FERPA & School Use

Two Ways PhonicsPro Is Used

PhonicsPro is used both by schools and by individual families — including homeschool educators and families using Education Savings Account (ESA) or similar programs. These two contexts are governed differently, and this page explains both.

School Use: Our Commitment to FERPA

When a school or a school-affiliated teacher uses PhonicsPro as an instructional tool, PhonicsPro operates as a "school official" with a "legitimate educational interest" under FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). This means:

• We access and process student education records only to provide the PhonicsPro service
• We do not disclose education records to unauthorized third parties
• We do not use education records for commercial purposes, advertising, or AI training
• We support school and district data governance requirements

Homeschool & ESA Family Use

A parent or homeschool educator using PhonicsPro directly — including families paying with ESA or similar public education funds — is not a "school" for FERPA purposes, since FERPA applies to educational agencies and institutions, not to a family's own use of a learning tool for their child. In this context, your child's data is protected under our Privacy Policy and applicable state and federal law (including COPPA), rather than FERPA's school-record framework.

The practical protections are the same either way: your account can only see the students you create, and your student's data is never sold or shared with advertisers.

What Data We Access

As part of normal platform operation, PhonicsPro may process:

• Student display names/usernames set by the enrolling teacher or parent
• Phonics, spelling, phonemic-awareness, and fluency practice responses
• Diagnostic assessment results and mastery progress
• Teacher- or parent-entered notes and goals

All of this data is used exclusively to provide the educational service and generate reports for the owning teacher or parent.

Privacy by Design

PhonicsPro is built with privacy-first architecture:

• No student email or legal name required: student accounts use a display name and a class or family join code
• Account-scoped visibility: a teacher or parent can only see the students they themselves created
• No cross-account visibility: student data is never combined across teachers or families for external analysis or sold

Student Account Creation

Consistent with COPPA and FERPA principles:

• Students under 13 cannot independently register for PhonicsPro
• Student accounts are created by a teacher or a parent/guardian
• Schools that require a formal Data Processing Agreement or Student Data Privacy Agreement may request one

Data Processing Agreements

For schools and districts that require a formal Data Processing Agreement (DPA) or Student Data Privacy Agreement, PhonicsPro is prepared to execute such agreements. Contact us at support@phonicspro.com to request one.

Parental & Guardian Rights

Parents, guardians, and eligible students (18+) have the right to:

• Inspect and review data PhonicsPro maintains on their child's behalf
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of their student's account and data

To exercise these rights, contact your school (for school-issued accounts) or reach us directly at support@phonicspro.com.

No Student Data Sold — Ever

PhonicsPro will never sell, rent, trade, or otherwise disclose student records for commercial purposes. This is both a legal commitment and a core company value.

Contact

For FERPA-related inquiries, data requests, or DPA execution: support@phonicspro.com