Babylon UFSD

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), also known as the Hatch Amendment, is a federal law enacted in 1978. Its purpose is to safeguard the rights of pupils and their parents in programs funded by the United States Department of Education.

Inspection of Instructional Materials:

Parents or guardians have the right to inspect all instructional materials, including teacher’s manuals, films, tapes, or other supplementary materials used in connection with any survey, analysis, or evaluation as part of an applicable program. This ensures transparency and allows parents to understand the educational content provided to their children.

Limits on Surveys and Evaluations:

No student can be compelled to participate in a survey, analysis, or evaluation that reveals sensitive information without prior consent.
- The protected categories include:
  - Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or their parent.
  - Mental or psychological problems of the student or their family.
  - Sexual behavior or attitudes.
  - Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior.
  - Critical appraisals of close family relationships.
  - Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs.
  - Income, except as required by law for program eligibility or financial assistance.

Local Policies and Parental Rights: Local educational agencies that receive funds under applicable programs must develop and adopt policies, in consultation with parents, regarding:

Parental access to surveys: Parents have the right to inspect surveys created by third parties before they are administered to students.
Student privacy protections: Agencies must address privacy concerns related to surveys containing sensitive information.
Administration of certain physical examinations to minors: Parents must be informed and consent to specific medical examinations.

The PPRA ensures that parents are informed, involved, and have control over their children’s educational experiences.

For further information visit the PPRA website