Parents have the right to:

• Inspect and review all educational records (34 C.F.R. § 300.613; 34 C.F.R. § 99.10)

• Receive copies of records, where failure to provide copies would effectively prevent access (34 C.F.R. § 99.10(d))

• Access information in a clear and usable format to support informed participation

This includes:

• Progress monitoring data

• Evaluation reports

• Service logs and session notes

• All documentation used to make educational decisions

Access must allow for informed participation—not mere procedural compliance.

Common Violations

Districts may be out of compliance when they:

• Records have been produced in a disorganized, duplicative, and non-sequential manner that is unnecessarily burdensome and obstructs meaningful review and access. 

• Provide voluminous records without organization or explanation, making meaningful review impractical

• Refer broadly to records as “previously provided” instead of producing specific, responsive documents

• Offer inspection-only access when copies are necessary for effective review

• Fail to produce underlying data (e.g., raw scores, progress monitoring, service documentation) and instead provide summaries

• Delay access to records until meetings, limiting the parent’s ability to prepare and participate meaningfully

• Provide records in formats that are not accessible or usable (e.g., unsearchable scans, incomplete files)

Such practices may interfere with a parent’s ability to participate in decision-making and can constitute a violation of FERPA and IDEA procedural safeguards.