Privacy and FERPA

The Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, also known as the Buckley Amendment, is a Federal law that governs the confidentiality of student records. This law requires that educational institutions maintain the confidentiality and privacy of student records, ensures that each student has access to his or her education records, and provides students with a limited opportunity to correct erroneous education records.

To maintain privacy and confidentiality of student records all personally identifiable information must be protected. Any information which makes a student's identity easily traceable is considered private and confidential. A student's Social Security Number, for example, is personally identifiable information. Personally identifiable information cannot be released to third parties.

Data at this site may be summarized or masked to protect the confidentiality of student records. Data may be masked by using categories such as "Other" or by displaying a star "*" in place of data that may reveal the identity of a student. The general rule of thumb is to mask all counts between 1 and 4.