Final answer:
The confidentiality of student grade information in the United States is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), applicable to all educational institutions receiving federal funds.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the United States, student grade information is an asset whose confidentiality is regulated by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This federal law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records; these rights transfer to the student, or former student, when they reach the age of 18 or attend a school beyond the high school level.
FERPA is designed to ensure the privacy of student records and allows students and parents to request amendments to records that they believe are inaccurate or misleading. Schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student to release any information from a student's education record. The Act also allows schools to disclose records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions (such as to comply with a judicial order or scholarship purposes).