Model Notice for Directory Information

The following information relative to FERPA is from the U.S. Department of Education's website at https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/mndirectoryinfo.html as of 2018. Before relying on this information, local education officials should check with the attorney for their school board to make sure these regulations have not been amended.   

[Note:  Per 34 C.F.R. § 99.37(d), a school or school district may adopt a limited directory information policy.  If a school or school district does so, the directory information notice to parents and eligible students must specify the parties who may receive directory information and/or the purposes for which directory information may be disclosed.]

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that [School or School District], with certain exceptions, obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your child’s education records.  However, [School or School District] may disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent, unless you have advised the [School or School District] to the contrary in accordance with [School or School District] procedures.  The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the [School or School District] to include 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 a parent’s prior written consent.  Outside organizations include, but are not limited to, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks.  In addition, two federal laws require local educational agencies (LEAs) receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA) to provide military recruiters, upon request, with the following information – names, addresses and telephone listings – unless parents have advised the LEA that they do not want their student’s information disclosed without their prior written consent.  [Note:  These laws are Section 9528 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. § 7908) and 10 U.S.C. § 503(c).] 

If you do not want [School or School District] to disclose any or all of the types of information designated below as directory information from your child’s education records without your prior written consent, you must notify the [School or School District] in writing by [insert date].  [School District] has designated the following information as directory information:  [Note: an LEA may, but does not have to, include all the information listed below.]

• Student's name
• Address
• Telephone listing
• Electronic mail address
• Photograph
• Date and place of birth
• Major field of study
• Dates of attendance
• Grade level
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height of members of athletic teams
• Degrees, honors, and awards received
• The most recent educational agency or institution attended
• Student ID number, user ID, or other unique personal identifier used to communicate in electronic systems but only if the identifier cannot be used to gain access to education records except when used in conjunction with one or more factors that authenticate the user’s identity, such as a PIN, password, or other factor known or possessed only by the authorized user
• A student ID number or other unique personal identifier that is displayed on a student ID badge, but only if the identifier cannot be used to gain access to education records except when used in conjunction with one or more factors that authenticate the user's identity, such as a PIN, password, or other factor known or possessed only by the authorized user.