Which act applies when research in a private school is directly funded by the Department of Education?

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) is specifically relevant in situations where research in educational settings, particularly when funded by the Department of Education, is conducted. The PPRA mandates that schools must have procedures in place to protect student rights in relation to surveys, analyses, or evaluations funded by the Department of Education. This includes ensuring that parents are notified and have the opportunity to opt out of certain types of research activities that might involve their children.

In contrast, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) addresses the privacy of student education records rather than the specifics of research operations. The Higher Education Act (HEA), while pivotal for higher education funding and regulation, does not specifically address research consent or parental rights in K-12 education contexts. Similarly, IRB (Institutional Review Board) guidelines are focused on the ethical review of research studies involving human subjects but do not specifically pertain to the educational context nor the specific provisions related to parental consent as laid out in the PPRA.

Therefore, in the context of research being directly funded by the Department of Education in private schools, the PPRA is the applicable act that ensures students' rights are protected.