On December 1, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) finalized the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations. As explained in DQC's in-depth advisory and overview, DQC believes that the final regulations address states’ concerns and clarify the application of FERPA to state longitudinal data systems and education reform efforts. The final regulations transform the conversation from whether student data may be used for important educational purposes to how they can appropriately be used to improve student achievement. DQC applauds the department for providing this clarification at a critical time for state policymakers.