What type of consent is generally needed for schools to release educational records?

Written consent by the student is generally needed for schools to release educational records in accordance with FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). This requirement ensures that students have control over their personal information and can make informed decisions regarding who has access to their educational records. Under FERPA, educational institutions are mandated to obtain explicit written consent from the student before disclosing any personally identifiable information from their education records, unless the disclosure falls under certain exceptions outlined in the law.

While verbal consent might be acceptable in some situations for less formal disclosures, it does not meet the legal requirement for the release of educational records as defined by FERPA. Similarly, while directory information may not require consent for release, it is important to note that this type of information is limited to specific categories, such as a student’s name, address, phone number, and date of birth, and is subject to practice and policy considerations. Consent being “not needed” is only applicable under those specific cases pertaining to directory information and does not apply to the larger scope of educational records, which requires the more formal written consent process.