STUDENT RECORDS

Lincoln-Way adheres to the Illinois School Student Records Act, rules promulgated by the Illinois State Board of Education, and Lincoln-Way Board of Education Policy 7:340 – Student Records. 

All official student records are located at the respective high school. The Director of Data, Assessment & Innovation is the official custodian of all student records for Lincoln-Way High School. All students who attend high school must have a certified copy of their birth certificate or passport turned in to the Pupil Personnel Services office within thirty days of enrollment per Illinois law. 

Permanent Records  

These consist of basic identifying information, academic transcript, standardized test scores, attendance record, accident reports and health record, record of release of permanent record information; may also consist of records of awards and participation in school-sponsored activities. No other information will be placed in the student’s permanent record. The permanent record will be kept 60 years after graduation or permanent withdrawal.  

Temporary Records  

These consist of all information that is of clear relevance to the education of the student but is not required to be in the student permanent record. It may include family background information, intelligence test scores, aptitude test scores, psychological and personality test results, and teacher anecdotal records. A record of release of temporary record information must be included in the student temporary record. The temporary record will be reviewed and eliminated of out-of-date, inaccurate, or unnecessary information every four years or upon a student’s change of attendance centers, whichever occurs first. The temporary record will be kept 5 years and then destroyed. 

Access, Rights, and Privileges  

All rights and privileges accorded to the parents will become exclusively those of the student upon 

his/her 18th birthday, graduation, marriage or entry into the military service, whichever occurs first. 

 Prior to the student’s 18th birthday, any parent or guardian of a student or any person specifically designated as a representative by a parent have the right to: 

  1. Inspect and copy all records upon request. This request must be made to the school’s registrar and will be granted no later than 45 days after the date of the request. The Freedom of Information Act allows the first 50 black and white copies to be free. Additional copies will incur a fee per sheet. No one will be denied copies of the student’s records because of financial reasons. 

  1. Elect to have a qualified professional to interpret the information contained in the student records. 

  1. Challenge the accuracy, relevancy or propriety of any entry in the school student records, exclusive of grades, by submitting a written request, which designates the entry or entries to be challenged and the basis for the challenge, for a hearing with the school. There are procedures established for a formal hearing if satisfaction of the challenge cannot be reached at the informal conference held with the school. 

 No student school records or information contained therein may be released, transferred, disclosed, or otherwise disseminated, except as follows: 

  1. To student, parent, or representative of the parent. 

  1. To an employee or official of the school district or State Board of Education with a demonstrable educational or administrative interest in the student. 

  1. To the official records custodian of another school in which the student will or has enrolled, provided that the parent receives and gives approval for such transfer. The parents may inspect and challenge information to be transferred. 

  1. To any person for the purpose of research, statistical reporting or planning, provided that no student or parent can be identified from the information released and the person(s) requesting the use of such information agrees to comply with all rules and statutes regarding school records. 

  1. Pursuant to a court order. The parents shall be notified of the order and given the opportunity to inspect, copy, and challenge the contents of the student records to be released. 

  1. To any person as specifically required by state or federal law. The parents shall be notified and given the opportunity to inspect, copy, and challenge the contents to be released. If the release of information relates to more than 25 students, such prior notice may be given in a local newspaper of general circulation or other publication directed generally to parents. 

  1. Subject to regulations of the State Board, in connection with an emergency to appropriate persons if the knowledge of such information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other persons, provided that the parents are notified as soon as possible of the information released, the date of release, the person, agency or organization receiving the information, and the purpose of the release. 

  1. To any person with the prior specific, dated and written consent of the parent designating the person to whom the records may be released and the entry or portions of the information to be released. 

 Parents may insert in their child’s school record a statement of reasonable length setting forth their position on any disputed information contained in that record. The school shall include a copy of such statement in any subsequent dissemination of the information in dispute. 

Except for the student and parents, no one to whom information has been released may permit any other person to have access to such information without prior consent of parent. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) allows the nonconsensual disclosure of education records to certain State and local officials who are part of a juvenile justice system established by State law.(99.31(a)(5) and 99.38) 

Temporary records of students with disabilities may be maintained after graduation and held for five years after the student's graduation. These records may be released to the parent or student (if the parent's rights have been transferred to the student) upon request.  

Copies of the Illinois School Students Records Act and its procedures, as well as District and school policies relating to student records, which are not included in the Act or the rules, are available for review in the office of the school records custodian and the District Superintendent. 

A record of any release of information shall be maintained for the life of the school student records and shall be available only to the parents and the official records custodian. Pertinent information will be kept on the release form. 

All rights and privileges accorded to the parents will become exclusively those of the student upon his/her 18th birthday, graduation, marriage or entry into the military service, whichever occurs first.  

The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the District to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA are: 

Family Policy Compliance Office  
U.S. Department of Education  
600 Independence Avenue, SW   
Washington, DC 20202-4605