The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) permits schools to disclose “directory information” to third parties without parent or eligible student consent, unless the student has been opted out of such disclosures by their parent or themself in accordance with FCPS procedures.
FCPS has defined “directory information” to be the information contained in a student’s education record that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. “Directory information” includes the following:
- Name
- Photograph and video of students, whether hardcopy or electronic
- Date and place of birth
- Major field of study
- Grad level
- Enrollment status
- Dates of attendance
- Participation in official recognized activities and sports
- Weight and height of members of athletic teams
- Degrees
- Honors
- Awards
- Scholarships received
- Most recent educational institution attended
- Education and/or career plans after graduation
- Student identification number or other unique personal identifier used by a student for accessing or communicating in electronic systems 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 identify, such as a personal identification number, password, or other factor known or possessed only by the authorized user.
“Directory information” does NOT include the following:
- Social security number
- Address
- Telephone listing
- Email address
If parents or eligible students do not want Frederick County Public Schools to disclose directory information from their student’s or their educational records without first obtaining written consent, the parent or eligible student must notify FCPS in writing within thirty (30) days of the first day of school or within thirty (30) days of enrollment if the student starts after the first day of school. The “Directory Information Opt-Out” form should be completed and submitted to the student’s principal.
For more information, please see the following: