Which federal law governs the confidentiality of student education records in K–12 settings, including health information?

Which federal law governs the confidentiality of student education records in K–12 settings, including health information?

• A. FERPA
• B. HIPAA
• C. IDEA
• D. COPPA

Answer: (A)

FERPA is the law that governs confidentiality of student education records in K–12, including health information. It covers records that are directly related to a student and that are maintained by the school or its agents. Parents and eligible students have rights to access and request amendments to these records, and disclosures are generally limited without written consent, with several specific exceptions for legitimate school purposes or emergencies. Health information kept by a school is typically treated as part of education records and thus protected under FERPA, rather than HIPAA, which applies to health information held by health care providers and plans. IDEA deals with special education records and services, providing protections for students with disabilities, but those records are still governed by FERPA as part of education records. COPPA concerns online privacy for children and not the confidentiality of education records in schools. So, in a K–12 context, FERPA is the appropriate framework for protecting the confidentiality of student education records, including health information.

FERPA is the law that governs confidentiality of student education records in K–12, including health information. It covers records that are directly related to a student and that are maintained by the school or its agents. Parents and eligible students have rights to access and request amendments to these records, and disclosures are generally limited without written consent, with several specific exceptions for legitimate school purposes or emergencies.

Health information kept by a school is typically treated as part of education records and thus protected under FERPA, rather than HIPAA, which applies to health information held by health care providers and plans. IDEA deals with special education records and services, providing protections for students with disabilities, but those records are still governed by FERPA as part of education records. COPPA concerns online privacy for children and not the confidentiality of education records in schools.

So, in a K–12 context, FERPA is the appropriate framework for protecting the confidentiality of student education records, including health information.