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Governing Board Policies

Section L: Education Agency Relations

Policy Title: Administration of Student Surveys
Policy Code: LCA
Lead Department: Office of Accountability and Research

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Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to comply with the federal law for the collection and reporting of certain information by means of student surveys. This information that will be collected relates to student attitudes and behaviors on topics such as school safety, substance use and the prevalence of risky attitudes or behaviors, particularly with respect to alcohol and drug abuse. In addition, these surveys also may collect information on general health practices and human sexuality.

Policy

Tucson Unified School District cooperates with individuals and agencies in conducting student surveys. The student surveys may be conducted as determined necessary by the school district. Surveys, analyses and evaluations conducted as part of any program funded through the U. S. Department of Education must comply with 20 U.S.C. § 1232h.

Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)

PPRA governs the administration to students of a survey, analysis, or evaluation that concerns one or more of the following eight protected areas.

  1. political affiliations or beliefs of the student or the student's parent;
  2. mental or psychological problems of the student or the student's family;
  3. sex behavior or attitudes;
  4. illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
  5. critical appraisals of other individuals with whom respondents have close family relationships;
  6. legally recognized privileged or analogous relationships, such as those of lawyers, physicians, and ministers;
  7. religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or student's parent; or
  8. income (other than that required by law to determine eligibility for participation in a program or for receiving financial assistance under such program).

Student Surveys in General

  • Student surveys will be conducted anonymously and in an indiscernible fashion.
  • No mechanism will be used for personally or individually identifying the participating student in any way. No personally or individually identifiable record will be maintained of a student returning a survey.
  • All surveys must be approved by Accountability and Research.
  • Accountability and Research may choose not to approve any survey that seeks probing personal and/or sensitive information that could result in identifying the survey participant, or is discriminatory in nature based on age, race, color, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or national origin.
  • If the survey is in conflict with Board Policy and Regulation, Accountability and Research may also choose not to approve the survey.
  • The school administrator to be involved with the study may decline to proceed with the study, if it is believed that the survey would cause an unwarranted use of staff or student time, or if it would create unfavorable parent or community reaction.
  • No survey will be admitted without prior written consent of the student (if the student is an adult or emancipated minor), or in the case of an unemancipated minor, without the prior written consent of the parent before students take the survey.
  • The parents have the right to inspect, upon request within a reasonable period of time, surveys and other supplementary material such as teacher manuals, films, or tapes which may be used in connection with any survey, analysis or evaluation.

Parent Notification

Parents will be notified of this policy annually at the beginning of the school year and within a reasonable period of time if any substantive change is made to this policy.

The notice will provide parents the opportunity to opt out of participation in the following activities:

  • Activities involving collection, disclosure, or use of personal information collected from students for the purpose of marketing or for selling that information, or otherwise providing that information to others for that purpose.
  • Any nonemergency invasive physical examination or screening that is required as a condition of attendance, administered by the school and scheduled by the school in advance, and not necessary to protect the immediate health and safety of the student or other students.
    • "Invasive physical examination" means any medical examination that involves the exposure of private body parts, or act during such examination that includes incision, insertion, or injection into the body, but does not include a hearing, vision, or scoliosis screening.
  • The notice provisions shall not be construed to preempt applicable provisions of state law that require parental notification and do not apply to any physical examination or screening that is permitted or required by applicable state law, including physical examinations or screenings that are permitted without parental notification.

Adopted: October 5, 2004

LEGAL REF.: 20 U.S.C.§ 1232h; 20 U.S.C.§ 1400 et.seq.; 34 CFR Par 98;

Replaces TUSD Policy # 6710 External Research