Under which legislation must counselors protect the confidentiality of student records?

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is the correct answer because it specifically addresses the confidentiality and protection of student education records. FERPA grants parents certain rights regarding their children's educational records, including the right to access and request amendments to those records. It also restricts the disclosure of personally identifiable information without parental consent. This means that school counselors must ensure that all student records are kept confidential and that any sharing of information is done in compliance with FERPA regulations.

In contrast, while the Children's Privacy Protection Act focuses on protecting minors' personal information in online settings and the Every Student Succeeds Act pertains to educational accountability and standards, neither directly addresses confidentiality of student records in the way FERPA does. The School Counseling Ethics Guidelines provide ethical considerations for practice but do not constitute legislation governing the confidentiality of student records. Therefore, FERPA is the key legislation that mandates the protection of student records by counselors.