New Jersey is on its way to becoming the first state in the nation to require its schools to obtain a parent’s written permission at least two weeks prior to a child’s participation in a survey, regardless of the purpose or sponsor. The bill, introduced by assemblymen Scott Garrett and Guy Talarico, would prohibit schools from administering any academic or non-academic survey that would reveal a family’s political affiliations, Social Security numbers, financial status, any mental and psychological problems, sexual behavior and attitude, or illegal or antisocial behavior. It would also protect other legally recognized privileged relationships, such as those with the clergy, doctors and lawyers. Schools violating the measure could be fined at the discretion of the state’s Commissioner of Education. The bill, which will go to the New Jersey Senate for action, was patterned after the opt-in provision of a major education funding bill pending in the U.S. House of Representatives. That provision was added to the Education Opportunities to Protect and Invest in Our Nation’s Students Act, which mandates written parental permission for children to participate in educational-related market research programs.
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