Andrea Eger reports:
Amid outcry from lawmakers and concerns from their own board members, Oklahoma Department of Education officials now say they will redact personal information from the records of high school seniors who appeal high-stakes testing requirements.
However, they maintain that students will continue to be required to waive their federal privacy rights concerning educational records in order to enter the appeals process of Oklahoma’s Achieving Classroom Excellence Act.
Under the law, which applies to the class of 2012 and beyond, students must pass at least four of seven subject matter tests in order to earn a high school diploma.
Within hours of the state Board of Education’s denial of the first seven appeals Tuesday, officials posted the applications, showing students’ names, schools, grade-point averages, learning disabilities, test scores and other personal information. Addresses and phone numbers were redacted.
Read more on NewsOK.
That is simply outrageous. There is no indication in the report that the U.S. Department of Education has chimed in on this, but I hope they do and support the students’ right to privacy. Students should not have to waive FERPA rights. They can simply be asked to provide the relevant information needed to make a determination and their parents can sign releases for specific records the review/appeals process might need.