Which of these records is protected under FERPA?

Under FERPA, student education records are defined as records that contain information directly related to a student and are maintained by an educational institution or by a party acting for the institution. Disciplinary records fall under this category because they are associated with a student’s behavior, conduct, or any sanctions applied within the educational environment. These records are kept confidential and cannot be disclosed without the student’s consent, except in certain limited circumstances as outlined by FERPA.

In contrast, faculty evaluations, employment records, and parent contact information do not typically qualify as "education records" in the same context. Faculty evaluations relate to the performance of staff members rather than to students and therefore do not receive the same protection under FERPA. Employment records, while they may contain some personal information, generally pertain to the employment status or employment history of individuals rather than being linked directly to student records. Lastly, parent contact information, while it may contain identifiable information, is also not a record that directly relates to a student in a way that falls under FERPA protections. Thus, disciplinary records are the type of record that is specifically protected under FERPA.