The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students over 18 years of age ("eligible students") certain rights with respect to the student’s education records. They are:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the District receives a request for access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The principal will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes is inaccurate or misleading. Parents or eligible students may ask Davison Community Schools to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the school principal, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the District decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the District will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise the individual of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedure will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.

3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA, authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the District as an administrator, supervisor, instructor or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the School Board; a person or company with whom the District has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant or therapist); or a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official performing his/her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his/her professional responsibility. Upon request, the District discloses education records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the District to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-4605
Notice for Directory Information

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act requires that the Davison Community Schools, with certain exceptions, obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your child’s education records. However, the District may disclose appropriately designated "directory information" without written consent, unless you have advised the District to the contrary in accordance with District procedures. The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the District to include this type of information from your child’s education records in certain school publications. Examples include:

• a playbill, showing your student’s role in a drama production.
• the annual yearbook.
• honor roll or other recognition lists.
• graduation programs.
• sports activity sheets, showing weight, height of players.

Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent’s prior written consent. Outside organizations include, but are not limited to, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks. In addition, two federal laws require local educational agencies (LEAs) receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to provide military recruiters, upon request, with three directory information categories - names, addresses and telephone listings - unless parents have advised the LEA that they do not want their student’s information disclosed without prior written consent.

If you do not want the Davison Community Schools to disclose directory information from your child’s education records without your prior written consent, you must notify the District in writing. The District has designated the following information as directory information: student’s name, address, telephone number, electronic mail address, picture, parent or guardian, date and place of birth, major field of study (i.e. technology preparation program, honors program, etc.), dates of attendance, grade level, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, degrees, honors and awards received, and the most recent educational agency or school attended by the student.

High school students and their parents/guardians may prevent disclosure of a student’s name, address and telephone number to military recruiting representatives (who can only use that information to provide information to students concerning educational and career opportunities available in the U.S. Armed Forces or service academies) by submitting a signed written request to that effect to the school district.

Transfer of student records

The transfer of student records in Michigan is governed by Revised School Code Section 1135 (MCL 380.1135) which requires that: Within 14 days after enrolling a transfer student, the school shall request in writing directly from the student’s previous school a copy of his or her school record. Any school that compiles records for each student in the school and that is requested to forward a copy of a transferring student’s record to the new school shall comply within 30 days after receipt of the request unless the record has been tagged pursuant to section 1134 (Section 1134 deals with records of missing students). In the view of the Michigan Department of Education, the "school record" referred to in section 1135 includes a student disciplinary record, including any suspension or expulsion action against the student.

School publications, Website

Names and pictures of students may be used in district publications, including the Cardinal Caller, a bi-monthly newsletter mailed to all homes in the 48423 ZIP code, building newsletters, slide show presentations, DTV and on the web site. From time to time, a student’s picture may also be released to local media when press releases are issued.

If you object to your student’s image or name appearing in any of these publications, please send a written request to the Communications Department at Davison Community Schools, 1490 N. Oak Road, Davison MI 48423.