Student Management
FERPA Consent Forms

FERPA Consent Forms

Who can do this:Super AdminDirectorCase ManagerCoordinator

Goal: Request, track, and manage parental consent for accessing student data under FERPA requirements.

VoTech collects sensitive data about minors — including ACE scores, justice involvement, disability status, and case notes. FERPA requires documented parental consent before staff can access certain data tiers. The consent system supports both digital (parent signs online) and paper (printable form) workflows.

Consent Types

TypeWhat It Covers
FERPA — Educational RecordsAcademic progress, attendance, case notes, assessments
FERPA — Directory InformationName, program participation, certifications (for employer sharing)
Data Sharing (Employer Partners)Skill assessments, certifications, program data shared with employers
SMS CommunicationsText message notifications (recorded only — not requestable via digital form)

Requesting Consent (Digital Flow)

Staff can send a consent request to a parent or guardian electronically:

  1. Open the student's Detail Page
  2. Scroll to the Consent section
  3. Click Request Consent
  4. Select one or more consent types (Educational Records, Directory Information, Data Sharing)
  5. The system generates a unique secure link valid for 30 days
  6. Deliver the link to the parent:
    • QR Code — display on screen for the parent to scan
    • Email — click "Email to Parent" (uses the parent/guardian contact on file)
ℹ️ NOTE:

The email only includes the student's first name — no last name, DOB, or other PII. It lists the consent types being requested and includes a link to the consent form.

What the Parent Sees

When a parent opens the consent link (/consent/[token]), they see:

  1. The student's first name and program name (location)
  2. Three consent type checkboxes with descriptions — they can choose which to grant
  3. Respondent information (required):
    • Full name
    • Relationship to student (Parent, Guardian, Foster Parent, Grandparent, Other)
  4. Legal acknowledgment checkbox (required): confirms they are the legal parent/guardian and understand they can revoke consent in writing at any time
  5. Submit button

Once submitted, the parent sees a confirmation: "Your consent has been recorded."

🛑 IMPORTANT:

The consent link is single-use. Once submitted, it cannot be reused. If additional consent types are needed later, create a new request.

Consent Request Statuses

StatusMeaningStaff Actions
PendingAwaiting parent responseShow QR, Email parent, Cancel
CompletedParent signedView respondent name and relationship
Expired30 days passed without responseCreate new request
CancelledStaff cancelled before parent responded—

Only Super Admin and Director can cancel pending requests.

Printable Consent Form

For parents who can't complete the digital form, a printable version is available:

  1. Open the student's Detail Page → Consent section
  2. Click Print Consent Form
  3. The form opens at /consent/print/[studentId] with:
    • Student name, DOB, and location
    • FERPA explanation and data tier descriptions
    • Three consent type checkboxes
    • Signature block: parent/guardian signature, printed name, relationship, date
    • Optional staff witness line
  4. Print the page and have the parent sign in person

After the parent signs the paper form, staff manually record the consent in the system.

Recording Consent Manually

For paper forms, phone consent, or in-person consent:

  1. Open the student's Detail Page → Consent section
  2. Click Add Consent Record
  3. Select the consent type and method (In Person, Paper Form, Phone)
  4. Add any notes
  5. Click Save

Revoking Consent

Who can revoke: Super Admin or Director only

  1. Open the student's Detail Page → Consent section
  2. Find the active consent record
  3. Click Revoke
  4. Confirm and optionally add a revocation reason
  5. The consent status changes to Revoked with a timestamp
⚠️ WARNING:

Revoking consent restricts access to Tier 2-3 data for that student. Life stories, ACE scores, case notes, justice involvement, disability, and foster care information will be restricted until new consent is obtained.

Parents can also revoke consent by contacting staff in writing — this is documented in the consent form itself.

Data Tiers Covered by Consent

TierDataConsent Required for Minors
Tier 1SSN (encrypted, Super Admin only)Not covered by this consent — separate handling
Tier 2Life stories, ACE scores, case notesYes — FERPA Educational Records
Tier 3Justice, disability, LGBTQ, foster care, spiritual, living situationYes — FERPA Educational Records
Tier 4Demographics, attendance, certifications, assessmentsNo — standard program data

Tips & Common Mistakes

✅ TIP:

Send consent requests early in the enrollment process. Without consent, staff access to Tier 2-3 data is restricted — which limits case management, ACE assessments, and comprehensive reporting.

⚠️ WARNING:

Consent links expire after 30 days. If a parent hasn't responded, send a new request rather than trying to reuse the old link.

ℹ️ NOTE:

SMS Communications consent is separate from the digital consent flow. It's recorded during enrollment (Step 2: Contact) via the SMS consent checkbox with TCPA disclosure.

Related Guides

Managing Contacts & GuardiansManaging Classes