Be Your Own Investigator: How to obtain records from schools your children attend

(InvestigateTV) — You don’t have to wait for a report card or a call from a teacher to find out how your child is doing in school.

If you’re a parent, you know getting anything out of your kid can be difficult after a long day in class.

Here’s how you can find out what you want to know.

There’s a federal law on the books that deals with all of this called FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

FERPA applies to all schools and colleges that receive federal money.

The law says you have the right to inspect things in your student’s file, from their grades and standardized test scores to disciplinary or attendance records and health reports.

A few things, like records maintained by law enforcement that are attached to your school, are exempt from that law.

FERPA says the school has to pony up the paperwork you request within 45 days, but generally, they should be able to provide it pretty quickly.

You may have to pay some fees if you want physical copies, but ask your district.

Many districts have online portals you can sign up for, so you just , and then a lot of this information is there anytime you want it.

The law also puts limitations on who your students’ information can be shared with, making sure their personally identifiable info isn’t out in the world without your consent.

They do have some exceptions, though, so schools are allowed to share in certain situations without asking, including with institutions assisting with financial aid or if your student is transferring to a different school or moving on to college.

It’s important to point out that once your kid turns 18, all of those rights under FERPA shift from you as a parent to your student.

So once they become an adult, they are the ones who are protected.

However, if you still claim your child as a dependent on your taxes, the Department of Education says you can still ask to take a peek at their school records, though not every university’s policy will allow you to see them without your kid g off.

You can see what a college releases by finding its annual FERPA policy page on its website.

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