Oregon Issues Guidance on Transgender Student Records

PORTLAND, Ore. - June 17, 2014 - PRLog -- "Transgender students face unique challenges in schools and it is important that identifying factors in their official school records not put them in a situation where they are inadvertently outed".

So reads a new process statement from the Office of Information Technology.

Many transgender students are at risk for bullying, harassment and physical violence. The risks are heightened when their name prior to gender transition is reflected in the Student Information System (SIS) used by the school or district. In some cases, even cooperative school administrators and staff had difficulty with the process of ensuring that daily attendance sheets, gradebooks or yearbooks didn't list the transgender student by their legal name, rather than their preferred name.

Here is how the Oregon Department of Education recommends these specific situations be handled:

The preferred option is to enter the name the student is currently using (the name that corresponds to the student's self-identified gender) into the "Preferred name" field and retain the legal name. However, in some student information systems, the "preferred name" does not appear throughout the system and the legal name may appear in daily use documents like the gradebook, attendance records, etc. This can result in 'outing' of the student.

In cases such as these, the Oregon Department of Education supports the following options:

Replace the legal first name of the student in the system with the student's preferred name and move the legal name to the middle name field. Monitor for SSID (Statewide Student Identifier) errors and resolve. Student should retain the same SSID in the system.
Replace the legal first name of the student in the system and make sure to monitor for SSID errors. Student should retain the same SSID in the system.

This process applies to first names only. Last names cannot be changed without a legal change of name.

While existing Oregon and Federal Title IX laws protect a student's right to express their gender identity as they experience it (including staff and faculty use of pronouns that reflect their gender), the new guidance provides a solution to the school records discrepancy for students who have not yet changed their first name legally.

"Transactive has been a great advocate for transgender students and their families, and has been a very valuable partner with Portland Public Schools in helping ensure we are providing a welcoming, supportive environment for our transgender students", says Jollee Patterson, General Counsel for Oregon's largest (by student population) school district.

"Transactive’s partnership and persistence has had a powerful impact in impacting school district policies, as well as bringing about important changes at the state-wide level."

School administrators interested in more information about this new policy guidance should contact Amy McLaughlin, Director of IT Support Services.

Parents, students, educators and community members interested in learning more about creating safe, equitable and welcoming educational spaces for transgender and gender nonconforming children and youth should contact TransActive Gender Center: http://www.transactiveonline.org