What constitutes education records under FERPA?

Under FERPA, education records are defined as those records that are directly related to a student and maintained by an educational institution or a party acting on behalf of the institution. This encompasses a wide variety of information, including grades, transcripts, class lists, student schedules, and any other records that pertain to the educational experience of the student.

Choosing the option that states all records related to a student's educational experience is correct because FERPA is designed to protect a broad range of information, ensuring confidentiality and privacy regarding a student's academic life. This safeguard allows students to have control over who can access their personal information and provides them with the right to review and amend their records under certain conditions.

The other options highlight narrower or unrelated scopes that do not reflect the comprehensive nature of what constitutes education records under FERPA. For instance, limiting records to only grades or athletic data excludes many forms of student information that are significant and protected under the law. Additionally, publicly available records are not covered under FERPA's definition, as these records do not remain private and are not maintained specifically for educational purposes.