Privacy Policy
Student Privacy and Confidentiality
Protecting the dignity, safety, records, and personal information of every Inspire Learning Academy student.
Our Commitment
Inspire Learning Academy is committed to protecting student privacy and maintaining the confidentiality of student education records, disability information, medical information, behavioral information, therapy information, family information, and other personally identifiable information.
Student information may only be accessed, used, or shared for a legitimate educational, safety, administrative, or legally authorized purpose.
Information That Must Be Protected
Student Records
Grades, assessments, attendance, disciplinary records, enrollment information, schedules, student identification numbers, addresses, and family contact information.
Disability Information
Diagnoses, disabilities, IEPs, service plans, accommodations, evaluations, eligibility information, assistive-technology needs, and specialized classroom placements.
Health and Therapy Information
Medical conditions, medications, allergies, treatment information, nursing information, counseling information, and speech, occupational, physical, or behavioral therapy records.
Behavioral Information
Behavior plans, incident reports, crisis information, emotional concerns, sensory needs, communication needs, family circumstances, and other sensitive student information.
Gossiping About Students Is Prohibited
A student’s disability, diagnosis, behavior, family circumstances, medical needs, communication needs, or educational placement must never become a topic of gossip, entertainment, ridicule, or casual conversation.
Staff Must Not
- Discuss a student in hallways, parking lots, restaurants, stores, or other public places.
- Share private information with employees who do not have an educational need to know.
- Talk about students with friends, relatives, other parents, or unauthorized individuals.
- Use a student’s diagnosis or disability as a joke, label, insult, or explanation for gossip.
- Discuss a student where other students or visitors can overhear.
Digital Gossip Is Also Prohibited
- Do not text or message private student information through personal accounts.
- Do not post student information, photographs, behavior, or diagnoses on social media.
- Do not share screenshots of records, messages, behavior reports, or student photographs.
- Do not record students on a personal device unless specifically authorized.
- Do not use student information in online groups, chats, or informal staff conversations.
These expectations apply even when a student’s name is not used if the details could reasonably identify the student.
The Need-to-Know Rule
Employees and service providers may access or discuss student information only when the information is necessary to perform their assigned educational, therapeutic, administrative, health, or safety responsibilities.
Curiosity, friendship, convenience, personal interest, or concern about school gossip does not create a legitimate need to know.
Confidential Communication Practices
- Discuss students only in private locations and only with authorized individuals.
- Use school-approved email accounts, communication systems, and secure record platforms.
- Verify the identity and authority of a person before releasing student information.
- Keep paper files secured and computer screens positioned away from unauthorized viewing.
- Lock devices and log out of student-information systems when they are not in use.
- Share only the minimum amount of information necessary for the authorized purpose.
- Send parent communications only to verified contact information contained in the student’s record.
Photographs, Videos, and Social Media
Student photographs, videos, names, schoolwork, testimonials, and other identifying information may only be used in accordance with applicable consent forms and school authorization.
Employees may not post students on personal social-media accounts or send student photographs through personal messages without express authorization.
Safety and Mandatory Reporting
Confidentiality does not prevent an employee from reporting suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, threats, medical emergencies, or other serious safety concerns to the appropriate school administrator or government authority.
Information should be shared only with the individuals or agencies responsible for responding to the concern.
Report a Privacy Concern
Employees, parents, students, contractors, and visitors should promptly report suspected unauthorized access, gossip, disclosure, loss, or misuse of student information.
Violations of Confidentiality
Unauthorized access, gossip, disclosure, photography, recording, copying, posting, or misuse of student information may result in removal of access privileges, corrective action, disciplinary action, contract consequences, termination of employment, and reporting to appropriate authorities when required.
Privacy Resources
Additional information about student-record and health-information privacy is available through the United States Department of Education and the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
Use of Personal Information
We do not collect any personal information unless you voluntarily provide it by sending us e-mail, participating in a survey, or completing an on-line form. Personal information submitted will not be transferred to any non-affiliated third parties unless otherwise stated at the time of collection. When a user submits personally identifiable information it is used only for the purpose stated at the time of collection.
Consent
Where consent for the use and disclosure of personal information is required, the school will seek consent from the appropriate person. In the case of a student’s personal information, the school will seek the consent from the student and/ or parent depending on the circumstances and the student’s mental ability and maturity to understand the consequences of the proposed use and disclosure.
Media Best Practice
It is best to have a signed release form or likeness consent form when publishing any photo, schoolwork, or identifying information, particularly about students - see “Legal Guidelines for Using Photos” for more details. A search on "media consent form for schools" or similar phrases on a search engine will turn up many examples of consent forms. Again, consult an attorney for questions about specific situations in your area, and to have your release form reviewed to make sure it is adequate for your intended purposes.
Cookies
A cookie is a small text file stored by your browser that allows the website to “remember” your preferences (such as calendar settings and site bookmarks) on the site from visit to visit, or to maintain your “logged in” status when visiting protected areas. Usage of a cookie is in no way linked to any personally identifiable information while on our site. Web browsers have settings allowing you to reject cookies, or selectively accept cookies, or delete cookies previously accepted. Please be aware that rejecting or deleting cookies from our website may make certain functions unavailable to you.
Log Files
Like most standard website servers we use website statistic packages such as Google Analytics to analyze trends in how our website is accessed and utilized. Information monitored includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, geographic location of visitors (country, city), browser type, internet service provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, platform type, date/time stamp, time spent on pages, and keywords used to find our site via search engines. This information is anonymous and cannot be directly linked to individual users. We may use it to identify high-use or low-use areas of the site, pinpoint problem areas of the site, analyze broad demographic trends in our visitors, and make decisions about how to make it easier for people to find and navigate our website.
Links
This website may contain links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every Web site that collects personally identifiable information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this website.
Security
This website takes every precaution to protect our users' personal information. Whenever users submit personal information (such as contact info or credit card info) via online forms, registration, or online purchase, upon submission that information is encrypted via the highest level of SSL (Secured Sockets Layer) available. Servers that store personally identifiable information are in a secure environment. Under no circumstances are credit card numbers permanently stored on our website servers.
Non-secured Communications
Posts to discussion forums, discussion boards, comments to blogs, and Alumni Class Notes are viewable by other users. When these areas are not in a password protected area, they may be viewable by the general public. Please be aware of this when posting personal information in these areas.
Contact Information
If users have any questions or suggestions regarding our privacy policy, please contact us at: mrssmith@inspirelearningacademy.org or 407-401-1656.