Students and their parents have a right to confidentiality which covers such things but is not limited to attendance, behavioral reports, family background, grades, health data, standardized test scores, etc.  All volunteers are expected to respect our students and their parents by keeping such information confidential. The school will immediately revoke volunteer privileges if there is a breach of confidentiality.  If another parent asks you questions that would put you in the position of breaching confidentiality, ask them to take their questions to the teacher or principal, and explain that you are not authorized to talk about other children or adults outside the school. 

There are federal and state laws that protect the privacy rights of students and families. In a school situation, there are many instances in which confidential information is discussed in order to better understand students and how we can help them. When working in the schools as a volunteer there may be times when this information is overheard. Our staff will make every effort to prevent this from happening; however, as a volunteer you must agree that if you do hear information about a student or family you will not repeat this outside of the school. This will ensure the protection of our students’ interest and their families, thus creating a better environment for all.

Additionally, two laws govern special education confidentiality. FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), and IDEIA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act). Both of these regulations indicate that confidentiality must be maintained relative to special education students. Therefore, any written or verbal communication with anyone who does not have a right to know is in violation of these laws. A volunteer should not discuss a child’s disability, needs or personal information with any individual outside of the classroom instructor, building principal, or staff member. The volunteer should not carry any written or verbal statements outside of the school that would divulge the child’s disability. In essence, only those who work directly with the student are considered as those with a “need to know.”

If at any time these terms of confidentiality are violated by a volunteer, termination of volunteer services may occur.