-
Student Rights – Surveys Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)
The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) is a federal law that affords certain rights to parents of minor students with regard to surveys that ask questions of a personal nature. Briefly, the law requires that schools obtain written consent from parents before minor students are required to participate in any U.S. Department of Education funded survey, analysis, or evaluation that reveals information concerning the following areas:
- Political affiliations;
- Mental and psychological problems potentially embarrassing to the student and his/her family;
- Sex behavior and attitudes;
- Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating and demeaning behavior;
- Critical appraisals of other individuals with whom respondents have close family relationships;
- Legally recognized privileged or analogous relationships, such as those of lawyers, physicians, and ministers;
- Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or student's parent*; or
- Income (other than that required by law to determine eligibility for participation in a program or for receiving financial assistance under such program.)
Parents will receive notice and have the opportunity to opt out of surveys where:
- Any other protected information is surveyed, regardless of funding;
- Any non-emergency, invasive physical exam or screening is required as a condition of attendance, administered by the district, and necessary to protect the immediate health and safety of a student, except for hearing, vision, and/or physical exam screening permitted or requested under State law; and
- Activities including collection, disclosure, or use of personal information obtained from students for marketing or to sell or otherwise distribute the information to others.
Parents may inspect, upon request and before administration or use:
- Protected information surveys of students;
- Instruments used to collect personal information from students for any of the referenced marketing, sales or other distribution purposes.
The school board has developed policies to ensure the student rights with regard to distribution of surveys. Parent(s)/Guardian(s) and eligible students will be notified of activities and afforded an opportunity to opt a student out of participation.