Confidentiality and Legal Considerations in Education

Which of the following is protected under FERPA?

• A student's disciplinary record

• A student's social media activity

• A teacher’s personal notes about a student

• A student’s test scores shared with the principal

Under IDEA, which of the following is true regarding the sharing of a student’s special education records?

• The records can be shared with any staff member involved in the student's education without parental consent.

• The records must be kept confidential and only shared with relevant school staff and parents.

• The records can be shared publicly if they contain important information for other students.

• The records can be shared freely with other schools without parental consent.

Which of the following would be a violation of FERPA?

• Discussing a student’s test results in a private meeting with the student’s parent.

• Sharing a student’s academic record with a teacher involved in the student’s individualized education plan (IEP).

• Posting a student’s grade on a publicly accessible bulletin board.

• Discussing a student’s behavior in a private meeting with the principal.

A teacher is discussing a student’s behavior problems with the student’s parent at a parent-teacher conference. The conversation takes place in the school cafeteria, which is noisy and crowded. Is this an appropriate setting?

• Yes, as long as the teacher and parent are talking privately.

• No, because the setting is not private enough to ensure confidentiality.

• Yes, because the cafeteria is a familiar place for the parent and student.

• No, because the teacher should be discussing the student’s issues in front of other teachers for feedback.

Which of the following would be considered an appropriate reason to discuss a student’s academic performance with a colleague?

• To seek advice on how to improve the student’s behavior in class.

• To compare the student's grades to other students’ performance.

• To share the student’s grade as part of a group discussion about class rankings.

• To share observations about the student with a colleague who is working directly with the student.

Before discussing a student’s personal information, which of the following should be considered first?

• What the person listening to the discussion plans to do with the information.

• Whether the discussion is important enough to warrant the time spent.

• What the student’s parents might think of the discussion.

• Whether the discussion will improve the student's behavior.

A teacher is in the staff lounge with a colleague and begins discussing a student's struggles with reading. The teacher does not mention the student's name but provides enough detail for the colleague to identify the student. Is this a violation of confidentiality?

• Yes, because the colleague could identify the student based on the details provided.

• No, because the student’s name was not mentioned.

• Yes, because staff lounges are considered a private area for teachers to discuss students.

• No, as long as the colleague is also a teacher at the school.

Which of the following statements is true regarding the location of discussions about students?

• Discussions should take place in a private location to ensure confidentiality, such as a classroom or office.

• Discussions can take place in any public location as long as no one overhears.

• Discussions can only take place on school grounds, even if confidentiality is compromised.

• Teachers may discuss student issues anywhere as long as the student is not physically present.

Discussing a student’s learning difficulties with colleagues in a hallway where others can overhear is a violation of confidentiality.

• Yes, it is a violation of confidentiality.

• No, because the discussion is with colleagues.

• No, because it is near the student’s classroom.

• No, as long as no names are mentioned.

Before sharing a student’s special education records, which of the following should be considered?

• Who needs to know the information for educational purposes and has the legal right to access it.

• Whether the information is positive or negative about the student.

• Whether the records are up-to-date.

• Whether the information might help improve the student’s academic performance.