Which statement about FERPA's purpose is accurate?

Which statement about FERPA's purpose is accurate?

• A. It protects the privacy of student education records.
• B. It requires schools to publish all records publicly.
• C. It has no effect on parental access.
• D. It only applies to out-of-state schools.

Answer: (A)

FERPA is about safeguarding students’ privacy by giving families and eligible students control over who can see education records. The strongest statement reflects this protective purpose, since it notes that student education records are safeguarded and generally cannot be disclosed without consent. This aligns with how FERPA works in practice: schools may share information only with proper consent or under narrowly defined exceptions, rather than publishing everything publicly. It also supports the idea that parental access and student rights are protected, and it applies to any school that receives federal funds, not just out-of-state institutions.

FERPA is about safeguarding students’ privacy by giving families and eligible students control over who can see education records. The strongest statement reflects this protective purpose, since it notes that student education records are safeguarded and generally cannot be disclosed without consent. This aligns with how FERPA works in practice: schools may share information only with proper consent or under narrowly defined exceptions, rather than publishing everything publicly. It also supports the idea that parental access and student rights are protected, and it applies to any school that receives federal funds, not just out-of-state institutions.