Which FERPA responsibility best supports protecting student privacy?

• A. Share records publicly with school staff
• B. Publicly post student information on school website
• C. Safeguard records, obtain consent when required, limit access, securely store data, and provide rights notice
• D. Discard records every year

Answer: (C)

FERPA protects student privacy by controlling how education records are accessed, stored, and disclosed, and by informing families of their rights. The best option reflects a comprehensive approach: it emphasizes safeguarding records, obtaining consent when required, limiting access to individuals with a legitimate educational interest, securely storing data, and providing a rights notice that explains students' and parents' rights to inspect and amend records and to file complaints. In practice, this means schools lock down both paper and digital files, grant access only to staff who need the information for their role, obtain consent before sharing records unless a FERPA exception applies, and clearly communicate how records can be accessed and corrected. Choices that involve publicly sharing or posting student information violate privacy protections, and discarding records without following retention and privacy procedures risks inappropriate disclosure.