FERPA Policy

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) ANNUAL NOTICE

Release of Student Directory Information to the Public and/or Military Recruiters

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents¹ certain rights with respect to their student’s education records. 

For the purposes of FERPA, Cedar Hill ISD has designated certain information as “directory information,” which may be disclosed for any purpose without prior consent. The primary purpose of this designation is for district use of the information for these types of purposes:

·      School and district newsletters and other printed or electronic official publications

·      News releases to area newspapers

·      School district website and official social media sites

·      A playbill or music program, showing your student’s role in a performance

·      Honor roll or other recognition lists

·      Graduation programs

·      Yearbooks

·      Sports activity programs, such as for wrestling, showing weight and height of team members

According to federal guidelines, directory information can also be disclosed to outside organizations without prior written consent. Outside organizations include, but are not limited to, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks.

In addition, two federal laws² require local educational agencies (LEA’s) receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to provide military recruiters, upon request, with three directory information categories — names, address and telephone listings — unless parents have asked the LEA not to disclose this information without their prior written consent.

Cedar Hill has designated the following information as directory information:

·      Student name

·      Parent name(s)

·      Address

·      Telephone listing

·      Electronic mail address

·      Photograph

·      Video images

·      Audio recordings

·      Date and place of birth

·      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

Instructions to request non-release of directory information

To request non-release of directory information as outlined in this form, you must follow the procedures below by September 1st of the current school year, or at the time of enrollment if after September, 1). This request for non-release lasts for the current year only; a new request is required each year.

1. Write a dated letter, typed or printed legibly, that includes all of the following:

·      Full name of student 

·      Grade level for the current school year

·      Specific item(s) listed above that you do not want to be considered as “directory information” for your child for the current school year

·      If applicable, a specific request of non-disclosure of information to military recruiters

·      Parent/guardian name

·      Parent/guardian signature

2. Send or deliver this letter to:

Cedar Hill ISD

Attn: Communications Department

285 Uptown Blvd.

Building 300

Cedar Hill, TX  75104

1. Parents, legal guardians and students age 18 or older

2. These laws are: Section 9528 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7908), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-110), the education bill, and 10 U.S.C. 503, as amended by section 544, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (P.L. 107-107), the legislation that provides funding for the Nation’s armed forces.