FERPAPrivacy was once taken for granted in public education, but now, thanks to the 1974 law, the Family Educational Rights Act and privacy, it is placed at the forefront of the mind of every educator in the United States (Cossler, 2010). This law paved the way for numerous lawsuits over the confidentiality of student records, which left teachers afraid, undereducated, and ignorant of some of the law's regulations. FERPA laws provide protections for students, but also allow access to all student records to the student's custodial parents, which in some situations has caused problems and in some cases has specifically provided clarifications of the law . Has the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act provided much-needed privacy for students or created excessive policies? The history of FERPA began in 1974, when the act became law; until this time, there was very little privacy legislation in schools (Groves & Groves, 1981). Senator Buckley of New York was concerned about the lack of privacy in schools; the Buckley Amendment was signed into law on August 21, 1974 (Groves & Groves, 1981). The two extremely significant impacts of the amendment are: 1) people must be informed of their rights. 2) Helps educators think through their recording and documentation policies to avoid conflicts with federal law (Groves & Groves, 1981). There have been numerous cases since the Buckley Act that have clarified regulations within schools that have affected both state and district policies. Peoria Unified School Board policy states: "During the first three (3) weeks of each school year, the District will publish in a district communication notice to parents and eligible students of their rights under FERP. ..... middle of paper......, 2013, from http://lp.ctspublish.com/asba /public/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=main-hit-h.htm&2.0Bennett, A. and Brower, A. (2001). 'THAT'S NOT WHAT FERPA SAYS!' : THE TENTH CIRCUIT COURT GIVES A DANGEROUS BROADCAST TO FERPA IN ITS CONFUSING AND CONTRADICTORY RULING OF THE FALVO V. OWASSO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. Brigham Young University Education & Law Journal, 2, 327. Cossler, C. (2010, April 1, 2010). Privacy Concerns: The Effects of Latest FERPA Changes. School Affairs, 76(3), 22-24. Groves, S.L. and Groves, D.L. (1981). Professional discretion and personal responsibility of teachers regarding grades and records. Education, 101(4), 335-340.Lomonte, F.D. (2010). Frustrations Ferpa: It’s time to reform. Chronicle of Higher Education, 56(35), A56.White, L. (2013, January 1, 2013). Don't like Ferpa? Change the law. Chronicle of Higher Education, Vol. 59(18).