Family Education Act Of 1974

The quality of an educational experience is affected by teachers, curriculums, resources, funding, and largely by policy and evolution of policies regarding education throughout recent American history. Through these factors, access to a quality education is barred off from those living in economically disadvantaged settings, generally consisting of racial minority populations. Education policies have granted limited success in strengthening the quality of early childhood education, and in addition, the improvements to the education system disproportionately affect students as it pertains to race, socioeconomic status, nation of origin, and other oppressed identities. The lack of success with Education Policy has created a demand for equalizing …show more content…
Acts disguised as education reform are written with social biases that will affect minority students in much larger numbers than it affects those who are not of color. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 was intended to protect the privacy of all students, but coincidentally falls short for already disadvantaged students. “FERPA allows schools to share [disciplinary] records with other schools in which the student intends to enroll, requiring parental notice-but not parental consent-for such disclosures,” which is problematic as minority students disproportionately represent the students with disciplinary action taken against them (Daggett, 2008). The misrepresentation begins as early as preschool where black toddlers make up nearly half of the students punished by out-of-school suspensions. The behavior of a four year old seldom warrants such extreme punishment, and black students certainly do not behave in ways that call for disciplinary action more frequently than white students, they are just disciplined more frequently for those behaviors. Due to this, a black or brown student is much more likely to have a disciplinary record, which will be passed from school to school according to FERPA. A disciplinary record influences the way administration views and handles a student. The prejudgment that can stem from a record causes placement in lower-level classes or alternative schools and an increased likeliness that further disciplinary action will be taken against the student. The racial bias that led to a suspension at a previous school for a minority student can result in a lower quality education at a different school, due to the legislation that appeared to be written to protect the privacy of all students, but just mainly defends the educational rights of white