[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 113 (Thursday, June 12, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32089-32092]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-15324]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, dod.
ACTION: Notice to amend record systems.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the Secretary of Defense proposes to amend a 
system of records notice in its inventory of record systems subject to 
the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended.
DATES: The amendment will be effective on July 14, 1997, unless 
comments are received that would result in a contrary determination.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to OSD Privacy Act Coordinator, Records 
Section, Directives and Records Division, Washington Headquarter 
Services, Correspondence and Directives, 1155 Defense Pentagon, 
Washington, DC 20301-1155.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David Bosworth at (703) 695-0970 
or DSN 225-0970.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of the Secretary of Defense 
notices for systems of records subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 
U.S.C. 552a), as amended, have been published in the Federal Register 
and are available from the address above.
    The proposed amendments are not within the purview of subsection 
(r) of the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended, which would require 
the submission of a new or altered system report for each system. The 
specific changes to the record systems being amended are set forth 
below followed by the notices, as amended, published in their entirety.
    Dated: June 6, 1997.

L. M. Bynum,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
DODDS 22

System name:
    DoD Dependent Children's School Program Files (May 14, 1997, 62 FR 
26487).

Changes:
* * * * *

Record access procedures:
    Add a second paragraph `Parents or legal guardians of a student may 
be given access to the student's academic records, disciplinary files, 
and other student information without regard to who has custody of the 
child, unless the divorce decree or court-approved parenting plan 
states that such access

[[Page 32090]]

should be denied or indicates that the non-custodial parent is denied 
access to the child.'
* * * * *
DODDS 22

System name:
    DOD Dependent Children's School Program Files.

System location:
    Active Students:  Department of Defense Dependents Schools, 4040 
North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1634.
    Former High School Students: Permanent records (high school 
transcripts) are retained at the school for four years subsequent to 
graduation, transfer, or termination, and are then forwarded to the 
area office for one year where they are compiled and forwarded to the 
Educational Testing Service, Department of Defense Dependents Schools, 
P.O. Box 6605, Princeton, NJ 08541-0001, except Panama. Records for the 
Panama area are retired to Federal Records Center, 1557 St. Joseph 
Avenue, East Point, GA 30344-2533.
    Former Panama Canal College Students: Permanent records (college 
transcripts) are retained at the college for ten years and are then 
retired to East Point Federal Records Center. For a complete list of 
school locations, write to the System manager.

Categories of individuals covered by the system:
    Current and former students in the DoD-operated overseas dependent 
schools.

Categories of records in the system:
    Enrollment files: Documents relating to the admission, 
registration, and departure of dependent school students. Included are 
pupil enrollment applications, course preference, admission cards, drop 
cards, and similar or related documents which contain pupil and 
sponsor's names, personal and demographic information, as well as 
pupil's health records.
    Daily attendance register files: Documents reflecting the daily 
attendance of pupils at dependent schools. Included are forms, 
printouts, bound registers and similar or related documents which 
contain pupil and sponsor's names, personal and demographic 
information, as well as pupil's health records.
    Elementary school academic records: Documents reflecting the 
standardized achievement, mental ability, yearly grade average, 
attendance of each student and the teacher's comments. Included are 
forms, notes, and similar or related documents.
    Elementary school report card files: Documents reflecting grades, 
personality traits, and promotion or failure. Included are report cards 
and similar or related documents.
    Elementary school teacher class register files: Documents 
reflecting daily, weekly, semester, or annual scholastic grades and 
averages, absence and tardiness data.
    Elementary school student files: Documents pertaining to individual 
elementary school students. Included in each folder are reading and 
health records; individual education plans; intelligence quotient; 
achievement, aptitude, and similar test results; notes related to 
pupils progress and characteristics; and similar matters used by 
counselors and successive teachers.
    Secondary school absentee files: Documents reflecting absence of 
students. Included are homeroom teacher's registers, secondary school 
daily attendance records of absentees reported by teachers, tardy slips 
for admission of students to classroom, transfer slips notifying 
teachers of new class or homeroom assignment, notices of change by 
school principal to teacher upon change of classroom, student 
applications for permission to be absent, student pass slips, and 
similar or related documents.
    Secondary school academic record files: Documents reflecting 
student grades and credits earned. Included are forms, notes, and 
similar or related documents.
    Secondary school report card files: Documents reflecting scholastic 
grades, personality traits, and promotion or failure. Included are 
report cards and related documents.
    Secondary school teacher class register files: Documents reflecting 
daily, weekly, semester, or annual scholastic marks and averages, 
absence and tardiness, and withdrawal data. Included are class 
registers and similar or related documents.
    Secondary school class reporting files: Documents reflecting 
teacher reports to principals and used as source documents for 
preparing secondary school academic record cards. Included are forms, 
correspondence, and similar or related documents.
    Credit transfer certificate files: Documents reflecting secondary 
school scholastic credits earned. Included are certificates and similar 
or related documents.
    Secondary school student files: Documents pertaining to individual 
secondary school students. Included in each folder are student health 
records; individual education plans; absence reports and correspondence 
with parents pertaining to absence; records of achievement and aptitude 
tests; notes concerning participation in extracurricular activities, 
hobbies, and other special interests or activities of the student; and 
miscellaneous memorandums used by student counselors.
    College absence, withdrawal, and add files: Student applications 
for permission to be absent from final exams. Student drop and add 
class records and administrative withdrawal letter.
    College academic record files: Documents reflecting student grades 
and credits earned. Included are forms, notes, and similar or related 
documents.
    College report card files: Documents reflecting scholastic grades 
and promotion or failure. Included are report cards and related 
documents.
    College teacher class register files: Documents reflecting daily, 
weekly, semester, or annual scholastic marks and averages, absence and 
withdrawal data. Included are class registers and similar or related 
documents.
    College class reporting files: Documents reflecting teacher reports 
to Registrar and used as source documents for preparing college 
transcripts. Included are forms, correspondence, and similar or related 
documents.
    Credit transfer certificate files: Documents reflecting college 
scholastic credits earned. Included are certificates and similar or 
related documents.
    College student files: Documents pertaining to individual college 
students. Included in each folder are absence reports, records of 
achievement, and aptitude tests.
    Automated support files: Automated data files are composed of 
records containing any of the above information in addition to (varies 
by regional system): Student registration data--student identification 
number, student name, sex, grade level, bus number, date of enrollment, 
date of birth, course numbers and names, teachers, credit, grades 
received, dates of absences, and sponsor's name, status, rank, date of 
rotation, organization, location of unit, local address, emergency 
address, permanent address, and telephone numbers.

Authority for maintenance of the system:
    20 U.S.C. Chapter 25A; DoD Directive 1342.6, Department of Defense 
Dependents Schools (DoDDS), as amended.

Purpose(s):
    Dependent children's school program files (general):

[[Page 32091]]

    1. Records of students attending DoD operated overseas dependent 
schools are used by school officials, including teachers, to: a. 
Determine the eligibility of children to attend these schools; b. 
Schedule children for transportation; c. Record daily and/or class 
attendance of students and date(s) of withdrawal; d. Determine tuition 
paying students and record status of payments; e. Determine students 
located in areas not serviced by dependents schools so that alternative 
arrangements for education can be made and payment made, as required; 
f. Monitor special education services required by and received by the 
student; and, g. Used to develop and maintain reading and health 
records, including school related medical needs.
    2. Records may also be released to other officials of the 
Department of Defense requiring information for operation of the 
Department (including defense investigative agencies and recruiting 
officials).
    Dependent children's school program files (elementary):
    1. Used by school officials, including teachers, in the current 
and/or gaining school to develop and provide an educational program for 
elementary students by school personnel cited above.
    2. Used in the following manner to record: a. Teacher or 
standardized test data; b. Attendance, absences, and/or tardiness of 
each student; c. Recommendations for promotion or retention including 
teacher comments; d. Daily, weekly, semester, or annual grades; and, e. 
Notes related to the individual pupil's progress and learning 
characteristics useful to professional school personnel in counseling 
the student and in the determination of his/her proper placement.
    Dependent children's school program files (secondary):
    1. Used by school officials, including teachers, in the current 
and/or gaining school to develop and provide an educational program for 
secondary students.
    2. Documents are used by school personnel cited above in the 
following manner to: a. Record teacher and/or standardized test data; 
b. Record attendance, absences, and/or tardiness of each student; c. 
Form the basis for a decision on a student request for permission to be 
absent from a class or classes; d. Determine proper class or grade 
placement or graduation; e. Determine scholastic grades and/or grade 
point average; f. Form the basis for school recommendations for student 
financial aid for post-secondary education; g. Form the basis for 
preparing the secondary school transcript; h. Determine secondary 
school academic credits earned; and, i. Note special interest or 
hobbies of the student.
    3. Used by DoD recruiting officials to determine eligibility for 
military service.
    Dependent children's school program files (college):
    1. Used by school officials, including teachers, in the current 
and/or gaining school to develop and provide an educational program for 
college students.
    2. Documents are used by school personnel cited above in the 
following manner to: a. Record teacher and/or standardized test data; 
b. Record attendance and absences of each student; c. Form the basis 
for a decision on a student request for permission to be absent from a 
class or classes; d. Determine proper class or grade placement or 
graduation; e. Determine scholastic grades and/or grade point average; 
f. Form the basis for school recommendations for student financial aid 
for college education; g. Form the basis for preparing the college 
transcript; and h. Determine college academic credits earned.
    3. Used by DoD recruiting officials to determine eligibility for 
military service.
    Automated support is used by school and area officials (where 
applicable) to:
    1. Provide academic data to each student upon request, provide 
report cards, etc., at the end of each grading period, provide 
transcripts upon request, and provide hard copy for manual files.
    2. Provide academic data within the area and to DoDDS headquarters.
    3. Provide data within the Department of Defense on a need-to-know 
basis.

Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories 
of users and the purposes of such uses:
    In addition to those disclosures generally permitted under 5 U.S.C. 
552a(b) of the Privacy Act, these records or information contained 
therein may specifically be disclosed outside the DoD as a routine use 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3) as follows:
    Records concerning sponsor's names, rank, and branch of service may 
be released to former students for the purpose of organizing reunion 
activities.
    Academic data of transferring, withdrawing, or graduating students 
may be provided to other educational institutions and employers or 
prospective employers in accordance with current policies and 
procedures.
    Academic achievements and data may be provided to the public, via 
distribution of information within the school and through various media 
sources, for positive reinforcement purposes. This information will not 
be distributed for commercial uses.
    The `Blanket Routine Uses' set forth at the beginning of OSD's 
compilation of systems of records notices apply to this system.

Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining, 
and disposing of records in the system:
Storage:
    Records are stored in file folders, disks, and magnetic tape.

Retrievability:
    Elementary school academic records and secondary school and college 
academic records (transcripts) are filed alphabetically by school, 
school year, and last name of student.
    Remaining dependent school student files are filed by school, 
school year, and last name of student.
    The automated files are indexed by a variety of data, depending 
upon the region and school involved (some have regionally assigned 
student identification numbers, others are by last name of student). 
Also, any combination of data in the file can be used to select 
individual records. Only authorized personnel have required information 
to access the system or process jobs.

Safeguards:
    Paper records are maintained in locked file cabinets accessible 
only to authorized personnel.
    Computer-produced student records are retained in limited access 
school offices and/or locked cabinets. Computer disks, tapes, etc., are 
maintained in limited access areas within the various computer centers, 
area offices, and/or schools.
    Computer facilities and remote terminals are located in schools and 
area offices throughout the school system. Particular area systems 
vary; however, the same basic safeguards are employed (in various 
combinations) in all the systems. Computer hardware disk cards and 
other materials are secured in locked facilities after normal duty 
hours or are maintained in secure military computer centers. During 
school hours, storage media is stored in areas where access can be 
monitored. Administrative safeguards, including authorized user names 
and passwords are used to prevent unauthorized access to information in 
the automated systems.

Retention and disposal:
    Enrollment files: Maintained at the respective school for one year 
after

[[Page 32092]]

graduation, withdrawal, transfer, or death of the student, then 
destroyed.
    Daily attendance register files: Destroyed after reviewing 
attendance registers for the next school year.
    Elementary school academic records files:  When a student transfers 
to another school, this file is forwarded by mail to officials of the 
receiving school on request in accordance with current regulations, or 
destroyed at the school five years after graduation, withdrawal, or 
death of the student.
    Elementary school report card files:  Documents reflecting grades, 
personality traits, and promotion or failure. Included are report cards 
and similar or related documents.
    Elementary school teacher class register files: Destroyed at the 
school concerned after five years.
    Elementary school student files: 
    1. When a student transfers to another school, the reading and 
health records are released to the parent/guardian for hand-carrying to 
the receiving school.
    2. Remaining documents pertaining to the students are forwarded by 
mail to the officials of the receiving school or the parent/guardian on 
request in accordance with current regulations; if not requested, 
documents are destroyed at the school concerned one year after 
graduation, withdrawal, or death of the student.
    Special Education files:  Records pertaining to tests and 
evaluations of students and documentation of individual needs for 
special education programs. Included is follow-on correspondence and 
case files relating to mediation and hearings. Records are cut-off 
after final decision and retired to Washington National Records Center 
(WNRC) after 5 years. When 20 years old, the records are destroyed.
    Secondary school absentee files: Destroyed at the school after one 
year.
    Secondary school academic record files (high school transcript): 
    1. Permanent file.
    2. When a student transfers to another DoD dependents school, this 
file (transcript) is forwarded by mail to officials of the receiving 
school on request.
    3. When a student transfers to a non-DOD school, a copy of the 
transcript is forwarded to the receiving school on request in 
accordance with current regulations.
    4. Files not forwarded to another DoD school are retained at the 
school concerned for four years, the area office for one year and then 
retired to the Educational Testing Service (or East Point FARC if in 
the Panama region) for an additional sixty years.
    Secondary school report card files: Released to parents of students 
or student (if over eighteen years of age) at the end of the school 
year or on transfer of student.
    Secondary school teacher class register files: Retained at the 
school concerned for five years and then destroyed.
    Secondary school class reporting files: Destroyed at the school 
after one year.
    Credit transfer certification files: Destroyed at the school after 
one year.
    Secondary school student files: 
    1. Retained at the school concerned for two years after graduation, 
withdrawal or death of the student.
    2. When a student transfers to another school: a. A copy of the 
record may be released to the parents or student (if over eighteen 
years of age) for hand-carrying to the receiving school. b. An official 
copy of the record will be forwarded to the receiving school in 
accordance with current regulations upon request. (The original record 
is retained at the school.)
    College absentee files: Destroyed at the school after one year.
    College academic record files (college transcripts): 
    1. Permanent file.
    2. When a student transfers to another college or university, this 
file (transcript) is forwarded by mail to officials of the receiving 
school upon receipt of an authorized request.
    3. Original files (transcripts) are retained at the college for ten 
years then retired to East Point FARC.
    College report card files: Released to student at the end of the 
semester or school year, or on transfer of student.
    College teacher class register files: Retained at the school for 
five years and then destroyed.
    College class reporting files:  Destroyed at the school after one 
year.
    Credit transfer certificate files: Destroyed at the school after 
one year.
    College student files: 
    1. Retained at the college for two years.
    2. When a student transfers to another college: An official copy of 
the record will be forwarded to the receiving school upon request 
pending receipt of authorized request. (The original record is retained 
at the college.)
    Automated records are retained for the same period as paper 
records.

System manager(s) and address:
    Chief, Management Employee Relations Branch, Personnel Division, 
Department of Defense Dependents Schools, 4040 North Fairfax Drive, 
Arlington, VA 22203-1634.

Notification procedure:
    Individuals seeking to determine whether information about 
themselves is contained in this system should address written inquiries 
to the Privacy Act Officer, Department of Defense Dependents Schools, 
4040 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1635.
    Written requests for information should contain the full name and 
address of the individual, and must be signed.

Record access procedures:
    Individuals seeking to access information about themselves 
contained in this system should address written inquiries to the 
Privacy Act Officer, Department of Defense Dependents Schools, 4040 
North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1635.
    Parents or legal guardians of a student may be given access to the 
student's academic records, disciplinary files, and other student 
information without regard to who has custody of the child, unless the 
divorce decree or court-approved parenting plan states that such access 
should be denied or indicates that the non-custodial parent is denied 
access to the child.
    Written requests for information should contain the full name and 
address of the individual, and must be signed.

Contesting record procedures:
    The OSD rules for accessing records, for contesting contents and 
appealing initial agency determinations are published in OSD 
Administrative Instruction 81; 32 CFR part 311; or may be obtained from 
the system manager.

Record source categories:
    Information is obtained from the individuals concerned and their 
parents/guardians, teachers and school administrators.

Exemptions claimed for the system:
    None.
[FR Doc. 97-15324 Filed 6-11-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5000-04-F