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AS61 – Student Records and Transcripts

  • Effective: 1/27/1976
  • Revision: 9/28/2021
  1. Board Directive
    Complete and accurate records are essential to student education.  Therefore, the Board delegates to the administration responsibility for establishing policy that assures accuracy, completeness, appropriate access, and efficiency in the preparation and management of student records.  This policy is to be administered in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and in compliance with the Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA).
  2. Administrative Policy
    The Student Records policy shall be administered according to the following administrative policy provisions:

    1. Confidentiality of Student Information and Student Records
      1. Employees, student aides, and volunteers in public schools who have access to student records shall receive appropriate training annually from the Planning and Student Services administrator regarding the confidentiality of student records including an overview of all federal, state, and local laws that pertain to the privacy of students, their parents, and their families.  They shall become familiar with the laws regarding the confidentiality of student information and student records.
      2. All student records that are electronically maintained shall require password protection.
      3. An employee, student aide, or volunteer shall not share, disclose, or disseminate passwords for electronic maintenance or access to student records.
      4. All public education employees, student aides and volunteers have a responsibility to protect confidential student information and access records only as necessary for their assignments.
      5. Public education employees shall maintain confidentiality concerning a student unless revealing confidential information to authorized persons serves the best interest of the student and serves a lawful purpose (see II.C. of this policy).
      6. Failure to adhere to confidentiality laws and policies may result in licensing discipline as defined in R277-515-1G.
    2. Management of Student Records
      1. The Planning and Student Services administrator shall serve as the District Student Records Officer and shall be responsible to see that student records are classified and maintained according to the Jordan District Student Record Classification and Retention schedule found online in the Planning and Student Services manual.
      2. The principal shall serve as the Student Records Officer for the school.
        1. The principal shall be responsible to see that counselors, teachers, secretaries, and assistants are appropriately trained in record keeping and follow the Jordan District Student Record Classification and Retention schedule.
        2. The principal shall receive requests to access student records and determine whether access is to be granted or denied.
        3. The principal shall be responsible to see that records are appropriately maintained in safe, secure files which will protect the documents and assure privacy.
        4. The principal shall be responsible to see that records are retained, transferred, archived, and destroyed in a timely, efficient, appropriate manner.
      3. Teachers and other school personnel as designated by the principal shall be responsible to see that attendance rolls, student progress reports, grades, health cards, and other necessary student records are prepared and maintained in accordance with this policy, and with all federal, state and local laws.
    3. Health or Safety Emergency (FERPA §99.36)
      1. If a student poses an articulable and significant threat to the health or safety of the student or other individuals, an educational agency or institution may disclose, without consent, personally identifiable information from a student’s education record to any official whose knowledge of the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals.
      2. Educational agencies and institutions shall record the articulable and significant threat that formed the basis for a disclosure under the health or safety emergency, and the parties to whom the information was disclosed.
    4. Access Rights
      1. All documents in the Student Cumulative/Permanent Record File, which include directory information, ethnic origin, schools and years attended, subjects completed, grades and credits earned, competency evaluations, certain health records, and other documents related to the educational program, shall be classified as private with the exception of certain directory information (refer to Item J).
      2. Student records shall be open to:
        1. Authorized school personnel having responsibility for the student's educational program and to individuals conducting district, state, or federal audits of educational programs.
        2. Parents or guardians.
          1. In the event that parents are divorced or separated, both parents shall be entitled to access their child's student records unless prohibited by court order.
            a) The custodial parent may not prohibit the non-custodial parent’s access to their child’s written record unless prohibited by court order.
            b) A non-custodial parent must make a written request to obtain his/her student’s written educational record.  A new request must be submitted each time records are requested.  Standing requests will not be honored.
            c) A custodial step-parent has the right to written education records only. The noncustodial step-parent has no rights, unless approved in writing by the custodial parent. (34 CFR §99.3 Family Policy Compliance office August 20, 2004).
          2. Information on access rights shall be distributed to parents as part of the school registration packet.
        3. Eligible students who are 18 years of age or older or who are married or enrolled in post-secondary education programs.
      3. Access to student records shall not be given to individuals other than those listed under item 2. a., b., and c. above without written permission of the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) or eligible student or in response to a court order.
      4. Current or future employers, police officers, and public or private agencies have no access rights to student records.
      5. Information from student records classified as private shall not be released by telephone even though the caller may be authorized to access the record.
    5. Access Requests
      1. Requests to access student records should be addressed to the school principal.
        1. The requester may be required to submit the request in writing.
        2. The requester must prove access rights by personal identification, written consent from the parent(s)/legal guardian(s), or a court order.
        3. The principal shall either grant or deny the request as soon as possible.  In no event shall the requester be required to wait more than 15 days for a response.
        4. The principal shall maintain a record of individuals or agencies that are granted access to student records.
    6. Right of Appeal
      1. Parent(s)/legal guardian(s) and eligible students who feel that their privacy rights have been violated because access to student records was granted inappropriately should make a written complaint to the Family Educational Rights and Act Office, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 330 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C., 20201.
      2. Individuals who feel they have been inappropriately denied access to student records or who have complaints about record content or management have the right to appeal the principal's decision to the District Administration through the Planning and Student Services administrator.
    7. Appeals Process
      1. Appeals to the District Administration
        1. The parent(s)/legal guardian(s) or eligible student shall file a written request for a hearing with the  Planning and Student Services administrator at least 10 days prior to the desired hearing date.
        2. Upon receiving the request, the Planning and Student Services administrator shall schedule a mutually convenient date, time, and location for the hearing and notify all parties.
        3. The parent(s)/legal guardian(s) or eligible student has the right to be represented by legal counsel at the hearing.
          (1) If the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) or eligible student is to be represented by legal counsel, the District Administration must be notified at least 10 days in advance of the hearing.
          (2) If the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) or eligible student has legal counsel present at the hearing, the District Administration may also be represented by legal counsel.
        4. Within 30 days of the hearing, Planning and Student Services administrator shall notify the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) or eligible student in writing of the action recommended.
        5. If the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) or eligible student is not satisfied with the action recommended, an appeal may be filed with the Board of Education.
      2. Appeals to the Board of Education shall follow the same procedures and timelines outlined in G.1. of this policy.
      3. If the Board upholds the action recommended in the hearing with the District Administration, the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) or eligible student has the right to appeal the Board's decision in Third District Court.
    8. Transferring Student Records
      1. Within 14 days after enrolling a transfer student, and simultaneous with enrolling a child of active military personnel, a school shall request, directly from the student’s previous school, a certified copy of his/her record.
      2. Any school requested to forward a copy of a transferring student’s record to the new school shall comply within 30 school days of the request, and within 10 days of a request for a child of active military personnel records, unless the record has been flagged as a “Missing Child,” in which case the copy may not be forwarded and the requested school shall notify the police department (refer to item H.3.)  Note:  A parent release is not required when transferring student records from one school to another.
        1. The permanent cumulative record folder, which includes all of the records created as part of the student's instructional program, shall be purged of all outdated or irrelevant materials and of documents containing confidential medical information, social history, teachers' notes, reports from outside agencies, or other sensitive information included as an insert in the file but not part of the cumulative/permanent record.  Items included in the cumulative folder are:
          1. Achievement test scores
          2. Birth certificate
          3. Copies of report cards
          4. Health records
          5. Pertinent information concerning the student
        2. The cumulative/permanent records, including directory information, schools and years attended, grades and credits earned, health records (Utah School Immunization Record), and test scores, and transcripts shall be forwarded to the receiving school as follows:
          1. The original records of students in grades kindergarten through eight shall be transferred.  Copies of the original records may be provided to the parent(s)/legal guardian(s), if a request is received prior to the time the original records are transferred.
          2. A certified copy of the cumulative/permanent record along with the original health record (Utah School Immunization Record) of students in grades 9 through 12 shall be transferred to requesting schools outside of Jordan School District.
          3. The cumulative/permanent records and a copy of the health record (Utah School Immunization Record) of students in grades 9 through 12 shall be archived at the high school until three years after the student would have graduated.  Original records for ninth grade students whose records were requested and certified copies mailed, shall be delivered to the feeder system high school to be archived.
          4. Teacher files on students in resource or other special programs shall be kept until five (5) years after the student graduates or five (5) years after the student turns 22.
          5. The date the record transfer request was received and the date and school where the record was sent shall be entered on each archived file.
        3. It is permissible to transmit individual detailed student records between public schools and the Utah State Office of Education through the Utah eTranscript and Record Exchange (UTREx) (R277-404).
      3. The principal shall not transfer the record of any student whose file is flagged as a "Missing Child" pursuant to Utah Code Annotated.  The principal shall immediately notify the police department of the transfer request.  The flag restricting transfer shall be removed from the student's file and the transfer facilitated only upon official police notification that the child has been located.
    9. Requests to Correct or Expunge Student Records
      1. Parent(s)/legal guardian(s) and eligible students may request a conference with the principal and ask for correction or expungement if they feel information entered on their student record is inaccurate or inappropriate.
      2. If the requested record change or expungement is denied, the parent, guardian, or eligible student has a right to enter a statement of disagreement into the record.
    10. Publication of Directory Information
      1. The principal may authorize the release of certain student directory information for the purpose of publishing school directories, yearbooks, team rosters, honor roll lists, graduation lists, and other school purposes which would not normally be considered an invasion of student privacy.
      2. The Planning and Student Services administrator may authorize the release of certain student directory information for use by United States Military Forces and other authorized agencies.
      3. Parents who object to publication of their child's directory information may block publication by submitting a written notification to the principal.
      4. Parents have 14 days from the first day of school to provide written notification to the principal to block publication of directory information. (PPRA 20 USC section 1232h)
      5. Requests for student records intended to be used for marketing or recruitment other than specified in section J.2. will be denied.
    11. Use of Student Records for Research Purposes
      1. Individual student information may not be released for research purposes without written consent from parents.
      2. Information which does not reveal the individual identity of a student or infringe upon privacy rights; i.e., group test results, enrollment statistics, etc., may be released by the Planning and Student Services administrator for use in approved research projects.
      3. Information involving students which is not generated by the schools such as United States census data may be released to outside individuals or agencies in accordance with state and federal law.
    12. Retention of Student Records
      1. Attendance class roll books and grade sheets shall be retained three years at the local school.
      2. Cumulative/permanent records of students in grades kindergarten to eight, including records created as part of the instructional program and student history shall be maintained at the local school as long as the student is enrolled.  When a student transfers, item H. of this policy should be followed.   Records that are not requested should be kept at the school until at least three years after the student would have graduated, then destroyed.
      3. The original records and a copy of the health record (Utah School Immunization Record) of students in grades 9 through 12 shall be archived at the high school until at least three years after the student would have graduated, then destroyed.
      4. Transcripts, including but not limited to grades, directory information, recorded suspensions and expulsions shall be archived permanently at the local high school.
      5. Teacher files on students in resource or other special programs shall be kept until five (5) years after the student graduates or five (5) years after the student turns 22.
      6. The date the record transfer request was received and the date and school where the record was sent shall be entered on each archived file.
    13. “Transcript” means an official document or record(s) generated by one or several schools and shall be permanently retained at the high school.  The transcript shall include, at a minimum:
      1. Courses in which the secondary student was enrolled
      2. Grades and units of credit earned
      3. State basic standard competency skills test scores and dates of testing
      4. Citizenship and attendance records
      5. Notation of any recorded suspensions and/or expulsions, which shall be defined as 10 or more days for which a due process hearing was conducted. (Utah Code 53G-8-208 (4) (a))
      6. By State Rule 277-404, it is permissible to transmit transcripts through Utah eTranscript and Record Exchange (UTREx) to any post-secondary institution that participates in the e-transcript service.
    14. Diplomas or certificates, credit or unofficial transcripts may not be withheld from students for nonpayment of school fees. (State Board Rule R277-705.)
      1. Cap and gown may be withheld and a student not be allowed to participate in graduation ceremonies for nonpayment of school fees.
      2. The diploma may be withheld until after the graduation ceremony for nonpayment of school fees; however, once the graduation ceremonies are completed, the diploma cannot be withheld and must be awarded to the student.