Privacy Policy

Last Updated: December 25, 2025

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) does not currently use cookies, analytics tracking, or collect visitor data. We may implement analytics in the future to understand how visitors use our site, and will update this policy accordingly.

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 does not currently use cookies or tracking technologies. We may implement these in the future to improve user experience and understand site usage.

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:

• Tailwind CSS CDN: We load Tailwind CSS from cdn.tailwindcss.com 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.