This publication is designed to provide guidance, clarification of intent, and suggested implementation processes and procedures for officials of postsecondary educational institutions concerning the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), as Amended in 1988 and 1993. FERPA's purpose is to ensure certain student rights concerning their educational records such as their right to inspection and review, to make amendments, and to some control over the disclosure of information on the record. Chapter 1 provides background and further specifics on FERPA. Chapter 2 defines key terms. Chapter 3 describes compliance requirements. Chapter 4 suggests procedures and strategies for compliance. Chapter 5 discusses particular issues. Chapter 6 provides short answers to the most frequently asked questions about FERPA. Chapter 7 contains cases, mostly taken from actual situations, to test readers' knowledge and strengthen their understanding of FERPA. The resolution to each case is at the end of the chapter. Extensive appendixes contain the text of FERPA; 1988 regulations; discussion of FERPA and The Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act (1990); notice of proposed rulemaking on excluding law enforcement unit records from FERPA; the 1994 Amendment to FERPA; 1995 final regulations; Internal Revenue Code of 1954, Section 152; directory information items identified in two institutional surveys; and sample documents. An index is provided. (Contains 18 references.) (JB)