Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to SoloStudies, operated by Realtime EdTech LLC. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle information when you use our educational technology platform designed to provide reading support for struggling secondary readers (grades 5-12).

We take student privacy seriously and have built SoloStudies to prioritize data protection and educational value over data collection.

2. Information We Do NOT Collect

SoloStudies does not collect or store:

• Student names
• Student identification numbers
• Email addresses of students
• Demographic information (age, grade level tied to identity, gender, race)
• Location data or IP addresses tied to student identity
• Social media profiles or login credentials
• Biometric data
• Any other personally identifiable information (PII)

3. Information We Do Collect

To provide our educational services and improve learning outcomes, we collect limited, anonymous reading and interaction data:

Reading Activity Data (Anonymous)

• Text passages read (content accessed)
• Reading time and engagement metrics
• Types of support used (syllable breaks, audio, definitions)
• Words flagged for help or practice
• Sentences re-read for comprehension
• Progress over time

Educator/School Information

• School or district name (for beta testing and licensing)
• Educator name and contact information (for account management)
• Subscription and billing information

Important: All reading data is aggregated and anonymized. We cannot and do not tie any reading performance data back to individual student identities.

4. How We Use Information

We use the anonymous data we collect to:

• Improve Learning: Provide real-time reading support and scaffolding to help students decode text independently
• Analytics: Generate aggregated reports for educators about class-wide reading patterns and skill development
• Product Development: Improve our AI algorithms, reading support features, and educational tools
• Research: Conduct anonymized research on reading skill development and intervention effectiveness
• Service Delivery: Manage educator accounts, subscriptions, and technical support

5. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect all data:

• Encryption: All data transmitted between users and our servers is encrypted using SSL/TLS
• Access Controls: Strict internal access controls limit who can view data
• Regular Audits: We conduct regular security audits and updates
• Secure Infrastructure: Data is stored on secure, enterprise-grade servers
• No Third-Party Sharing: We do not sell, rent, or share data with third parties for marketing purposes

6. FERPA Compliance

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of student education records. SoloStudies is designed to be FERPA compliant:

• We do not collect or maintain education records containing personally identifiable information
• We function as a "school official" under FERPA when providing services to schools
• We use data solely for legitimate educational purposes
• We do not disclose student data without proper consent or legal authorization
• Schools and districts maintain full control over student data and access

7. COPPA Compliance

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) protects children under 13. While SoloStudies primarily serves students in grades 5-12, we take COPPA seriously:

• We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13
• Schools must obtain parental consent for students under 13 to use SoloStudies
• We comply with COPPA's School Official exception when providing services to schools
• Parents have the right to review and request deletion of their child's data (if any were collected)

8. Data Retention and Deletion

Reading Data: Anonymous reading activity data is retained to improve the platform and provide longitudinal insights. Since this data is not tied to student identities, it cannot be used to identify individuals.

School/Educator Data: Account information is retained for the duration of the subscription and may be retained for a reasonable period after termination for business purposes.

Deletion Requests: Schools and educators may request deletion of their account information by contacting us at matt@realtimeedtech.com.

9. Third-Party Services

SoloStudies may use third-party services for hosting, analytics, and business operations. These services are carefully selected and required to maintain appropriate security and privacy standards.

We do not use third-party advertising networks or sell data to data brokers.

10. Your Rights

For Schools and Educators:

• Right to access: You can request information about data we have collected
• Right to correction: You can request correction of inaccurate information
• Right to deletion: You can request deletion of your account data
• Right to data portability: You can request a copy of your data

For Parents/Guardians:

• Right to review: You can request information about your child's use of the platform
• Right to refuse consent: You can refuse to allow your child to use the platform
• Right to request deletion: You can request deletion of any data (though we collect minimal PII)

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify schools and educators of material changes via email or through the platform.

Continued use of SoloStudies after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

📧 Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

Realtime EdTech LLC
Email (General): matt@realtimeedtech.com
Email (Privacy): tigger@realtimeedtech.com

🛡️ Built with student privacy in mind