Why did my school keep my academic records for so long … can I get them back?

During a challenging time in high school, I was in my guidance counselor’s office and she showed me a huge file of my school work, collected since my first year in public school. It contained everything from my 1st to 12th grade—stories, math tests, art projects. It was an overwhelming but amazing revelation. She mentioned that they don’t usually keep files for every student and hinted that I was quite special for having my file preserved. Now, ten years after graduation, I’m curious about why they kept these files and if it’s possible to reclaim them.

In most school districts, it’s called a ‘cumulative folder’ which starts from Kindergarten. It collects various records and the more you interact with school staff, the more comprehensive it becomes. These folders typically contain report cards and test results.

@Evans
I choose to spell it ‘qum’ because the alternative spelling makes me uncomfortable.

Henry said:
@Evans
I choose to spell it ‘qum’ because the alternative spelling makes me uncomfortable.

Handling over 30 of these folders at the end of each year is exhausting!

Henry said:
@Evans
I choose to spell it ‘qum’ because the alternative spelling makes me uncomfortable.

We use ‘CUME’ as an alternative.

@Evans
Thanks for the insight! My folder was particularly large and colorful. I really wish I could have kept it.

Washington said:
@Evans
Thanks for the insight! My folder was particularly large and colorful. I really wish I could have kept it.

How long has it been? Most schools must keep records for five years, but it might still be worth a try to get yours.

@Evans
Actually, districts are typically required to keep these records for 100 years. So, it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.

@Evans
We pronounce it ‘cyoom’ and it always brings a smile during the end-of-year announcements when we are reminded to label our ‘cum folders’.

@Evans
Just to clarify, it has nothing to do with that infamous story from this forum.

@Evans
Weird, we pronounce it with a long u sound like in ‘cube’ or ‘cute’.

Johnstone said:
@Evans
Actually, districts are typically required to keep these records for 100 years. So, it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.

Well, not many kids at my school had their folders shown to them like I did, which does make me feel somewhat special. Seems like you’re trying to downplay that.

@Washington
I’m not trying to diminish your feelings. I’m just explaining that these folders are standard. Your counselor was doing a great job by using your folder to make you feel valued during a tough time.

Our district refers to them as CA60’s.

It’s a common practice. Some schools even let students create their own ‘portfolios’ where they can choose their best work to showcase, which influences their final grades.

Cumulative records are kept for tracking academic and behavioral progress, and for administrative reasons like tracking district-wide academic success rates. Why they keep them beyond graduation can be due to inertia or district policies on record retention.

Interesting! We were given our record folders after graduation. They mostly contained official records like test scores, not individual assignments. Maybe it varies by school.

It’s a legal requirement in many places to keep student records for a long time. We store them in various formats and cannot dispose of them easily.

Did you not realize this was part of your permanent record?

Hemsworth said:
Did you not realize this was part of your permanent record?

If you read my initial post, you’d have your answer.