Which federal law prohibits disclosure of a student's protected information to a third party?

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is the federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. It specifically prohibits the disclosure of a student's personally identifiable information to third parties without the consent of the student or their parent if the student is under 18 years old. This regulation is crucial because it ensures that students and their families have control over who can access their educational records, thereby maintaining privacy in educational settings.

Regarding the other options, while the Privacy Act also deals with the protection of personal information, it is more focused on federal agencies and not specifically on educational records. The Smith-Hughes Act primarily pertains to vocational education funding and program requirements, rather than information privacy. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act addresses employment discrimination and does not relate to the confidentiality of student records. Understanding these distinctions reinforces the unique focus of FERPA on the protection of student information in the educational context.