keeping with state and federal requirements. To the extent required by applicable law, the schools will provide parents/guardians/eligible students (age 14 or in the ninth grade,whichever comes first) with an annual notice of their rights relative to student records. The Superintendent or his/her designee will determine the content and method of the annual notice.
The student record consists of the “transcript” and the “temporary record.” The temporary record contains the information important to the educational process which is not included on a student’s transcript. Parents/guardians/eligible students have the right to access the student record, have the right to add information to the student record, and have the right to request an amendment to the student record.
The student’s record is available to school contracted personnel who work with the student in an administrative, teaching, counseling and/or diagnostic capacity, and to administrative office staff and clerical personnel without requiring consent by the parent/guardian/eligible student. FERPA and state regulations specify to which other parties and under what conditions the schools are allowed to disclose student records without written permission from the parent/guardian/eligible student.
The student’s transcript may only be destroyed 60 years following his/her graduation, transfer, or withdrawal from the school system.
The temporary record of each student will be destroyed no later than seven years after the student transfers, graduates or withdraws from the school district. Written notice to the eligible student and his/her parent of the approximate date of destruction of the temporary record and their right to receive the information in whole or in part, shall be made at the time of such transfer, graduation, or withdrawal.
A non-custodial parent’s right to access student records is covered in Policy KBBA (formerly 400.14).
As permitted by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)and the Massachusetts Student Records Regulations, the School District designates certain student information as “directory information.”Those items of information may be disclosed for any purpose at the discretion of the school system, without consent of the parent/guardian of a student or of an eligible student. Parents/guardians and eligible students have the right to request that the school not disclose specific directory information about the student.
LEGAL REF:
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), P.L. 93-380, AmendedP.L. 103-382, 1994
MGL 66:10 , 71:34A , 71:34B , 71:34D , 71:34E , 71:34H Board of Education Student Record Regulations adopted 2/10/77, June 1995 as amended June 2002.
603 CMR:Dept. Of Education 23.00 through 23:12 ,
Mass Dept. Of Education publication Student Records; Questions, Answers and Guidelines, Sept. 1995
P.L. 107-110, The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) 2001
CROSS REF:
Region Voted to Approve: 2/06/07
Amherst Voted to Approve: 8/13/07
Pelham Voted to Approve: 1/03/08
Effective Date: 1/03/08