Which federal law, regulation, or standard applicable to the instructor protects the privacy of student education records?

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is the correct answer because this federal law specifically governs the privacy and confidentiality of student education records. Under FERPA, institutions that receive federal funding are required to protect the privacy of students' personally identifiable information and provide students with certain rights regarding their education records. This includes the right to access their records, request amendments to those records, and control the disclosure of their information.

In contrast, the other options listed address different legal protections that are not specifically focused on student education records. The Human Rights Act typically pertains to broader human rights issues, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act deals with employment discrimination, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) focuses on prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities. None of these directly address the privacy rights related to educational records, which is the primary concern of FERPA.