I. Responsibility
It will be the Building Principal’s responsibility to insure by reviewing annually a random sample of records at each grade level that a cumulative record is established, maintained and kept secure for each student assigned to the building. In the elementary schools, the classroom teacher typically will be delegated the responsibility for insuring that student records are current and accurate; in the secondary schools this responsibility typically will be delegated to the student’s guidance counselor.
II. Maintenance
The following items, grouped into eleven areas, shall be included, when appropriate, in each student’s record:
Area 1 – Personnel Identification Data
a. Name of student
b. Date of birth
c. Evidence of birthday (First person to register student must see birth or baptismal certificate)
d. Sex
e. Residence of student
f. Telephone number
g. Month, day and year of school entrance
h. Photograph (if available – first year student enrolls in school and grades 3,6,8,11)
i. Social Security Number
Area 2 – Family Information
a. Name of father
b. Name of mother
c. Name of guardian(s)
d. Employers of parents or guardians and telephone numbers at work
e. Siblings (all, not just those registered in school)
f. Additions to or changes in family data
g. Address(es) of parents or guardians
h. Bilinguality of student (if applicable)
Area 3 – School Attendance
a. Daily record of attendance
b. Daily record of tardiness
c. Daily record of excused absence
d. Explanation of each absence, tardiness and excused absence
e. Quarterly summary of student attendance, including tardiness
f. Action taken on illegal absence
g. Exemption from instruction (if applicable)
h. Record of home instruction (if applicable)
Area 4 – Health and Physical Growth (Typically maintained in Health Office file and transferred with individual student records at transition points.)
a. Name of family physician and telephone
b. Health history of student
c. Preventative measures and tests
d. Results of and recommendations from:
- Medical examinations
- Dental health examinations
- Vision tests
- Hearing tests
e. Significant temporary and permanent health factors
f. Notes of school health service personnel
g. In-school and out-of-school referrals
h. Results of follow-up health conferences
Area 5 – Academic Record
a. Subjects studied; quarterly academic grades and Regents exam grade where applicable
b. Units by subject by school year (high school)
c. Summer school credits
d. Subjects and grades failed and subjects dropped
e. Secondary school subject sequences
f. Decile rank in graduating class
g. Date of graduation
Reports related to participation in special services, such as:
- Reports of special educational services provided (reading, speech, psychological,* gifted program)
- Explanation of marking system
- Alternate curricula studied and grades received
- Cumulative record of learning enrichment teacher evaluations where appropriate.
- Cumulative record of evaluations of investigations from Learning Enrichment Program where appropriate.
Area 6 – Standardized Test Results
a. Name of standardized test
b. Form of test
c. Level of test
*Psychological reports, Individual Education Plans and related documents will be kept in the student’s individual pupil services team folder. Prior to transfer of records from elementary school to junior high school, or from junior high school to high school, Pupil Team Chairpersons and school psychologists will ensure that aforementioned documents are included in the individual pupil services team record.
Parents/Guardians may inspect and review psychological reports relating to their children. While test protocols are part of the student’s record, test security and copyright restrictions of test protocols are protected. On written request by a parent or guardian, copies of protocols may be sent to certified or licensed professionals who are trained in interpreting psychological data.
d. Month, day and year of test administration
e. Initials of test administrator, scorer and/or recorder
f. Test raw score, standard score, converted score, percentile rank, stanine
g. Test results from other sources
h. Remarks (unusual circumstances related to test administration)
Area 7 – Personal-Social Characteristics
a. Student questionnaire information.
Area 8 – Accomplishments, Honors and Awards
a. Accomplishments
b. Honors
c. Awards
d. Background Information Form describing label of gifted student
Area 9 – In-School and Out-of-School Activities
a. Participation in significant school extra-curricular activities
b. Participation in significant out-of-school extra-curricular activities
c. Significant hobbies and interests
d. Marked or special talents
e. Work experiences
Area 10 – Educational and Vocational Plans
a. Student educational plans (counselor summary sheet)
b. Student vocational plans (counselor summary sheet)
c. Parent educational preferences for student (counselor summary sheet)
d. Parent vocational preferences for student (counselor summary sheet)
e. Cumulative record of objectives achieved from Individual Education Plans for gifted students including the current school year
Area 11 – Entry, Withdrawal and Follow-up
a. Date of admission to school
b. Grade of entry
c. Place from which admitted
d. Date of transfer, destination and reasons for transfer
e. Date of withdrawal, destination and reasons for withdrawal
f. Graduation data
g. Educational institutions entered on school exit
h. Occupation entered on school exit
The following forms or reports should be maintained in the individual student record, where applicable, at times when records are transferred and should be arranged in the order indicated:
A. From Elementary to Middle School:
- Cumulative Academic Record including record of achievement in programs for gifted and from LEP
- Yellow Permanent Record Card (prepared in elementary school)
- Elementary Test Record
- Elementary reading record
- Notes of Suspension (within current year unless a pattern of suspension can be established)
- Psychological, speech, reading and learning enrichment teacher reports
- Summary of Parent-Teacher conferences and teacher comments and significant related parental correspondence
- Student information worksheet
- Attendance Cards
- Updated registration form
- Free lunch application (if applicable)
B. From Middle School to High School:
- Yellow Permanent Record Card
- Elementary academic record and middle school report cards and cumulative record of achievement from IEP’s
- Elementary and middle school test records
- Notices of Suspension (within current year unless a pattern of suspension can be established)
- Four-year plan sheet
- Elementary and middle school psychologist, speech, and learning enrichment report
- Student profile sheet
- Summary by counselor
- Counselor notes (including parent-teacher conference notes from elementary school and significant recent parental correspondence)
- Attendance cards
- Updated registration form (most recent)
- Free lunch application
C. To Graduate or Left School Status:
- Permanent Record Card (yellow card and elementary folder must be maintained for 50 years after graduation)
- Attendance Cards – must be maintained for 50 years after graduation
- The folder must be kept for a 6-year minimum and should include:
a. All transcripts of academic work
b. Report cards
c. One copy of letter of recommendation
d. Secondary school test record card
e. Composite student descriptive scale
f. Summary of counselor contacts
g. Health records – including Accident Reports from grades 9-12
III. Review of Record
Each student’s record should be reviewed annually by the staff members having direct responsibility for the student’s record. While information in addition to that indicated in Section II may be included, a determination by the staff member delegated responsibility for the student record as to the continued relevancy of such material should be made at least every two years and/or at transitional points in the student’s educational career (grades 6,8,12.) Such additional information might include, but is not limited to, parental correspondence and notices of suspension or other discipline referrals.
IV. Notification to Parents/Guardians and Eligible Students of Their Rights Regarding Records
The Office of Pupil Services shall be responsible for providing to parents/guardians and eligible students annual notice which includes, but is not limited to, the following information:
a. the types of education records and information contained therein which are directly related to students and maintained by the institution;
b. the name and position of the official responsible for the maintenance of each type of record, the persons who have access to those records, and the purposes for which they have access;
c. the policies of the institution for reviewing and expunging those records;
d. the cost (see Board of Education Policy 1120, item, 5) which will be charged to the parent/guardian or eligible student for reproducing copies of records. (Exception: One copy of the student’s academic transcript will be provided to the parent/guardian or the student free of charge upon the student’s transfer to another school or at the beginning of the senior year. Other transcripts will be provided free of charge as needed to accompany applications for college or employment.)
e. the categories of information which the institution has designated as directory information.
V. Interpretation of Record
Building Principals will arrange for appropriate in-service activities to insure that staff members have the expertise necessary to provide appropriate interpretation. In the elementary school the classroom teacher will normally be responsible for the interpretation of the student record to those persons designated in the Board Policy as having a right to review an individual student record. In the secondary schools the guidance counselor will typically perform this function. Appropriate specialists normally should be present to interpret their reports. Thus, those persons wishing to review a student’s record should do so by appointment. Students (as appropriate for their chronological age) should be aware of the type of information included in the individual student record. Parent programs, conferences between the parents/guardians and teachers, individual conferences between parents/ guardians and counselor and between counselors and students offer good opportunity for orientating students and parents to the contents of the student record.
VI. Requests to Amend Student Records
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) gives eligible parents/guardians or students the right to seek the amendment of the education record of a student if the parent/guardian or student believes that it contains information that is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student’s right to privacy. An eligible parent’s/guardian’s or student’s right under FERPA and this regulation may be used to challenge facts that are inaccurately recorded in the education record of the student. They may not be used to challenge a grade, an opinion, or a substantive decision made by the District about a student. Additionally, if FERPA’s amendment procedures are not applicable to a request for an amendment of an education record under this regulation, then the District is not required to hold a hearing on the matter.
Request for Amendment of Education Record
Any request by an eligible parent/guardian or student to amend the student’s education record must be made in writing to the principal for the building attended by the student. A requests for an amendment must be made in writing, clearly identify the record that is sought to be amended, clearly identify the portion of the record that is sought to amended, clearly state why it is believed that the record is inaccurate, misleading or in violation of the student’s right to privacy, and clearly state the amendment to the record that is requested. Any written request that does not include all of this required information will not be considered, and the requestor will be notified in writing that their request was not made properly.
Upon receipt of a proper request for an amendment of an education record, the principal will make a determination within a reasonable time, but not more than thirty days, as to whether the proposed amendment is accepted or rejected. The parent/guardian or student will be notified, in writing, whether the amendment has occurred or the request has been denied in whole or in part. A letter denying the request in whole or in part will state the reason(s) for the denial and notify the parent/guardian or student of the right to request a hearing.
Request for a Hearing
Following a denial of amendment by the principal and in accordance with FERPA, the District shall, upon the written request of an eligible parent/guardian or student, provide the parent/guardian or student with an opportunity for a hearing to challenge information in the education record if it is alleged that such information is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights of the student.
Conduct of Hearing
The hearing shall be conducted according to the following provisions:
- The hearing shall be held within a reasonable time, but no later than 30 days, after the District receives the request for a hearing from the parent/guardian or student.
- The parent/guardian or student requesting the hearing shall be notified in writing of the date, place and time of the hearing reasonably in advance of the hearing.
- The hearing shall be conducted by the District’s Superintendent or the Superintendent’s designee, which may be another District official, provided that such person does not have a direct interest in the outcome of the hearing (the “Hearing Officer”).
- The parent/guardian or student shall be afforded a full and fair opportunity to present evidence relevant to the issues at the hearing.
- The parent/guardian or student may be assisted or represented at the hearing by persons of his/her choice, including legal counsel, at his/her own expense.
- The Hearing Officer shall preside over the hearing and the hearing shall in all respects be under the control of the Hearing Officer and shall not be subject to formal rules of evidence or procedure. The Hearing Officer shall have the right to receive evidence at the hearing in the manner determined by the Hearing Officer. The Hearing Officer shall have the right to call witnesses at the hearing or to ask questions of witnesses, but the Hearing Officer shall not be required to do so. The Hearing Officer shall have the right to determine whether particular evidence presented is relevant to the record and issue(s) in question.
Decision After Hearing
The District shall make its decision in writing on the request for amendment within a reasonable time, but no later than 30 days after the conclusion of the hearing. The decision shall be based solely upon evidence presented at the hearing and shall include a summary of the evidence and the reasons for the decision.
Decision To Amend
If, as a result of the hearing, the District decides that the information is inaccurate, misleading or in violation of the student’s right to privacy, the District shall amend the education records accordingly and so inform the parent/guardian or student of the amendment in writing.
Decision Not To Amend
If, as a result of the hearing, the District decides that the information is not inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student’s right to privacy, the District shall inform the parent/guardian or student of his/her right to place a statement in the education record of the student which sets forth the written comments of the parent/guardian regarding the information in the education record or the reasons for disagreeing with the decision of the District, or both written comments and reasons for disagreement.
The statement of the parent/guardian or student shall be appended by District to the student’s education records so long as the record or the contested portion thereof is maintained by the District. If the education record of the student or the contested portion thereof is released by the District to any party, the statement of the parent/guardian or student shall also be released to the party.
Note: Prior regulation, Student Records – Confidential, 5125(a)-(g)
October 24, 1989
February 24, 1986
March 25, 1991
April 15, 1975
June 21, 1999
Amended: January 26, 2017