Skip To Main Content

Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)

Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232h; 34 CFR Part 98) applies to programs that receive funding from the U.S. Department of Education (ED). PPRA is intended to protect the rights of parents and students in two ways: 

● It seeks to ensure that schools and contractors make instructional materials 

available for inspection by parents if those materials will be used in connection 

with an ED-funded survey, analysis, or evaluation in which their children 

participate; and 

● It seeks to ensure that schools and contractors obtain written parental consent 

before minor students are required to participate in any ED-funded survey, 

analysis, or evaluation that reveals information concerning: 

o Political affiliations; 

o Mental and psychological problems potentially embarrassing to the student and his/her family; 

o Sex behavior and attitudes; 

o Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating and demeaning behavior; 

o Critical appraisals of other individuals with whom respondents have close 

family relationships; 

o Legally recognized privileged or analogous relationships, such as those of 

lawyers, physicians, and ministers; or 

o Income (other than that required by law to determine eligibility for 

participation in a program or for receiving financial assistance under such 

program). 

Parents or students who believe their rights under PPRA may have been violated may file a complaint with ED by writing the Family Policy Compliance Office. Complaints must contain specific allegations of fact giving reasonable cause to believe that a violation of PPRA occurred. 

For additional information or technical assistance, you may call (202) 260-3887 (voice). Individuals who use TDD may call the Federal Information Relay Service at 

1-800-877-8339. Or you may contact us at the following address: 

Family Policy Compliance Office 

U.S. Department of Education 

400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20202-5901 

  • Annual Notice to Parents and Students of Rights Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act