What steps should be taken to protect student privacy while sharing admissions information with families?

• A. Obtain consent (FERPA), limit information to necessary parties, use secure channels, store data securely, and discuss privacy boundaries with families.
• B. Share all admissions details with any family member who asks.
• C. Use unsecured email to send all documents.
• D. Store data in public folders for easy access.

Answer: (A)

Protecting student privacy when sharing admissions information hinges on handling education records with care under FERPA. The idea is to share only what is necessary with the people who have a legitimate need to know, and to use careful, approved methods for both sending and storing those records. Under FERPA, schools may disclose information to parents or eligible students, and they should obtain explicit consent when sharing with others or going beyond what is routinely allowed. In practice, this means identifying exactly what admissions information is needed by families, and sharing only that minimum, while clearly noting who else may access it and for what purpose.

Use secure channels for transmission and storage. This includes encrypted communication tools or secure student portals for sending documents, and strong access controls, authentication, and encryption when storing records. Talk with families about privacy boundaries: what will be shared, with whom (e.g., just the parent/guardian or other family members with explicit consent), for how long, and how they can request changes to who sees the information.

This approach guards against data breaches, honors legal rights, and balances transparency with confidentiality. Sharing all details with any family member, using unsecured email, or storing data in public folders would increase risk and violate privacy expectations.