Privacy Policy

Last Updated: May 21, 2026

AscendEd Intelligence ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our platform and services.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

• Contact Inquiries: When you use our contact form, your information (name, email, district name, role, and message) is sent directly through your email client. We do not store this information on our servers.
• Platform Account Information (When Available): Once you become a customer and use the AscendEd IQ platform, we collect name, email address, job title, and school district affiliation

1.2 Student Data

We understand the sensitive nature of student data and are committed to FERPA compliance. When school districts use our platform:

• Student data is collected only for legitimate educational purposes
• We act as a school official under FERPA
• All student data remains the property of the school district
• We never sell student data to third parties
• We never use student data for advertising or marketing purposes

1.3 Automatically Collected Information

Marketing Website: Our public marketing website (ascendedintel.com) uses Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity to understand how visitors use our site, and the LinkedIn Insight Tag to measure marketing performance. Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity load by default in privacy-preserving mode (IP addresses are anonymized, advertising identifiers are disabled, and Microsoft Clarity masks sensitive content such as form inputs). The LinkedIn Insight Tag, and advertising-identifier features of Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity, only activate after you explicitly accept advertising cookies via the cookie consent widget. If you decline, no advertising, conversion, or retargeting data is sent to LinkedIn, and Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity continue to operate without advertising identifiers. When enabled, these tools may collect:

• Pages visited and time spent on pages
• Device type, browser, and operating system
• General geographic location (city/country level)
• Referring websites and search terms
• Clicks, scroll depth, and session replay data used to identify website friction
• LinkedIn ad campaign attribution, conversion events, and website audience signals
• IP address (anonymized)

This information is collected through cookies and similar technologies. Analytics, heatmap, and advertising data is used to improve our website, understand visitor interests, measure LinkedIn campaign performance, and support LinkedIn website audiences or retargeting. Microsoft Clarity masks sensitive content such as form inputs by default. For more information on how Google uses data, visit Google's Privacy Policy. For more information on how Microsoft uses data, visit the Microsoft Privacy Statement. For more information on how LinkedIn uses data, visit LinkedIn's Privacy Policy.

AscendEd IQ Platform: When you use the AscendEd IQ platform as a customer, we collect:

• Log Data: IP address, browser type, operating system, access times
• Session Information: Authentication tokens and session data for platform access
• Usage Analytics: How you interact with platform features to improve our services

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve our platform and services
• Generate insights and analytics for school districts
• Communicate with you about your account, updates, and support
• Ensure platform security and prevent fraud
• Comply with legal obligations
• Develop new features and services

3. FERPA Compliance

We are committed to full compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA):

• We operate under the "school official" exception, performing institutional services on behalf of the school
• Student data is used solely for legitimate educational purposes as directed by the school district
• We maintain strict confidentiality and security standards for all educational records
• We do not re-disclose personally identifiable information from education records without proper consent
• Upon termination of service, all student data is returned to the district or securely destroyed per the agreement

4. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

• Encryption: All data is encrypted in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest
• Access Controls: Role-based access with multi-factor authentication
• Regular Audits: Ongoing security assessments and vulnerability testing
• Data Backup: Regular backups with secure storage
• Employee Training: All staff are trained on data privacy and security protocols

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information only in the following circumstances:

• With Your Consent: When you explicitly authorize sharing
• Service Providers: Trusted vendors who assist in platform operations (under strict confidentiality agreements)
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, subpoena, or court order
• School Districts: Student data is accessible only to authorized personnel within the district
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger or acquisition, with continued privacy protections

6. Data Retention

We retain your information only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy:

• Account information is retained while your account is active
• Student data is retained per the agreement with the school district, typically for the duration of the service
• Upon request or termination, data is deleted or returned per the service agreement
• Certain data may be retained longer if required by law or for legitimate business purposes

7. Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your information:

• Access: Request a copy of the information we hold about you
• Correction: Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your information (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time
• Data Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format

School districts have additional rights regarding student data under FERPA and their service agreements.

8. Children's Privacy

Our platform is designed for use by K-12 school districts. When student data includes information about children under 13, we comply with COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) requirements:

• We collect student data only at the direction of schools and teachers for educational purposes
• We do not require children to disclose more information than reasonably necessary
• Parents may review their child's information by contacting their school district

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Marketing Website: Our public marketing website uses a layered cookie consent system. Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity load by default in privacy-preserving mode (with anonymized IPs and advertising identifiers disabled) so we can measure aggregate site performance. The LinkedIn Insight Tag and advertising cookies are not set until you explicitly accept via the cookie preferences widget. You may:

• Accept — additionally enables the LinkedIn Insight Tag and the advertising-identifier features of Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity to help us measure LinkedIn ad campaign performance and conversions
• Decline — no LinkedIn advertising cookies are set, no data is sent to LinkedIn through the Insight Tag, and Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity continue to operate without advertising identifiers

Your preference is saved in your browser's local storage. You can change your preference at any time by clearing your browser's local storage or using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

When enabled, Google Analytics may use cookies that persist for up to 2 years (_ga, _ga_XXXXXX) to distinguish unique visitors and sessions. No personally identifiable information is stored in these cookies. Microsoft Clarity may use cookies and similar technologies to provide behavioral metrics, heatmaps, and session replay for website optimization. LinkedIn Insight Tag may use cookies, pixels, and related identifiers to measure ad campaign performance, conversion activity, and website audiences.

AscendEd IQ Platform: The AscendEd IQ platform (when you're a customer) uses cookies and similar technologies to:

• Remember your preferences and settings
• Maintain secure authenticated sessions
• Analyze platform usage and performance
• Improve user experience and functionality

You can control cookies through your browser settings, though some platform features may not function properly if cookies are disabled.

10. Third-Party Services

Marketing Website Third-Party Services:

• Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics (tracking ID: G-6T6YGDXPX6) to analyze website traffic and usage. Google Analytics loads by default with Google Consent Mode v2 configured to deny advertising storage and anonymize IP addresses, and only collects aggregate, non-advertising analytics until you accept advertising cookies via our cookie preferences widget. This data is processed by Google and subject to Google's Privacy Policy. You can opt out using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
• Microsoft Clarity: We use Microsoft Clarity (project ID: wtq2dx3ryx) to understand website behavior through behavioral metrics, heatmaps, and session replay. Microsoft Clarity loads by default with advertising storage denied via its consent API, masks sensitive content such as form inputs, and only enables advertising-identifier features after you accept advertising cookies via our cookie preferences widget. Microsoft Clarity helps us identify where visitors click, scroll, and get stuck so we can improve the website. Microsoft processes this data subject to the Microsoft Privacy Statement.
• LinkedIn Insight Tag: We use the LinkedIn Insight Tag (partner ID: 9172378) to measure LinkedIn ad campaign performance, track website conversions, understand aggregate website audiences, and support LinkedIn website retargeting, only after you grant consent via our cookie preferences widget. The Insight Tag may set cookies or use related identifiers to associate website visits with LinkedIn advertising services. LinkedIn processes this data subject to LinkedIn's Privacy Policy and LinkedIn's Cookie Policy.
• Tailwind CSS: We serve our compiled Tailwind CSS stylesheet from our own website for styling purposes
• Google Fonts: We load fonts from Google Fonts (fonts.googleapis.com and fonts.gstatic.com), which may collect IP addresses and usage data according to Google's privacy policy
• Social Media: We link to our LinkedIn and Instagram profiles; visiting these platforms is subject to their respective privacy policies

AscendEd IQ Platform: The AscendEd IQ platform may integrate with additional third-party services for data processing and analytics. We will disclose these integrations to customers as part of the service agreement.

This Privacy Policy does not cover third-party practices. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you use.

11. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify you of material changes by:

• Posting the updated policy with a new "Last Updated" date
• Sending email notifications to registered users
• Displaying a notice on our platform

Your continued use of our services after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

AscendEd Intelligence
Email: support@ascendedintel.com

For School Districts: If you are a school district official with questions about student data privacy or FERPA compliance, please contact us at the email above to discuss your specific requirements and our data protection measures.