Sharing Information: A Guide to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and Participation in Juvenile Justice Programs

The growth of serious and violent delinquency in our Nation and its impact on our schools concerns us all. Every day, many children face fighting and other intimidating behavior at school or on the way to and from school. In addition to the cost to children and their families, school violence may have broad and long lasting effects on society because it disrupts education and diminishes students’ sense of security in their learning environment.

Clearly then, providing safe schools is one of our most important responsibilities. Children must feel safe and nurtured in school, and they must be challenged to learn rather than challenged to survive. Maintaining safe schools requires the forging of partnerships to share information between schools and youth serving agencies, including the police department, court system, youth parole and probation offices, and child protective services. These partnerships rely on effective information sharing among all the agencies responsible for delivering services to children. Educators who see the first warning signs of delinquency or who have critical information about juveniles involved in the juvenile justice system can, by sharing information with other
justice and youth-serving agencies, help develop effective intervention strategies. At the other end of the spectrum, when the juvenile justice system is about to send an alleged or adjudicated juvenile offender back into
the regular school system, justice officials should notify the school of the timing and circumstances of the student’s return so the school can take steps to provide needed support services to help the student succeed. In addition, there are other circumstances in which it is both appropriate and necessary to share information to ensure public safety and the welfare of our children.

This guide is for educators, law enforcement personnel, juvenile justice professionals, and community leaders who are interested in developing interagency information sharing agreements to fully involve the schools in a holistic approach to intervention and delinquency prevention. Educators and other youth-serving professionals will find clear directions here on how to share information while complying with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.