The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) affords parents and students over eighteen (18) years of age and/or students who are considered emancipated minors pursuant to Iowa laws (“eligible students”) certain rights with respect to the district’s conduct of surveys, collection and use of information for marketing purposes, and certain physical exams.  These include the following rights:

 

1.     The right to consent before a student is required to submit to a survey that concerns one or more of the following protected areas (“protected information surveys”) if the survey is funded in whole or in part by a program of the United States Department of Education (ED):

 

(a)    Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or the student’s parents;

(b)    Mental or psychological problems of the student or the student’s family;

(c)    Sex behaviors or attitudes;

(d)    Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating or demeaning behavior;

(e)    Critical appraisals of others with whom the respondents have close family relationships;

(f)     Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors or ministers;

(g)    Religious practices, affiliations or beliefs of the students or parents; or

(h)    Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.

 

2.     The right to receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student out of a protected information survey, which concerns any of the protected areas outlined above, regardless of the source of funding of the survey.

 

3.     The right to receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student out of any non-emergency, invasive physical examination 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 examination or screening permitted or required under Iowa law.

 

4.     The right to receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student out of activities involving the collection, disclosure or use of personal information obtained from students for marketing or to sell or otherwise distribute the information to others.

 

5.     The right to inspect, upon request and before administration or use, any of the following information:

 

(a)    Protected information surveys of students;

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

(c)    Instructional materials used as part of the educational curriculum.

 

6.     The right to file a complaint with the United States Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the district to comply with the requirements of PPRA.  The name and address of the office that administers PPRA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC, 20202-5920.

 

The Columbus Community School District will also directly notify, such as through United States Mail or e-mail, parents of students who are scheduled to participate in the specific activities or surveys listed below and will provide an opportunity for the parent to consent to or opt his/her child out of participation in the specific activity or survey.  The district will provide the Schedule of Activities outlining the activities to which this notice applies, preferably at the same time as the district provides this notice, if the district has identified the specific or approximate dates of the activities and surveys at that time.  For surveys and activities scheduled after the school year starts, parents will be provided reasonable notification of the planned activities and surveys listed below and/or planned activities and surveys that may arise during the school year that are not listed below, and will be provided an opportunity to consent to or opt his/her child out of participation of the specific activity or survey.  Parents will also be provided an opportunity to review any pertinent surveys.

 

The Columbus Community School District will develop policies, in consultation with parents, regarding these rights, as well as arrangements 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 will directly notify parents of these policies at least annually at the start of the school year and after any substantive changes.

 

 

Approved: 10/16/14
Reviewed: FY 2015-2016, March 14, 2016,  May 24,2021

Revised: 02/24/17

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) requires the Columbus Community School District to notify you and obtain consent and/or allow you to opt your child out of participating in certain school activities.  These activities include a student survey, analysis or evaluation that concerns one or more of the following eight areas, known as “protected information surveys”:

 

(a)    Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or the student’s parents;

(b)    Mental or psychological problems of the student or the student’s family;

(c)    Sex behaviors or attitudes;

(d)    Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating or demeaning behavior;

(e)    Critical appraisals of others with whom the respondents have close family relationships;

(f)     Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors or ministers;

(g)    Religious practices, affiliations or beliefs of the students or parents; or

(h)    Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.

 

This requirement also applies to the collection, disclosure or use of student information for marketing purposes, known as “marketing surveys,” and/or certain physical exams and screenings.

 

The following is a schedule of activities requiring parental notice and consent or opt-out for the upcoming school year.  This list is not necessarily exhaustive and, for surveys and/or activities scheduled after the school year starts, the Columbus Community School District will provide parents, within a reasonable period of time prior to the administration of the surveys and/or activities, notification of the surveys and/or activities and the opportunity to consent and/or opt their child out, as well as an opportunity to review the surveys.

 

The right to consent and notification and opt-out transfers from parents to any student over eighteen (18) years of age or any student who is an emancipated minor pursuant to Iowa laws.

 

 

Schedule of Activities

 

[Activity 1 (Requiring Consent)]

 

Date:         [COMPLETE]

Grades:

Activity:

Summary:

Consent:    A parent must sign and return to the superintendent at ____________________, the form below no later than [DATE] so that your child may participate in this activity.

 

        I, ____________________________, give my consent for ________________________ to take participate in the above referenced activity.

 

 

 

Parent’s Signature: _______________________Date: ________

 

 

[Activity 2 (Permitting Opt-Out)]

 

Date:         [COMPLETE]

Grades:

Activity:

Summary:

Opt-Out:    A parent wishing to opt his/her child out of this activity must contact the superintendent at __________________________, telephone number: ______________, no later than [DATE] and indicate that you do not wish for your child to participate in this activity.

 

 

Review of Survey and/or Instructional Material

 

If you wish to review any survey instrument or instructional material used in connection with any protected information or marketing survey, please submit the following request to the superintendent at __________________________.  The superintendent and/or designee will notify you of the time and place where you may review these materials.  You have the right to review a survey and/or instructional material before the survey and/or material is administered to student.

 

        I, ____________________________, request to review a survey and/or instruction material in connection with any protected information or marketing survey.

 

Title of Survey and/or Instructional Material: ___________________________________

 

Brief Description: ________________________________________________________

 

Date the Survey and/or Instructional Material will be Submitted to Students: __________

 

 

Parent’s Contact Information: _____________________________________________________________
        Address                     City                   State         Zip

 

     _____________________________________________________________

        Phone Number    (Cell/Home)                E-mail Address           

 

 

Parent’s Signature: __________________________          Date: ________