ILD:  EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH:  STUDENT SURVEYS, ANALYSES, & EVALUATIONS

In this policy, “surveys, analyses, or evaluations” refer to methods of gathering data for research purposes.

No student shall be required as part of any program wholly or partially funded by the U.S. Department of Education to submit to any survey, analyses, or evaluation that reveals information concerning:

A.    Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or the student’s parent/guardian;

B.    Mental or psychological problems of the student or the student’s family;

C.    Sex behavior or attitudes;

D.    Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;

E.     Critical appraisals of other individuals with whom respondents have close family

  relationships;

F.     Legally recognized privileged or analogous relationships, such as those of 

lawyers, physicians, and ministers;

G.    Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or student’s parents/guardians;

  or

H.    Income (other than that required by law to determine eligibility for participation in a

  program or for receiving financial assistance under such program without the prior 

written consent of the student’s parent/guardian, or of the student, if they are 18 years of

  age or older).

All instructional materials, including teachers’ manuals, films, tapes, or other supplementary material which will be used in connection with any such survey, analysis, or evaluation shall be available upon request for inspection by the student’s parent/guardian.  For the purpose of this policy, “instructional material” does not include academic tests or assessments.

A parent/guardian may inspect, upon request, a survey created by a third party before the survey is administered or distributed to a student.

The Superintendent/designee will be responsible for implementing any procedures necessary to protect the privacy of participating students and to provide parents/guardians with access to surveys within a reasonable time before administration or distribution.

The Kittery School District will notify parents/guardians of this policy at least annually at the beginning of the school year and within a reasonable time of any substantive change in policy.  Insofar as practicable, the school unit will also directly notify parents/guardians annually at the beginning of the school year when surveys, analyses, or evaluations are scheduled or anticipated.  Parents/guardians shall have the opportunity to opt their child out of participation in any survey, analysis, or evaluation.  Students who are 18 years of age or older may opt out of such surveys, analyses, or evaluations.

“Insofar as practicable” acknowledges that there may be circumstances in which a research request is made or approved only after the school year has begun.  When this occurs, the Kittery School District will notify parents/guardians in a timely manner to enable them to access surveys and related instructional materials within a reasonable time before administration or distribution and to opt their children out, if desired.

Adopted:                 June 16, 2009

Reviewed:               August 14, 2012; September 6, 2022

Legal reference:      20 U.S.C. § 1232(h)

Cross reference:      JRA—Student Educational Records