May 04, 2020 | Blog, COVID-19, Graduation, Section 504, Special Education, Students

COVID-19 UPDATE

Below are today’s updates regarding COVID-19 and its impact on Texas public schools.  For additional resources, please visit our COVID-19 page.

Don’t Forget About FERPA
Victoria Elliott, Associate

The Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office has sent out information informing districts of the importance of updating FERPA/PPRA policies and notifications, as applicable, during online and virtual learning due to COVID-19.

If appropriate based on current policies, districts should revise the following:

  1. “the criteria specified in their annual notification of FERPA rights… as to who constitutes a school official and what constitutes a legitimate educational interest in order to permit the non-consensual disclosure of personally identifiable information from education records to school officials who have been determined to have legitimate educational interests under the school official exception…”; and
  2. “their directory information policies under FERPA.”

Please review the cover letter and annual notification here.

TEA and U.S. Dept. of Education Special Education Updates for the Week of April 27, 2020
Dean Micknal, Partner

After completely redesigning the COVID-19 Support: Special Education webpage last week, the Texas Education Agency had a relatively quiet week of updates.  The only update in the General Guidance section appears to consist of a minor correction to the COVID-19 Special Education Q&A regarding the requirement that SHARS informed consent include the name, rather than signature, of the district staff member who received information.

Please click here to continue reading.

Gov. Abbott’s Latest Executive Order and Its Impact on Graduations and Proms
Holly James, Senior Associate 

On April 27, 2020, Governor Abbott issued Executive Order GA-18, allowing certain businesses to physically reopen at 25% capacity.  Very little of GA-18 impacts schools in a new way, but as districts work to make decisions about graduation, prom, and other activities, it is useful to take a more in-depth look at the primary mandate contained in the order.

Please click here to continue reading.

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