The U.S. Department of Education just released proposed changes to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) in an effort to clarify questions about states' and researchers' use of student data and the protection of student confidentiality.

This effort is important, especially now that states are in the process of developing and refining their longitudinal data systems and states' role in data collection and usage have dramatically changed. The Department hopes that the new proposed rules will ensure the privacy, security and confidentiality of student information as the data are used for the continuous improvement of student and teacher outcomes.
 
The full FERPA proposal is posted here and an explanation of the recent initiatives launched to safegaurd student privacy is located here. The public is encouraged to comment on the regulations at: www.regulations.gov  by the deadline of May 23, 2011. The Department hopes to release final rules by the end of the year.