Instructions on how to Opt Out of Directory Information for NYC Parents

November 6, 2026

In May 2025, the NYC Department of Education revised Chancellor’s regulations A-820, to authorize DOE and schools to disclose a category of student personal data called Directory Information within the school building or to outside organizations and vendors, while allowing parents with the right to opt out, as required by federal law.

Yet the DOE’s instructions for parents on how to do so are difficult to access, requiring clicks across many webpages and forms.  In some cases, the webpages omit key details, including which grade levels these disclosures apply to and the deadlines for opting out.  In at least one case, the deadline listed is from last year and in the case of disclosures to charter schools, it requires that you know your child’s OSIS number.

To simplify the opt out process for parents, the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy has developed a simple one page opt out form linked here and below that offers all this information in a clear and organized fashion, and can be printed, filled out and handed in at your child’s school ASAP.

To be clear, this is an unofficial form that we have created based on the opt out form used by LA public schools.  Still, we recommend you print the form,  fill it out and hand it in at your school as soon as possible.  In any case, to ensure that the DOE recognizes your intention to opt out, we urge you to fill out the forms online via our instructions here.

• Your school is also supposed to provide you with a separate opt-out form for whatever additional disclosures they intend to make to other organizations or companies, as well as what data will be disclosed in each case if you do not opt out. If you haven’t received that form, ask your school principal or Parent Coordinator for it asap.
• If any of these disclosures are  to companies or individuals outside the school community, there should also be a written agreement or contract that protects the confidentiality of your child’s personal data. This is the only significant change that we managed to convince Dept. of Education to make to improve their iproposed regulations.  Ask your principal for hat written agreement as well.