Schools can’t share student records without permission with some exceptions. Parents and eligible students have the right to access and request the school to change educational records from preschool through high school if the student believes them to be misleading or inaccurate . If the school decides not to change the student's records after a request is made, the parents or eligible student has the right to a hearing. If the school still does not want to make a change in the student records, the parents or eligible student has the right to place a statement within the educational records.

If you want the school to make a copy of a record for you, it may charge you for the copy. It can’t charge you if you can’t afford to pay. Colleges and universities do not have to share financial records with a student.

There are 2 types of school student records, permanent and temporary. It is important to know the difference because different records are kept for different periods of time. Some records are stored for 60 years whereas other records are store for only one year. Also, some records can not be accessed. Permanent records include the following:

• Student's names and address, birth date,birth place, and gender,
• Names and addresses of student's parents,
• Transcripts, grades, class rank, graduation date, and test scores,
• Attendance,
• Accident reports and health records,
• Any record of release of permanent records,
• Honors and awards, and
• Extracurricular activities.

Temporary records include:

• Family background information,
• Intelligence and aptitude (reasoning) test results,
• Psychological and personality test results,
• Teacher evaluations,
• Physical and sexual abuse reports,
• Disciplinary actions involving drugs, weapons, or bodily harm to others,
• Special education files, and
• Any verified reports or information from non-educational persons, agencies or organizations.

Personal information includes:

• The student's name,
• The student's birthday,
• Names of parents or other family members,
• Addresses,
• Social security or student number, and
• Any other information that would make the student's identity easy to find out.

You don’t have the right to see the following information:

• The personal notes or records of school staff,
• Records of the school’s law enforcement unit,
• The employment records of school personnel, and
• Another student’s records.

Student access to records 

If you are younger than 18, you have the right to inspect and copy just your permanent record. You can look at and copy of both your permanent and temporary student record if you become an eligible student. This happens when the student:

• Turns 18 years old,
• Gets married,
• Joins the military, or
• Graduates from high school.

Parent access to student records

If you are the parent or guardian of a student, you have the right to see and copy both the permanent and temporary records.

When the student becomes an eligible student, which happens when the student turns 18, graduates from high school, gets married, or joins the military, you as a parent do no longer have the right to see or copy the records without the student's written permission or a court order. The exception is if you as a parent claim the eligible student as a dependent on your taxes. Then you do have the right to see educational records.

Sharing between school districts

A school may only share your student records with another school in a different district when:

• It is voluntary,
• The sharing only applies to a student enrolled in both districts and the student intends to enroll in the high school district, and
• They do not share more information with another district than they would within the same district.

Who else can see my student records?

• Parents/ guardians,
• School employees,
• Official records custodians,
• Anyone for the purpose of research, statistical reporting, etc,
• Whomever is listed in a court order for the records, and
• Anyone required by law to have access to the records.