Gradewing Privacy Policy

Gradewing ("we," "our," or "us") is a grading platform designed for secondary schools, used by teachers and school leaders to manage student grades and related information. We are committed to protecting the privacy of all users, including staff and students, in compliance with applicable data protection laws such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), as applicable to the location and nature of the data processing.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, with whom we share it, and the choices you have regarding your information.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information to provide and improve the Gradewing platform. This information falls into two main categories:

1.1 Student Information (Collected via Teachers)

As a grading platform, Gradewing processes student information that is primarily entered and managed by teachers on behalf of the school. This data constitutes "educational records" under FERPA. The types of student information we may collect include:

  • Identifiable Information:
    • Student Name
    • Gender
    • Subjects Enrolled
    • Group (e.g., SEN - Special Educational Needs)
  • Academic Information:
    • Grades
    • Teacher Comments related to performance and progress

We act as a "school official" or "data processor" for the school, processing this data solely for educational purposes as directed by the school.

1.2 Teacher Information

We collect information directly from teachers who use Gradewing to facilitate their use of the platform. This information includes:

  • Identifiable Information:
    • Email Address
    • Gender (optional, for internal demographics and platform improvement)

1.3 Automatically Collected Information

When you access and use Gradewing, we may automatically collect certain technical information, such as:

  • IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Operating system
  • Usage data (e.g., pages visited, features used, time spent on the platform)

This information is primarily used for platform functionality, security, and analytical purposes to improve our services.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

  • To Provide and Maintain Gradewing: To enable teachers to input, manage, and view grades and student information, and to provide the core functionality of the platform.
  • For Educational Purposes: Student data is used solely for the purpose of supporting educational activities, including grading, progress tracking, and communication within the school environment.
  • To Improve Our Services: We use aggregated and anonymized data to understand how Gradewing is used and to identify areas for improvement and new features. This analysis does not identify individual students or teachers.
  • For Security and Compliance: To protect the security and integrity of our platform, prevent fraud, and comply with legal obligations and school policies.
  • To Communicate with Teachers: To provide support, send important updates, and inform teachers about new features or changes to Gradewing.

We do not use student information for targeted advertising or create student profiles for non-educational purposes.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell or rent any personal information, whether student or teacher data. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

  • With Schools and Authorized School Officials: Student information is shared with the relevant school and its authorized personnel (e.g., school administrators, other teachers involved in the student's education) as necessary to fulfill our obligations under our agreement with the school and in compliance with FERPA.
  • With Third-Party Service Providers: We may engage third-party vendors, consultants, and other service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as hosting, data storage, and technical support. These third parties are contractually obligated to protect the confidentiality and security of the data they process on our behalf and are prohibited from using the information for any purpose other than providing the services to us. They must also comply with applicable data protection laws.
  • For Legal Reasons: We may disclose information if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:
    • Comply with a legal obligation or valid governmental request.
    • Protect and defend the rights or property of Gradewing or the schools using our platform.
    • Act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of the platform or the public.
    • Protect against legal liability.
  • In Case of Business Transfer: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or a prominent notice on our website of any such change in ownership or control of your personal information.

4. Data Security

We implement robust technical and organizational measures to protect the personal information we collect and store, both during transmission and once we receive it. These measures include:

  • Encryption: Data is encrypted both in transit and at rest.
  • Access Controls: Strict access controls are in place to limit access to personal data to authorized personnel only, based on the principle of least privilege.
  • Regular Audits and Security Assessments: We regularly review and update our security practices to address potential vulnerabilities.
  • Employee Training: Our staff receives regular training on data privacy and security protocols.

While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

5. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services to the school and fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, or as required by law or contractual agreement with the school.

  • Student Data: Student education records are retained in accordance with the school's instructions and applicable laws like FERPA. Upon termination of our agreement with a school, or upon their request, we will securely delete or de-identify student data as per our contractual obligations.
  • Teacher Data: Teacher account information is retained for the duration of their active use of Gradewing and for a limited period thereafter as necessary for operational or legal purposes.

6. Your Rights and Choices

6.1 For Teachers:

As a teacher user of Gradewing, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

  • Access and Correction: You can access and update your account information directly within the Gradewing platform.
  • Deletion: If you wish to delete your Gradewing account, please contact your school administrator or our support team. Please note that certain information may be retained for record-keeping purposes or as required by law or contractual agreement with your school.
  • Opt-Out of Communications: You can opt-out of receiving promotional emails from Gradewing by following the unsubscribe instructions provided in those emails. You may still receive important administrative messages related to your use of the platform.

6.2 For Students and Parents/Guardians:

Under FERPA, parents/guardians (or eligible students, i.e., those 18 years or older or attending a post-secondary institution) have certain rights regarding student education records. These rights are exercised through your school. Please contact your school administrator or the relevant school official to:

  • Inspect and review your child's (or your own, if an eligible student) education records.
  • Request amendment of education records that you believe are inaccurate or misleading.
  • Control the disclosure of personally identifiable information from education records, subject to certain exceptions.

Gradewing supports schools in fulfilling their obligations under FERPA.

6.3 GDPR Rights (where applicable):

If GDPR applies to the processing of your data, you may have additional rights, including:

  • Right to be informed: You have the right to know how your data is collected and used. This Privacy Policy serves to provide this information.
  • Right of access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Right to rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
  • Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten"): You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data under certain circumstances.
  • Right to restriction of processing: You have the right to request that we limit the way we use your personal data.
  • Right to data portability: You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
  • Right to object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data in certain situations.
  • Rights in relation to automated decision-making and profiling: You have the right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact your school administrator or Gradewing support. We will cooperate with your school to fulfill these requests in accordance with applicable law.

7. Children's Privacy (COPPA Compliance)

Gradewing is used in secondary school environments and may collect personal information from students under the age of 13. We comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by operating under the "school official" exception. This means that the school provides consent for the collection of student personal information on behalf of parents/guardians, as permitted by COPPA for educational purposes.

The school is responsible for:

  • Obtaining any necessary parental consent for the use of Gradewing and the collection of student information, if required by their local regulations or policies.
  • Informing parents about our privacy practices, which are described in this policy.

Parents/guardians who have questions about our collection and use of their child's information should contact their child's school directly.

8. 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 you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Gradewing Support
hello@gradewing.com

Last updated: June 18, 2025