Confidentiality and interagency communication: effect of the Buckley amendment

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, commonly called the Buckley amendment, provides for parental and pupil access to pupil records kept by educational institutions, and requires consent of the parent or pupil for release of such records to other agencies. The authors discuss the provisions of the law and the implications for mental health professionals who work with schools. They present guidelines covering the kinds of information that can appropriately be included in reports sent to schools.