FERPA Compliance

Our Commitment to FERPA Compliance

School Solutions is committed to compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. We understand the importance of safeguarding sensitive educational data and have implemented comprehensive policies to ensure compliance.

Understanding FERPA

FERPA (20 U.S.C. § 1232g) applies to all educational agencies and institutions that receive federal funding. The law gives parents and eligible students certain rights regarding education records and requires schools to protect the confidentiality of personally identifiable information.

How School Solutions Protects Student Privacy

Our platform is designed to help schools maintain FERPA compliance through:

• Role-Based Access Controls: Only authorized school personnel can access evaluation data
• Data Encryption: All sensitive information is encrypted in transit and at rest
• Audit Trails: Comprehensive logging of all data access and modifications
• Secure Communication: Email sharing and comments remain within the platform's secure environment
• Data Minimization: We collect only information necessary to provide our services

School Control of Data

Schools and districts maintain full ownership and control of all education records entered into School Solutions platforms. We act as a service provider under the school's direction and do not:

• Disclose student education records to third parties without school authorization
• Use education records for purposes other than providing our contracted services
• Retain education records after contract termination (unless directed by the school)
• Share or sell data for marketing or advertising purposes

Teacher Evaluation Data

Classroom observation notes and teacher evaluation data entered into EduEval are treated as confidential education records. Access is limited to:

• The evaluator who created the observation
• The teacher being evaluated
• School administrators with legitimate educational interest
• District personnel authorized by school policy

Data Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security practices including:

• SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmission
• AES-256 encryption for data at rest
• Regular security audits and penetration testing
• Multi-factor authentication options
• Regular backup and disaster recovery procedures
• Employee training on data privacy and security

Data Breach Notification

In the unlikely event of a data breach involving education records, we will promptly notify affected schools and districts in accordance with applicable state and federal breach notification laws. We maintain incident response procedures and cyber insurance coverage.

Questions About FERPA Compliance

Schools and districts with questions about our FERPA compliance practices or data security measures should contact us at compliance@schoolsolutions.app.