The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) gives parents and students 18 and older certain rights regarding participation in surveys, the collection and use of information for marketing purposes, and certain physical exams.

PPRA grants you and your child the following protections:

• The right to provide written consent before students participate in any survey, analysis, or evaluation that reveals information concerning the following (“Protected Areas”):
  • political affiliations or beliefs of the student or their parent;
  • mental or psychological problems of the student or their 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, or ministers;
  • religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or their parent; or
  • income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.
• The right to receive notice and an opportunity to opt out of having your child participate in optional surveys, analyses, or evaluations that reveal information concerning Protected Areas.
• The right to receive notice and an opportunity to opt out of having your child participate in any nonemergency, invasive physical examination or screening that is required as a condition of attendance, administered and scheduled by the school in advance, and is not necessary to protect the immediate health and safety of the student or other students.
• The right to inspect, upon request, the following prior to their administration or use:
  • Any survey that solicits information concerning the Protected Areas listed above; and
  • Any instructional materials used as part of the Student’s educational curriculum.

Additional resources on student privacy under PPRA are available on the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office website at https://studentprivacy.ed.gov(Open external link). 

Parents who believe their PPRA rights have been violated may file a complaint online by selecting the PPRA complaint form option at https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/file-a-complaint(Open external link) or by mailing the form to the following address:

Student Privacy Policy Office

U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue

S.W. Washington, D.C. 20202