FERPA
U.S. regulation protecting student education records privacy
ISO 19600
International guidelines for compliance management systems
Quick Verdict
FERPA mandates student record privacy for US schools via access rights and disclosure limits, enforced by funding penalties. ISO 19600 provides voluntary CMS guidelines for all organizations to systematically manage compliance risks through governance and risk assessment.
FERPA
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Key Features
- Requires signed consent for PII disclosures from education records
- Grants rights to inspect, review, and amend records within 45 days
- Expansive PII definition includes linkable indirect identifiers
- Enumerates exceptions for school officials and emergencies
- Mandates annual notifications and disclosure recordkeeping logs
ISO 19600
ISO 19600:2014 Compliance management systems — Guidelines
Key Features
- Risk-based compliance obligations identification and management
- Governance principles for compliance function independence
- PDCA cycle with high-level management system structure
- Scalable and proportionate to organization size
- Integration with other ISO management systems
Detailed Analysis
A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.
FERPA Details
What It Is
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), codified at 20 U.S.C. § 1232g with regulations at 34 CFR Part 99, is a U.S. federal regulation. It protects privacy of education records and PII for parents and eligible students (age 18+ or postsecondary). FERPA uses a rights-based approach with consent rules, exceptions, and operational controls.
Key Components
- Core rights: inspect/review (45-day max), amend inaccurate records, consent to disclosures.
- Definitions: broad education records, expansive PII (direct/indirect/linkable), directory information.
- Disclosures: consent default + exceptions (school officials/LEI, emergencies, audits).
- Obligations: annual notices, disclosure logs (§99.32), vendor governance. No certification; funding-based enforcement.
Why Organizations Use It
- Mandatory for federally funded K-12/postsecondary institutions.
- Preserves funding, mitigates complaints/enforcement risks.
- Builds student/parent trust, enables secure edtech/data sharing.
- Supports compliance with state laws, reduces breach exposure.
Implementation Overview
- Phased: governance, data inventory/classification, policies/training, RBAC/encryption, vendor DPAs, audits.
- All funded institutions; scales by size. DOE investigates complaints, may withhold funds.
ISO 19600 Details
What It Is
ISO 19600:2014 is an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) guideline titled Compliance management systems — Guidelines. It provides non-certifiable, principles-based guidance for establishing, implementing, evaluating, maintaining, and improving a Compliance Management System (CMS). The primary purpose is to help organizations of any size systematically manage compliance obligations using a scalable, risk-based approach aligned with PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) and high-level structure for management systems.
Key Components
- Core clauses: context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, improvement.
- **Principlesgood governance, proportionality, transparency, sustainability.
- Emphasizes governance (e.g., compliance function independence, board access), risk assessment, obligations identification, controls, monitoring, audits.
- No fixed controls; flexible guidance, not certifiable (superseded by ISO 37301).
Why Organizations Use It
- Mitigates compliance risks, reduces penalties, enhances culture.
- Supports integration with other ISO standards (e.g., 9001, 14001).
- Builds stakeholder trust, demonstrates due diligence to regulators/courts.
- Strategic benefits: efficiency, market access, competitive edge.
Implementation Overview
- Phased: gap analysis, policy design, training, monitoring rollout.
- Applicable universally; scalable by size/complexity.
- No certification; internal benchmarking or alignment to successor ISO 37301.
Key Differences
| Aspect | FERPA | ISO 19600 |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Student education records privacy | Organization-wide compliance management systems |
| Industry | US educational institutions receiving federal funds | All industries and organization types worldwide |
| Nature | Mandatory US federal regulation with enforcement | Voluntary international guidelines (non-certifiable) |
| Testing | Disclosure logs, annual notices, complaint investigations | Internal audits, management reviews, performance monitoring |
| Penalties | Federal funding withholding, enforcement actions | No formal penalties (reputational, self-improvement focus) |
Scope
Industry
Nature
Testing
Penalties
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about FERPA and ISO 19600
FERPA FAQ
ISO 19600 FAQ
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