Final answer:
FERPA defines educational records as materials containing information directly related to a student and maintained by an educational institution. FERPA provides privacy protections and grants students and parents rights concerning their educational records.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 defines educational records as records, files, documents, and other materials that contain information directly related to a student and are maintained by an educational agency or institution or by a person acting for such agency or institution. These can include transcripts, student schedules, personal identification documents, and disciplinary records. FERPA ensures the privacy of student education records and grants parents and eligible students certain rights with respect to these records, like the right to inspect and review their educational records, the right to seek to have their records amended, and some control over the disclosure of information from the records.
It is important to understand this law to ensure compliance with regulations around student information privacy and the proper handling of educational records in academic institutions. The 1974 FERPA amendment serves to protect students' privacy rights by restricting unauthorized access and providing guidelines for record management in educational settings.