Request Your Child's School Records - Sample Letter

Education records refer to any information about a current or former student that has been officially documented by a school administration — whether that’s through handwriting, print, digital filing, video and/or audio recordings, and so on. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) gives a parent the right to access their child’s educational records.

If you would like to submit a written request for some or all of your child's records held by a school, you can make a copy of this Google doc or reference the sample letter below:

[Date]
[Name of program specialist, principal or the district custodian of records]
[School address]

Subject: Request for Educational Records – [Student’s Name]

Dear [Name],

I am the parent of [Student’s Name] and am requesting copies of [Student’s] educational records under California Education Code § 56504, IDEA (20 U.S.C. § 1415(b)(1)), and FERPA (20 U.S.C. § 1232g).

Please provide copies of the following records: [You can delete anything you are not interested in]

• All assessments and evaluations, including all Subtests, AE/GE/RPI Scores, testing protocols, evaluator notes, and reports
• Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and related documents
• General education and IEP-related progress reports and data tracking reports
• Academic, attendance, disciplinary, and transportation records
• Mental health and medical records maintained by the District
• Emails, notes, and correspondence between staff regarding [Student]
• Observation notes from all settings
• Behavior charts and raw data on [Student’s] behaviors
• Correspondence between the district and outside agencies or schools regarding [Student’s] education or services
• Redacted teacher grade books where applicable

Under California Education Code § 56504, these records must be provided within five business days. Please send them to me electronically, at the mailing address above, or provide a way for me to access them. I also request that any copying fees be waived, as they would limit my ability to exercise my parental rights under IDEA.

If you have any questions, or if you would like to discuss this further with me, please call [Phone] or contact me at [email].

Thank you for your time and cooperation.

Sincerely,
[Your name]