Final answer: School officials can release identifiable information without parental consent when required by law, in emergencies or to school officials with legitimate interests.
FERPA regulations require that local education agencies give annual notification to parents and eligible students of their rights under FERPA (34 CFR § 99.7). The law does not require agencies to notify parents and eligible students individually, but agencies must provide notification where they are likely to see it.
The studies exception to FERPA allows for disclosure of PII without consent to “organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, educational agencies or institutions.” The “for, or on behalf of” language indicates that the educational agency or institution to which the PII relates wants and agrees to the study ...
FERPA prohibits the release of personally identifiable information without parental consent.
Directory information. Schools may disclose, without consent, directory information such as a student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance.
The Act also amended the exception to FERPA's general consent rule that allows schools to disclose personally identifiable information from students' education records without consent if the disclosure is necessary to comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena.