The Protection of Pupil Right Amendment
(PPRA) affords parents certain rights regarding our conduct of surveys,
collection and use of information for marketing purposes, and certain
physical exams. These include the right to:
Consent before students are required to submit to a survey that concerns
one or more of the following protected areas if the survey is funded in
whole or in part by a program of the U.S. Department of Education:
- 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, or ministers;
- Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of
the student or parents; or
- Income, other than as required by law to
determine program eligibility.
Receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student
out of:
- Any other protected information survey,
regardless of funding;
- Any non-emergency, invasive physical exam or
screening required as a condition of attendance, administered by the
school or its agenda, 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; and
- Activities involving collection, disclosure, or
use of personal information obtained from students for marketing or to
sell or otherwise distribute the information to others.
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 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.
The District will develop and adopt policies 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.
Commack School District will notify parents of these policies at least
annually at the start of each school year and after any substantive changes.
Commack School District will also directly notify, through U.S. Mail or
email, parents of students who are scheduled to participate in the specific
activities or surveys noted below and will provide an opportunity for the
parent or guardian to opt the student out of participation of the specific
activity or survey. Commack Public Schools will make this notification to
parents and guardians at the beginning of the school year if the District
has identified in advance specific or approximate dates of the activities or
surveys at that time. For surveys and activities scheduled after the school
year starts, parents or guardians will be provided reasonable notification
of the planned activities and surveys listed below and be provided an
opportunity to opt the student out of such activities and surveys. Parents
or guardians will also be provided an opportunity to review any pertinent
surveys. Following is a list of the specific activities and surveys covered
under this requirement:
Collection, disclosure, or use of personal
information for marketing, sales or other distribution;
Administration of any protected information survey not funded in whole or
part by the U.S. Department of Education;
Any non-emergency, invasive physical examination or screening as described
above.
Parents or guardians who believe their
right have been violated in this regard may file a complaint with:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-5901 |
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
affords parents and students over 18 years of age ("eligible students")
certain rights with respect to the student's education records. These rights
are:
- The right to inspect and review the student's education records with-
in 45 days of the day the School receives a request for access. Parents or
eligible students should submit to the District Clerk a written request
that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The District Clerk
will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible
student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
- The right to request the amendment of the student's education records
that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate or misleading.
Parents or eligible students may ask the School to amend a record that
they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the District
Clerk, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and
specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the School decides not to
amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the
District Clerk will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision
and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for
amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be
provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a
hearing.
- The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable
information contained in the student's education records, except to the
extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception,
which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school
officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a
person employed by the District as an administrator, supervisor,
instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and
law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the School Board; a
person or company with whom the District has contracted to perform a
special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or
therapist); or a parent or student serving on an official committee, such
as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school
official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a
legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an
education record in order to fulfill his or her professional
responsibility. Upon request, the School
discloses education records without consent to officials of another school
district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education
concerning alleged failures by the School to comply with the requirements
of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-4605
If you have questions regarding the requirements of FERPA, please contact
the District Clerk at P.O. Box 150, Commack, NY 11725-0150, or by
telephone at 912-2055.
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