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Annual Notifications

ANNUAL NOTIFICATION OF RIGHTS UNDER THE PROTECTION OF PUPIL RIGHTS AMENDMENT (PPRA)

PPRA affords parents certain rights regarding our conduct of surveys, collection and use of information for marketing purposes, and certain physical exams. These rights transfer from the parents to a student who is 18 yrs. old, or an emancipated minor under State law, and include the right to: 

(1) Consent before students are required to submit to a survey that concerns one or more of the following protected areas (“protected information survey”) if the survey is funded in whole or in part by a program of the U.S. Dep’t of Educ. (ED) 

  1. Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student’s parent;
  2. Mental or psychological problems of the student or student’s family;
  3. Sex behavior or attitudes;
  4. Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
  5. Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family relationships;
  6. Legally recognized privileged relationships (like with lawyers, doctors, or ministers);
  7. Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or parents; or
  8. Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.

(2) Receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student out of –

  1. Any other protected information survey, regardless of funding;
  2. Any non-emergency, invasive physical exam 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 exam or screening permitted or required under State law;
  3. Activities involving collection, disclosure, or use of personal information obtained from students for marketing or to sell or otherwise distribute the information to others.

(3) Inspect, upon request and before administration or use –

  1. Protected information surveys of students;
  2. Instruments used to collect personal information from students for any of the above marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes; and
  3. Instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum.

WSD will develop and adopt 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. 

WSD will directly notify parents of these policies at least annually at the start of each school year and after any substantive changes. WSD will also directly notify, such as 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 to opt his or her child out of participation of the specific activity or survey. 

WSD will make this notification to parents at the beginning of the school year if the District has identified the specific or approximate dates of the activities or 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 be provided an opportunity to opt their child out of such activities and surveys. Parents 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 in part by ED.
  • Any non-emergency, invasive physical examination or screening as described above.

Parents who believe their rights have been violated may file a complaint with:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 2020

WSD ANNUAL NOTIFICATION OF PRIVACY RIGHTS OF PARENTS AND STUDENTS

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and “eligible students” (students over 18 years of age, or who attend an institution of postsecondary education) certain rights regarding the student’s education records.  These rights are:


(1) The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days from the day WSD receives a request.  

The parent(s) and/or eligible student may inspect and review student’s education records, and WSD policies and regulations governing use of those records, by making an appointment with the student’s school principal.  A copy of state and federal statutes and regulations concerning student records is available for reasonable inspection in the Office of the Superintendent or designee, 3020 E. Fillmore Street, Phoenix, Arizona. A list of the types of records maintained, and an explanation of any record, will be provided by appropriate WSD personnel upon request.  

Federal law assumes that both parents are equally entitled to review their child’s records. If there is a custody order in place that prohibits the provision of this information to one parent, please provide WSD with a copy of the custody order, signed by a judge. 


(2) The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent(s) and/or eligible students believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. 

Such a request must be in writing to the student’s school principal, must clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and must specify why it should be changed.  If WSD, decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent(s) and/or eligible student, WSD will notify the parent(s) and/or eligible student of the decision, and the parent(s) and/or eligible student may further request a hearing regarding the request for amendment, as provided by federal and state statutes, rules and regulations.


(3) The right to privacy of personally identifiable information in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.  

WSD must obtain the written consent of the parent or eligible student prior to releasing personally identifiable information from the education records of a student, except in circumstances where federal and state law authorize disclosure without consent, such as disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by WSD as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a Governing Board member; a person or company with whom WSD has outsourced services or functions it would otherwise use its own employees to perform (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee; or a parent, student, or other volunteer 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, schools will disclose education records, without consent, to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll, or is already enrolled if the disclosure is for purposes of the student’s enrollment or transfer.

(4) The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by WSD to comply with the requirements of FERPA.  

Any complaints arising from an alleged violation of these rights may be submitted to the Superior Court of Maricopa County, Arizona, or to: 

The Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Dep’t of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202      (202) 260-3887