Posting Grades

The Family Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, prohibits disclosure of personally identifiable education records to a third party without prior written consent. Accordingly, faculty should ensure that grade information posted or made available through graded papers left for collection in public places (such as offices or hallways) is not “personally identifiable.” The Department of Education Regulations for the Act define “personally identifiable” information as that data or information which includes (1) the name of the student, the student’s parent, or other family members; (2) the student’s address; (3) a personal identifier (such as a social security number or student number); or (4) a list of personal characteristics, or other information which would make the student’s identity easily traceable.