U.S. Department of Education (ED) finalizes the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

In December of 2011 the U.S. Department of Education (ED) finalized the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations. As explained in the Federal Register, the agency believes that the final regulations address states’ concerns and clarify the application of FERPA to state longitudinal data systems and education reform efforts. The final regulations transform the conversation from whether student data may be used for important educational purposes to how they can appropriately be used to improve student achievement.