Most people do not realize that American law prohibits universities from giving parents information about their children's academic progress/ The so-called Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. If a student is 18 years of age or older, the law prohibits universities from releasing educational records, such as student grades, to a third party, including parents, unless the student has signed a formal waiver agreement. So, it is important that students sign such waiver agreements if we and their parents are to be kept up to date on their progress.
Once such an agreement is signed, we are able to monitor the student closely to make sure they will achieve their goals. We keep track of homework assignments, tests and final exam results. We also send regular updates to parents, so that they can see what progress the student is making. Hence we:
Help the student sign a waiver to allow the release of academic records to parents.
Track homework and examination results.
Prepare and send regular progress reports (at least once per academic term) to parents.
