Homeschool 101: Requesting Your Childs School Records

If you are just starting this homeschool journey, you are going to need your students’ cumulative files, or school records.

As a parent you have the right to request these files. Here is the law below:

Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations Section 300.562 (34 C.F.R. § 300.562) 

Demands parent’s right to review educational records.

Each participating agency shall permit parents to inspect and review any education records relating to their children that are collected, maintained, or used by the agency under this part.

The agency shall comply with a request without unnecessary delay and before any meeting regarding an IEP, or any hearing pursuant to §§300.507 and 300.521-300.528, and in no case more than 45 days after the request has been made.

The right to inspect and review education records under this section includes-

The right to a response from the participating agency to reasonable requests for explanations and interpretations of the records;

The right to request that the agency provide copies of the records containing the information if failure to provide those copies would effectively prevent the parent from exercising the right to inspect and review the records; and

The right to have a representative of the parent inspect and review the records.

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An agency may presume that the parent has authority to inspect and review records relating to his or her child unless the agency has been advised that the parent does not have the authority under applicable State law governing such matters as guardianship, separation, and divorce.

California Education Code Section 56504

The parent shall have the right and opportunity to examine all school records of his or her child and to receive copies pursuant to this section and to Section 49065 within five business days after the request is made by the parent, either orally or in writing.

The public agency shall comply with a request for school records without unnecessary delay before any meeting regarding an individualized education program or any hearing pursuant to Section 300.121, 300.301, 300.304, or 300.507 of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations or resolution session pursuant to Section 300.510 of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

And in no case more than five business days after the request is made orally or in writing.

Reasonable requests for explanations and interpretations of the records…

The parent shall have the right to a response from the public agency to reasonable requests for explanations and interpretations of the records.

If a school record includes information on more than one pupil, the parents of those pupils have the right to inspect and review only the information relating to their child or to be informed of that specific information.

A public agency shall provide a parent, on request of the parent, a list of the types and locations of school records collected, maintained, or used by the agency.

A public agency may charge no more than the actual cost of reproducing the records, but if this cost effectively prevents the parent from exercising the right to receive the copy or copies, the copy or copies shall be reproduced at no cost.

You can read more about these codes and more on the “California Legislative Information Website.”

Below, I have supplied a sample letter you can give to your students administration.

Do not allow any school to intimidate you for your students’ records. It is law.

Copy it to your own document, creating a professional letter head. We are available to do this service for you, for $10 if you contact us, or email us @randomnestfamily@gmail.com, subject: Records Request Service. We will design it with your special touches, no needs to do anything else!

You also have the option to download my interactive pdf file to fill in the blank spaces and email this to your students’ school administration.

Sample Letter

Your Name
Your Street Address
Your City, State, Zip Code
Your Telephone number
Your E-mail Address

Current Date

Students school Administration Name or Administrators Name
Title
School Name
School Address
City, State, Zip Code

Re: Request for [students name] education records

Dear Mr./Ms. Administrations Name,

I am writing to request copies of my child’s educational file pursuant to 34 C.F.R. § 300.562 and Cal. Educ. Code §56504.

Please provide these records to me in hard copy or in electronical file format as soon as possible, but no later than 5 business days from the date of this letter.

These records should include, but not be limited to, all of the following: assessment reports, assessment protocols, assessment plans, progress reports, report cards, Individualized Education Program (“IEP”) documentation and notes, medical records, e-mails, and any other records that personally identify my child.

Thank you for your prompt response.

Sincerely,

Parents Name or your relationship to the child.

We hope this homeschool 101 article has helped you. No matter what state you are homeschooling in, you have rights to your Childs records and the right to expunge anything you feel doesn’t apply to your student.

For legal help, check out the HSLDA.

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