Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

ESM certifies its FERPA compliance, which includes a student’s right to:

• Inspect and review all records that are directly related to a student and are maintained by an educational agency, institution, or by a party acting for the agency or institution;
• Seek amendment of records that the student believes to be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights;
• Consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s educational records; and
• File a complaint with the Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the educational agency or institution to comply with the requirements of this Act.

Further, in compliance with this act, we allow access to a student’s educational records within 45 days after receiving a request for access. Also, if a request for amendment of a student’s records is denied, we inform the student of the procedure to obtain a hearing about the denial of the requested amendment. The person or persons the school designates to hold the hearing must have no direct interest in the outcome of the hearing. For as long as a student’s educational records exist, the school must maintain a record of each request for access, and each disclosure from the student’s educational records. The school may disclose information only to parties with a legitimate interest, and on the condition that the disclosed information is not re-disclosed without the prior consent of the student. The Department of Education may direct a school not to allow a party access to student records for a minimum of five years, if that party has improperly redisclosed student information.