The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) gives parents/guardians and eligible students (age 18 years or older or emancipated under Massachusetts law) rights when a school conducts certain activities including the administration of student survey, analysis, or evaluation. These rights include, but are not limited to the following:
- A. Parents/guardians and eligible students have the right to provide consent before students will be given a survey that concerns one or more of the following eight areas (“protected information surveys”) if such survey is funded by the U.S. Department of Education:
- 1. Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student’s parent;
- 2. Mental or psychological problems of the student or student’s family;
- 3. Sex behavior or attitudes;
- 4. Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
- 5. Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family relationships;
- 6. Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers;
- 7. Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or the student’s parent; or
- 8. Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.
- B. Parent/guardians and eligible students also have a right to receive notice and an opportunity to opt-out of:
- 1. Activities involving the collection, disclosure, or use of personal information obtained from students for marketing purposes (“marketing surveys”);
- 2. Any other protected information survey regardless of funding source;
- 3. Any non-emergency, invasive physical examination or screening required as a condition of attendance, administered by the Wellesley Public Schools or its agent, and not necessary to protect the immediate health and safey of a student, except for hearing, vision, or scoliosis screenings or any physical exam or screening permitted or required by Massachusetts law.
Wellesley Public Schoolswill provide parent/guardians and eligible students notice within a reasonable period prior to the administration of these surveys and activities and an opportunity to opt-out, as well as an opportunity to review the protected information surveys.
Please note that parent/guardians 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 or educational institutions.
Parent/guardians and eligible students who believe that their rights have been violated may file a complaint with:
Student Privacy Policy Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202