1. Records For Counselors
9/22/2017

2. Essential Concepts
Bottom Line Records Management for Academic Records

3. Essentials Governing Authority Retention Annual Destruction
What needs to be saved
Annual Destruction
End of Year Considerations
Best Practices
Legal Issues
FERPA
A Few Reminders
Resources

4. Texas State Library Archives Commission (TSLAC)
TSLAC is the governing body for records for political institutions in the State of Texas including but not limited to school districts.
TSLAC guidelines are adopted by state, local governmental institutions as well as school districts.
Two sources of information for school districts to review:
GR: Records Common to All Local Governments
hedule%20GR%20-%20Effective% pdf
SD: Records of Public School Districts
hedule%20SD%20-%20Effective% pdf

5. Retention
Retention Schedule Example:

6. Common Documents and Retentions
Notes
Academic Record
Permanent
Transcript
Cumulative Folder
Date of Withdrawl + 5 Years
Custody Documents
Until student is 18
Enrollment
Home Language Surveys
Parental Permission Records
Cessation +2 Years
Test and Academic Measurement Reports
+1 year after recording the data on transcript
TAAS, TEAMS,TAB,TAKS,STAR etc.
Reports of results of other tests or measurements (e.g., reading/mathematics profiles).

7. Annual Destruction
Destruction refers to the destroying of records whose retention has passed
Records are destroyed to fulfill compliance obligations
Destroying records protects districts from liability
Districts will have to produce subpoenaed records if they are outside retention guidance but still within the district possession.
Destroying records creates space in records warehouse
WFISD practice is to send records due for destruction out to a 3rd party shred vendor. They provide a certificate of destruction which we attach to a list of the records being destroyed.

8. End of Year Considerations
Student records rollover
Prune and Segregate withdrawals
Students who have left the district
Graduates
Transcripts
Student Perm Folder
Pull and Ship Student Records for student moves
Elementary Middle School
Middle School  High School
Organize remaining student records to prepare for next school year

9. End of Year Considerations
Moving Student Records
Should be a systematic methodology for moving student records with chain of custody established
WFISD recommended best practices
Records never travel with unauthorized employees
Records are always well marked
Records always travel with paperwork
Signatures from sending campus
Delivery personnel
Receiving Campus

10. End of Year Considerations
Retention Considerations
How many years do you allow campuses to keep before moving to central storage? Two Years
When deciding how to meet retention requirements some considerations and recommendations:
Only retain originals
Be cognizant of who actually owns the records
for instance: Purchasing owns Purchase Order records so there is no need for campuses to save PO copies to meet retention requirements.
Being aware of who actually owns a records can cut down on the number of records actually being retained while still remaining compliant with legal obligations
Systematic retention and destruction program should be established

11. End of Year Considerations
Shred vs. Trash
Material to be shredded should be limited to materials containing:
Confidential Information such as financial information, discipline records, etc
Personally identifiable information such as DoB, SSN#, Medical Records, and the like.
Material to be shredded at the end of the year should not include records governed by retention guidelines. Any records governed by retention should be DESTROYED as we discussed previously.
Any material not covered above should be thrown in the trash in order to save resources.

12. Best Practices Be Organized! Use file boxes not paper boxes
Don’t overfill boxes
Alphabetize each box
List the box contents
Clearly mark boxes

13. Legal Issues Risk Management requests records: We have a subpoena
Hard deadlines- rapid responses required.
Respond immediately
I can come get records if necessary

15. FERPA Only release student information to authorized people
Both parents have a right to records UNLESS the courts have intervened and stripped a parent of those rights. Custody isn’t the issue.
Once a student turns 18 only they have the right to their records
Signed release and permission form needed to release
Document all information releases whether to parents, student, or 3rd party.
Applies to all student records - not just transcripts.

16. Releasing Student Records
Under 18 Student/Former Student
Form must be completed
Photo ID of parent required
Retention 2 years
Over 18
Form completed by student
Release of information completed and signed
Photo ID required
Retention 2 years
No records can be released without an appropriate information release and Photo ID. Regardless of organization.

17. A Few Reminders
Student Records do not travel in mail bags. They must go in clearly marked boxes or the poly envelopes.
All records transfers require appropriate paperwork.
Notify warehouse supervision when you have records that need to be moved. (Jason Reeder, Lynn Edwards)

18. Resources and Contacts
Shannon Troester
ext
Steven Hinshaw
ext
District Records Website
Records Forms