Are athletic records protected under FERPA?

Athletic records are indeed considered an extension of education records and are protected under FERPA. This legislation defines educational records broadly to include a wide array of documents maintained by educational institutions that are directly related to a student. Athletic records fall under this umbrella because they document a student’s participation in sports, including performance, eligibility, and related information.

Since these records directly relate to a student's educational experiences, they are treated with the same confidentiality and protection as other educational records, such as grades and transcripts. Therefore, institutions are required to safeguard these records and cannot disclose personally identifiable information from them without the consent of the student, unless a specific exception under FERPA applies.

The other options do not accurately reflect the scope of FERPA. For instance, stating that athletic records are not considered educational records overlooks the comprehensive definition provided by FERPA itself. Similarly, limiting protection to only academic portions of athletic records or public athletic records misinterprets how FERPA protects all records related to students' educational experiences, not just those related to academics.