Under FERPA, which practice is a teacher responsible for?

• A. Publish student names in class announcements
• B. Limit disclosures of student information and maintain confidentiality and manage records responsibly
• C. Share all records with any adult who asks
• D. Keep all records on a personal email

Answer: (B)

Under FERPA, protecting the privacy of students’ education records and controlling who can see them is essential. The best practice for a teacher is to limit disclosures of student information, keep records confidential, and manage them in an appropriate, secure system. This means you share information only with people who have a legitimate educational need or with proper consent, and you store and handle records so they aren’t exposed or misused.

Context helps: some information is designated as directory information and may be disclosed without consent if the student (or parent) hasn’t opted out, but absent that, disclosure should be tightly controlled. Using a personal email to store or transmit student records is not appropriate because it isn’t a secure, official system. Sharing all records with any adult who asks bypasses consent and privacy protections. Publishing students’ names in class announcements can also overstep privacy boundaries unless it fits allowed disclosures and permissions.

So the responsible practice is safeguarding privacy, limiting disclosures, and maintaining records responsibly.