Student education records, including grades and most identifiable academic information, are protected under FERPA, a federal law. As an instructor you are expected to keep that information private: do not post grades by name or identifier, do not discuss a student’s performance with others who have no educational need to know, and return work in a way that does not expose grades to classmates.

A few habits cover most situations. Use your institution’s official systems for grades rather than personal tools, do not enter identifiable student information into public software, and route parent or third-party requests to the registrar. When unsure, ask your registrar’s office, which exists in part to answer exactly these questions.