Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Directory Information Legal

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Notice for Directory Information

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that Medford School District, with certain exceptions, obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your child’s education records. However, Medford School District may disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent, unless you have advised the District to the contrary in accordance with District procedures. The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the District to include this type of information from your child’s education records in certain school publications. Examples include:

• a playbill, showing your student’s role in a drama production;
• the annual yearbook;
• honor roll or other recognition lists;
• graduation programs; and
• sports activity sheets, such as for wrestling, showing weight and height of team members.

Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be disclosed to outside organizations without parent/guardian prior written consent. Outside organizations include, but are not limited to, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks.

If you do not want Medford School District to disclose directory information from your child’s education records without your prior written consent, you must notify the District in writing within 15 days of publication of this notification. Direct your written notification to the principal of the school where your child attends. The Medford School District Board of Directors has designated the following information as directory information in School Board Policy JOA:

• student’s name
• student’s photograph
• major field of study
• participation in officially recognized sports and activities
• weight and height of members of athletic teams
• dates of attendance; and
• degrees and awards received

In addition, two federal laws require local educational agencies (LEAs) receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to provide military recruiters, upon request, with the following information:

• student’s name
• student’s address
• student’s telephone listing

Information will be provided to military recruiters unless parents/guardians have advised the District that they do not want their student’s information disclosed without their prior written consent.

At no point will the student’s social security number or student identification number be considered directory information.