School has lost our evaluation!

There are certainly laws governing confidentiality, but if the papers were stolen, I don’t know what can be done about it unless someone has evidence and presses charges. It is also possible that they were misfiled or misplaced. It is very aggravating for personal papers to be lost, but ordinarily, I don’t think that type of information would be of much use to anyone else, so I’d lean toward it being misplaced. The private psychologist surely has the original report, so hopefully it can be easily replaced. I’m not sure what else you could do in this case, except be sure YOU keep a copy of everything you ever give anyone.

Janis

I don’t feel it was “stolen” but that it was disregarded as sensitive and confidential and could be laying around who knows where. I have several copies extra, that is not the problem. The real problem is that I no longer trust the school with records and feel they should be accountable for their indiscretion.

What indiscretion? Is it possible that the information has been misfiled? Errors do occur. What purpose would be served for the school to do something that would lessen your trust?

Oh, I think I understand your point, but I don’t understand the non-chalance. I suppose if it were your childs or YOUR results of IQ tests, achievement scores, family background, neuro-psychological, and behavioral testing it would all be fine? And, if they didn’t have a clue for several months where any of YOUR file is, you smile forgiveingly and hand them a new set and say, “please don’t lose these?”
I’m sorry but these records are very private and should be held in a secured location. They are confidential and not for public viewing. I trusted them with the information, now they don’t even know where it is. Has my trust been violated?, absolutely 100%.

Jenna,

My point is, yes, I would be very irritated at first. But staying angry will gain you what? If the papers were not stolen, then they are probably right there in that confidential office safely misfiled in the wrong folder. I have never in my 20+ years of teaching heard of anyone deliberately “losing” a file so they could publically reveal the results. It is probably plain and simple human error. I have heard people whose medical files were lost at hospitals. That has worse implications, because those records had no copies. But normally, only the people who are involved in a particular case would have any interest in looking at that kind of paperwork. (Most people wouldn’t understand it if they read it, for that matter!). I was once located in the special ed.office where all the special ed. master files were kept, and with the thousands and thousands of folders there, it would not surprise me a bit if every few years someone might misplace something. I am pretty sure my system has to keep records for something like 15 years after a child graduates befoe destroying the folders. So if it seems like non-chalance, I’m sorry. But I just don’t see anything to do but go forward and tell them you hope they will take better care of the papers next time.

Janis

One time I was counselling a friend who had problems with alcohol and otherwise. We went to a small local hospital where we made arrangements for counselling in a known and non-threatening medical environment. The friend being undependable and staying with me, my name and work phone were given as the contact. Some bureaucrat decided the friend lived in another district, transferred the files (without our permission) to the state mental hospital a hundred miles away, and made new arrangements, with the wrong info being transmitted. I got open, public messages at my school telling me I had missed my appointments at the mental hospital. You can imagine what that did to my teaching career. This kind of thing cannot be brushed off nonchalantly. Jenna is right and action should be taken - a search of the files and a written promise not to divulge any info at any time, the very least. And a lawsuit is possible if anything worse happens.

I am not clear on what an ESE worker is. HOwever, those of us who work with special ed. students do have the need to have copies of reports in our possession. When I am writing an IEP (at home, at night on my own time), I must bring my file home. Typically I do not carry the only copies of a report home. Certain persons have access to reports so they can do their jobs.

Once, several years, ago our conscientious psych. did lose a child’s confidential file. It has never turned up.

Yes, I have mis-filed things and not found them for months and months much to my consternation. Again, I never have the only copy of a report in my possession. Very bad idea.

It was not the only copy of the report, but it was a signed original and a duplicate had been made. I have more copies for myself. The point is that they were supposed to be kept in a locked file. The district said that they are not allowed to leave school property and only a court order or parental consent can release them. The school is now some what alarmed, but at least, much more responsive to actually moving forward for our child. . Unless the information is found in public hands, I don’t think damage has actually occured, but my faith in this particular school is dwindling. If they want any more info at this point , I will show them what I have, but will only place limited information into their hands, and we will have to work in that fashion. We just found state statutes that protect for this type of thing, and clearly they have violated them. We will wait and see what progress they make. And if our child receives kindness & assistance, we will be forgiving of their blunder. And if our child is not helped by the district, this issue will be at the top of our ‘war list’ when we drag the state politicians and lawyers into it. Time will tell how this issue is resolved