Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law protects the privacy of student education records. FERPA was enacted in 1974 and updated in 2008 and 2011. FERPA is enforced by the U.S. Department of Education and requires school systems to obtain written permission from parents before sharing information from a student's educational record except for those school representatives with legitimate educational interest.
The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) is concerned with sensitive information collected directly from students through surveys (such as the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey, for example). PPRA is also enforced by the U.S. Department of Education and requires schools to provide advance notice to parents. Sensitive topics included under PPRA may include political affiliations, sexual behavior or attitudes, illegal or self-incriminating behavior, and religious practices or affiliations.
The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) does not apply to educational institutions, but rather applies to operators of commercial websites and services, including educational services. COPPA is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general. COPPA requires that service providers obtain verifiable parental consent before collection personal information from children under 13, and that providers only collect the minimally required personal information to provide their service.