ANNUAL REMINDERS

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CONFIDENTIALITY

• ANNUAL REMINDERS

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WHAT IS CONFIDENTIALITY?

• Protecting information communicated in confidence
• Keeping private information with which you are
  entrusted in your work
• Keeping private things you learn about students,
  their families, or co-workers during the course
  of your work unless disclosure is required by law

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CONFIDENTIALITY AND SCHOOL BOARD POLICY

• The Board requires each school employee to
• Demonstrate positive behaviors which are
  conducive to mutual respect among students and
  staff
• Maintain the dignity and self-respect of each
  student
• Communicate effectively and professionally with
  parents

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PRIVACY OF RECORDS POLICY

• Information is available only to those who
  demonstrate a need to know
• Information is used only for the purpose for
  which it was obtained
• Only necessary and relevant information is
  obtained

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WHAT ARE EDUCATION RECORDS?

• Under FERPA education records include records
  that are
• (1) Directly related to a student and
• (2) Maintained by an educational agency or
  institution or by a party acting for the
  agency or institution
• Examples include, but are not limited to, grade
  books, class roll information, disciplinary
  records and e-mail

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PRIVACY OF RECORDS POLICY

• The individual has the right to review,
  challenge, and correct the record
• A chain of access is provided

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POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES FROM BREECHES OF PRIVACY

• By disclosing a students medical problems other
  than on a need to know basis as determined by
  the superintendent, principal and medical
  consultant, we take the risk of being sued for
  violating the legal rights of the student and the
  students family.

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WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO KNOW?

• The parent has the right to know
• The parent determines which teachers have the
  need to know
• Teachers only have the need if the information
  will impact education
• All may want to know but not all have the need to
  know

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POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES

• If teachers, bus drivers, or staff members
  divulge confidential information to others,
  (either orally or in writing) they do so at
  significant risk to themselves. Failure to
  follow these guidelines can result in legal
  liability to you individuallyas well as to the
  school system

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GUIDELINES

• Personal information is not yours to pass on to
  anyone else unless the person gives you
  permission to do so.
• No one can be an effective member of the
  education profession if he or she cannot be
  trusted with personal information.

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GUIDELINES

• People are most vulnerable to breaking
  confidences with family members and friends.
  Activities can be shared but personal content
  cannot.
• It is best to err in the direction of saying too
  little than saying too much.

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GUIDELINES

• Investigate incidents thoroughly before imposing
  any discipline
• Limit disclosure of the reasons for discipline to
  those with need to know.
• Keep testing data confidential.
• Obtain signed release before releasing any data.

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WHEN MUST CONFIDENTIALITY BE BROKEN?

• Confidentiality must not be promised or kept if
• The person is of danger to himself/herself or of
  danger to others.
• The person is being harmed by someone else.

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WHO PROTECTS CONFIDENTIALITY?

• Aides
• Child Nutrition Workers
• Teachers
• Maintenance Staff
• Custodians
• Bus Drivers
• Nurses/Health Room Workers

• Secretaries
• Administrators
• Volunteers
• Substitutes
• Extended Day Workers
• Counselors
• Media Specialists