State Education Agency Data Sharing and FERPA

State boards can set the vision for sharing data to serve the interests of students, families, and schools. But doing so effectively requires an understanding of FERPA’s legal framework. This paper, prepared by the National Council of State Education Attorneys (NCOSEA), helps state-level policymakers and SEA staff deepen their understanding of FERPA and evaluate data use questions and disclosure requests consistent with best practices for protecting student information.