Contact Infomation:

Charlotte White

731-663-2041

To view our Parental Involvement Policy, FERPA, and NCLB parent's right to know letter please click on the forms link on the home page of our website.  Then go to the  FEDERAL AND SDE PLANS AND REPORTS and click open form in browser.

Tennessee Department of Education's Federal Programs

Other information of Federal Programs and Initiatives can be found below:

Elementary and Secondary Education Act

  This federal statute requires school systems to provide numerous notices to parents, the public, and others. Appendix B (pages 34-39 therein) of the U.S. Department of Education's non-regulatory guidance document, Parental Involvement Title I, Part A (April 2004), contains a chart of the key parental notice requirements under Title I, Part A of the ESEA and identifies who should issue the notices and when they must be issued.
 
The description of each notice can be found by visiting the following link:
 
http://www.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/parentinvguid.doc

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

 
This federal statute requires school systems to provide parents/guardians and eligible students (students at least 18 years of age) with an annual notice of their rights to inspect and review education records, amend education records, consent to disclose personally identifiable information in education records, and file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education.
 
The notice must include the procedure to request and review education records; as well as a statement that records may be disclosed to school officials without prior written consent. This statement should define a school official and also what constitutes a legitimate educational interest. Notice may be provided in any way that is reasonably likely to inform parents of their rights, and must effectively notify parents who have a primary or home language other than English and parents/guardians or eligible students who are disabled.
 
A model notification tool developed by the U.S. Department of Education can be found by visiting the following link:
 
http://familypolicy.ed.gov/content/model-notification-rights-under-ferpa-elementary-and- secondary-schools

The Uninterrupted Scholars Act

This federal statute permits all school systems to disclose the educational records of students, without the written permission of the parents, to an agency caseworker or a representative of the state or local child welfare agency, or a tribal authority, determined to have the right to such access and so long as that agency or authority is legally responsible for the care and protection of the student. These agencies cannot further disclose these records to other parties not authorized by FERPA.

Please be aware that the model notification (referenced above) does not currently include the new exception under the Uninterrupted Scholars Act.

Under FERPA, school systems are permitted to disclose directory information if they have given public notice to parents/guardians and eligible students of what information has been designated as directory information, and when and how parents/guardians and eligible students may opt out of allowing the district to disclose their directory information.

Finally, under ESEA, school districts must provide notice that they routinely release the names, addresses, and phone numbers of secondary students to military recruiters unless parents opt out. School districts may provide this military recruiter notice as part of their general FERPA notice.

To view the U.S. Department of Education's Model Notice for Directory Information, please visit the following link:

http://familypolicy.ed.gov/content/ferpa-model-notice-directory-information

Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)

This federal statute requires school systems to adopt policies regarding surveys of students, instructional materials, physical examinations, personal information used for marketing, and the like related to students. Parents/guardians must be notified of these policies at least annually at the beginning of the school year and within a reasonable time period after any substantial change is made to the policies.

To view the U.S. Department of Education's Model Notification of PPRA Related Rights, please visit the following link:

http://familypolicy.ed.gov/content/model-notification-rights-under-protection-pupil-rights-amendment-ppra

If your school system plans to:

Administer any survey about any of the eight topics listed in the statute (political beliefs, income, sex behavior or attitudes, etc.);
Use students' personal information for selling or marketing purposes; or
Administer certain non-emergency, invasive physical examinations, systems must directly notify parents at least annually at the beginning of the school year of the specific or approximate dates when these activities are scheduled or expected to be scheduled.

To view the U.S. Department of Education's PPRA Model Notice and Consent/Opt-Out for Specific Activities, please visit the following link:

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/pdf/ppraconsent.pdf

Student Nutrition Programs

School systems that participate in the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, or the Special Milk Program, close to the start of each school year, must provide both parents/guardians and the public with information about free and reduced price meals and/or free milk. School systems also must provide parents/guardians with the appropriate application form. School systems shall not disclose children's free and reduced eligibility status, unless the requestor of such information falls into one of the categories specified in the National School Lunch Act.

Please note that the Eligibility Manual for School Meals, developed by the USDA, provides information on the federal requirements regarding the determination and verification of eligibility for free and reduced price meals in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. This manual also includes a link to an online application. The manual also includes a chart describing to whom (see page 71) and the required conditions that must exist in order for information regarding free and reduced eligibility to be disclosed (see pages 69-78, Appendix C).

To view the USDA's Eligibility Guidance for School Meals Manual, please visit the following link:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/guidance/EliMan.pdf

To view the USDA's Sample Family Friendly Free and Reduced-Price School Meals Application Package (available in 34 translations), please visit the following link:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/english.pdf

To view the USDA's Prototype Household Application for SY2014-15, "Free and Reduced Price School Meals Application and Verification Forms, please visit the following link:

www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/cn/SP45-2014a.docx


Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010

This federal statute requires school systems to notify and update the parents, students and the general public about the content and implementation of the local school wellness policy. School systems must also periodically measure and report on implementation of the local school wellness policy, including:

The extent to which schools under the jurisdiction of the local school district are in compliance with the local school wellness policy;
The extent to which the local school wellness policy of the local district compares to model local school wellness policies; and
A description of the progress made in attaining the goals of the local school wellness policy.

Please note that school systems can enact a requirement for informing and updating the public about the content and implementation of the local school wellness policy. This can be done by developing or disseminating printed or electronic materials to families of school children and other members of the school community at the start of the school year. School systems are encouraged to post the local school wellness policy and an assessment of its implementation on the school system or school website. Information must be made available to the public in an accessible, easily understood manner.

For additional information, please visit the following link:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/SP42-2011_os.pdf


Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA)

This federal statute requires school systems to inspect their buildings for asbestos-containing building materials, and develop, maintain, and update an asbestos management plan. School systems must annually notify parents, teachers, and employee organizations in writing of the availability of the management plan and planned or in-progress inspections, re-inspections, response actions, and post-response actions, including periodic re-inspection and surveillance activities.

To view the Model Annual AHERA Notice Letter, please visit the following link:

http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/OWCM.NSF/d14dabb756dc1fb3882565000062f16/c18ad083691dcdc38825672f0058649d!OpenDocument


McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

This federal statute requires homeless student liaisons to provide public notice of the education rights of homeless students. Such notice is to be disseminated in places where homeless students receive services under this Act, including schools, family shelters, and soup kitchens. The notice must be in a "manner and form" understandable to homeless students and their parents/guardians, "including, if necessary and to the extent feasible," in their native language.

Please note that the National Center for Homeless Education provides free Educational Rights posters (in black/white or color; English/Spanish; parents/students) that can be downloaded / ordered at:

http://center.serve.org/nche/pr/er_poster.php#youth.


Title VI, Title IX, Section 504, the Age Discrimination Act, Title II of the Americans with
Disabilities Act, and the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act

Several federal statutes protect the rights of beneficiaries not to be discriminated against in programs or activities receiving financial assistance. The following statutes prohibit discrimination:

Title VI (race, color, ethnicity, and national origin);
Title IX (sex and pregnancy); Section 504 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (disability); and
The Age Discrimination Act (age).

To view the U.S. Department of Education's Notice of Non-Discrimination, please visit the following link:

http://www2.ed.gov/print/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/nondisc.html

Please note that the notice must include the identity and contact information of the coordinators designated to handle complaints under Title IX, Section 504, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination Act.


Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

This federal statute requires school systems to provide parents/guardians of a student with a disability a copy of its procedural safeguards annually; but also upon initial referral or parental request for an evaluation, the filing of a first request for a due process hearing, a disciplinary action constituting a change in placement, and at the request of a parent.

A school system is permitted to place a copy of the procedural safeguards on its website. The notice must fully explain the IDEA's procedural safeguards in an easily understandable manner, and in the native language of the parents unless it is clearly not feasible to do so. Please note that parents/guardians may elect to receive the procedural safeguards notice and other notices under IDEA by e-mail, if the school system permits.

To view the U.S. Department of Education's Model Form: Procedural Safeguards Notice, please visit the following link:

http://idea.ed.gov/download/modelform_Procedural_Safeguards_June_2009.pdf

Please note that the procedural safeguards notice requirements in the IDEA also apply to parents of homeless children with disabilities. For more information, please visit the following link:

http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/spec-ed-homelessness-q-a.doc.