Guide on the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) Released by the Public Interest Privacy Center

The guide provides an overview of the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) and explores the pivotal role PPRA holds for schools addressing the burgeoning mental health crisis among students.

The Public Interest Privacy Center (PIPC) is proud to announce the publication of “Mitigating Risks in Student Surveys: A Comprehensive Overview of PPRA”, a new resource on the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) and its pivotal role for schools addressing the burgeoning mental health crisis among students. Concerns about student mental health have escalated in recent years, highlighting an urgent need for effective, evidence-based interventions in educational settings.

“Schools play an invaluable role in identifying and addressing the needs of students, and a key tool at their disposal are social-emotional learning (SEL) and similar surveys,” said Amelia Vance, President of PIPC and Chief Counsel of the Student and Child Privacy Center at AASA, the School Superintendents Association. “SEL surveys have the potential to offer crucial insights into students' emotional well-being and experiences, thereby flagging potential needs for interventions. However, the administration of these and similar surveys must be done in accordance with certain privacy protections established under PPRA. We have developed this resource to help clarify which student privacy protections must be in place when conducting SEL surveys.”

PPRA is often misunderstood or overlooked, leading to confusion and misapplication of its provisions. In response, PIPC has developed a comprehensive resource to demystify the PPRA, offering schools a clear and thorough understanding of how and when this law applies. This resource encompasses several critical components:

1. A Brief History of PPRA: Understanding the origins and evolution of the law.

2. Applying PPRA: Clear directives on identifying when and how PPRA regulations come into play.

3. Lessons Learned: Insights from historical and recent mis-applications of PPRA in educational contexts.

4. Best Practices Summary: A concise compilation of actionable best practices for compliant and effective SEL survey administration.

Given the sensitive nature of collecting and handling student data, it is paramount that schools adhere to rigorous privacy, transparency, and consent protocols. This guide emphasizes the necessity of these protocols and aims to ensure that schools are fully equipped to comply with PPRA requirements and safeguard student rights effectively.

Read the PPRA overview and our resource guide:

Have questions or ideas about the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment or PIPC’s new guide? Reach out to Amelia Vance at amelia@publicinterestprivacy.org.