• Student Records Requests

    According to Massachusetts Education Laws and Regulations, eligible students and parents shall be able to request access to all student educational records. Those records include, but are not limited to, standardized test scores, evaluations by counselors, attendance rates, parent/teacher correspondence, email correspondence between staff, discipline files, etc. More information on what constitutes a student record can be found in MA 603 CMR 23.00. The Ipswich Public Schools is committed to safeguarding the privacy of student information and has created this process as a way to ensure all student records requests are handled securely and consistently throughout the district. 

    How to obtain Student Records

    Requests for student records may be made to the building principal at your child’s school.  Requests that seek special education records should be made  to the building Special Education  Program Manager, or to the Director of Pupil Personnel Services.  To prevent confusion, requests should be made in writing and be transmitted either in person or via US Mail or email.  

    The individual making the request should take care to specify as precisely as possible which records are being requested.  In some instances, the purpose for requesting special education documents may help in refining the parameters of a request.  For example, if the individual is a graduate and considering a post-graduate program,  records dating back to first grade would likely not be relevant, and the request might be more appropriately limited to a copy of the last signed Individual Education Program (IEP) and the most recent evaluations.  Of course, if the individual requests, such documentation can be sent directly to the potential program upon receipt of written permission to share the information, and there will be no charge under such circumstances.

    Cost of Student Records Request 

    603 CMR 23.07 (2) (a) allows schools to charge a reasonable fee for records requests, not to exceed the cost of reproduction.  Once you have determined the scope of your request, we will provide you with an estimate of reproduction costs, based on $.05  per page if you choose hard copies of the records.

    Electronic vs. Paper Copies of Records
    The Ipswich Public Schools  assumes you would like electronic copies of records if we have them, however, email correspondence is not available electronically and will have to be printed. The cost of black and white paper copies of documents is $.05 per page.

    Tips
    Each request is processed in the order in which it is received. Various factors affect processing time, including the request’s size and complexity, and nature of the records sought.

    • Requests must always be made by a parent/guardian and/or legal representative but may be delivered to a third party with consent from the parent/guardian. Most often, third parties consist of attorneys or advocates acting on behalf of the family.
    • Consider how you can narrow the scope of your request to expedite the production process.
    • The Ipswich Public Schools  must adhere to the law requiring that it to secure personally identifiable information and prevent unwarranted invasions of privacy. Documents containing such information must be redacted carefully before releasing, expanding time needed for production. Consider how you might revise your student records request to exclude records containing such information.
    • If you are requesting a High School Transcript please contact the school directly.

    Student Records Law and Resources

    Helpful Link: Student Records: Questions, Answers and Guidelines