Parents Rights under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)

Notification of Rights under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) gives parents and students (18 years or older or emancipated) certain rights when a school conducts student surveys, collects and uses information for marketing purposes, and administers certain physical exams to students.

Parents have the right to:

1. Consent before students can be given a survey concerning one or more of the following protected areas (“protected information survey”):

• Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student’s parent;

• Mental or psychological problems of the student or student’s family;

• Sex behavior or attitudes;

• Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;

• Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family relationships;

• Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, orministers;

• Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or parents; or

• Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.

2. Receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student out of:

• Activities involving collection, disclosure, or use of personal information obtained from students for marketing or to sell or otherwise distribute the information to others;

• Any other protected information survey, regardless of funding; and

• Any non-emergency, invasive physical exam or screening required as a condition of attendance, administered by the school or its agent, and not necessary to protect the immediate health and safety of a student, except for hearing, vision, or scoliosis screenings, or any physical exam or screening permitted or required under State law.

3. Inspect the following, upon request and before administration or use:

• Protected information surveys of students;

• Instruments used to collect personal information from students for any of the above marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes; and

• Instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum.

These rights transfer from the parents to a student who is 18 years old or an emancipated minor under State law.

Please note that parents are not required by PPRA to be notified about the collection, disclosure, or use of personal information collected from students for the exclusive purpose of developing, evaluating, or providing educational products or services for, or to, students.

The Providence Public School District has adopted a policy to protect student privacy in the administration of protected information surveys and the collection, disclosure, or use of personal information for marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes. The District’s Office of Research, Planning and Accountability reviews all internal and external requests to conduct surveys to ensure that ethical procedures are documented and PPRA is followed.

Parents who believe their rights have been violatedmay file a complaint with:

Family PolicyCompliance Office

USDepartment of Education

400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20202-5920

For more information visit their website at: https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/

Click here to download a PDF version of this page in English and Spanish.