Explore Chat for Schools, a secure platform for AI tools and literacy in the classroom. Learn more.
Explore Chat for Schools, a secure platform for AI tools and literacy in the classroom. Learn more.
Updated March 2024.
Skill Struck, Inc. (“Skill Struck,” “we,” or “us”) offers SaaS-based education products, services, and tools that students and teachers can use to teach K–12 computer science. Our services include the website at skillstruck.com (the “Site”), web and mobile applications, and associated goods and services (collectively with the Site, “the Services”).
This Skill Struck Privacy Policy (“Policy”) describes how Skill Struck collects, uses, shares and secures the personal information it collects in connection with the Services. Specifically, this Policy applies to information we collect from students who are using our Services through a K–12 school (“Students”). This Policy does not apply to other services we offer outside of a K–12 classroom setting. To understand how Skill Struck collects, uses, and discloses personal information outside of its relationship with K–12 schools, please visit the [General Privacy Policy].
Skill Struck acknowledges that all student data is property of the local education agency or school and are under the control of the school.
Skill Struck acknowledges the importance of specific data privacy needs of school districts and is willing to enter into Data Privacy Agreements (DPAs) with districts to address these needs. Such agreements, when entered into, will supersede the provisions of this privacy policy where applicable, ensuring tailored data protection measures that align with district requirements.
For any questions regarding Skill Struck’s privacy policy or practices, please contact support@skillstruck.com.
When a Student registers for the Services, Skill Struck collects the Student’s first and last name, student ID number, and password, as well as the name of the Student’s school and teacher(s). In some cases, Skill Struck may also collect the email address of the Student’s parent(s). Account information may be provided by the Student directly or by the Student’s school.
A school or district may elect to provide additional information about Students, including but not limited to demographic data such as gender, birth date, ethnicity, special education, instructional language, participation in free lunch programs, and Title 1 status; however, this information is not required for access to the Services.
When Students use the Services, we collect and maintain the files that Students create and/or upload using the Services (as well as previous versions of those files), including content that Students create and other data related to the Student’s account.
Like most online services, Skill Struck (and its service providers) uses cookies or similar technologies, such as Google Web Analytics. These technologies are used in administering the Site and maintaining user progress within the program, analyzing trends and user movements within the Site, and to gather general usage and demographic information about our user base as a whole. Skill Struck may receive reports associated with these technologies by these providers on an individual as well as aggregated basis.
The information we collect using such technologies may include the following:
“Cookies” are alphanumeric identifiers that we transfer to a computer’s hard drive through a web browser for record-keeping purposes. We may use both session cookies (which expire once a user closes a web browser) and persistent cookies (which stay on a computer until a user deletes them). Some cookies allow us to make it easier for a Student to navigate our website and use our Services, while others are used to enable a faster login process or to allow us to track a Student’s activities, but only as those activities relate to the Student’s use of the Site and our Services.
We only use the information we collect for the purpose(s) for which it was provided.
We use the information we collect from Students to provide, administer, operate, and improve our Services, to support the internal operations of the Site and our Services; to monitor and evaluate trends, usage and activities in connection with our Services; and to better tailor our Services to our users’ needs. We may also use the information we collect to respond to comments, questions and requests; to provide customer service; for security reasons; and to comply with legal obligations.
We use information (other than Student information) that a school or a school district provides to create an account and to track the number of users on the account for billing purposes.
Teacher and student activity is stored in a relational database and used for reporting and analysis, including student user progress monitoring for teachers and administrators, and aiding Skill Struck in trend analysis and providing customer support.
We may use aggregate or de-identified information for lawful purposes, including but not limited to research, analysis, and similar purposes; for example, to better understand how users access and use the Services; to improve the Services; to develop best practices; for educational research or statistical assessment; or for other research and analytical purposes.
The Skill Struck Site may include links to other websites whose privacy practices may differ from those of Skill Struck. Because the Skill Struck platform is centered on teaching students how to build their own websites, students may wish, under the direction of their instructor, to add links to third party websites. Skill Struck encourages all partners and students to exercise caution when adding links to other websites or visiting other websites, and to carefully read the privacy policy of any website that is visited and that may solicit personal information. Skill Struck is not liable for any damages caused to students by websites linked to or visited by the student of their own free will and choice, or under the direction of their instructor.
We are committed to not advertising or marketing to Students or others based on Students’ use of the Services, and we do not use or share Student information for promotional or marketing purposes. Skill Struck may share aggregate or de-identified product usage data with unrelated third parties for educational purposes. We never sell, rent, or trade any Student information.
Additionally, Skill Struck commits to the privacy and security of our users' personal information. Accordingly, we do not share student Personally Identifiable Information (PII) with third-party artificial intelligence (AI) providers or AI models. Our dedication to protecting student data underlines our commitment to educational integrity and privacy.
We require all third-party service providers to adhere to the terms of our customer agreements or complete a data privacy agreement with Skill Struck. This is to ensure that third parties comply with our data privacy policies and practices, including those concerning data management, encryption, and sharing, thereby extending our commitment to data privacy and security across all engagements.
We will not disclose any personal information about Students to third parties, except as described below.
We will disclose Students’ personal information: (1) to each Student’s individual teacher(s) and parent(s) or guardian(s); and (2) as directed by the Student’s school. In addition, the Student’s teacher(s) and school administrators can see the Student’s profile and work. Teachers may share assignments with other students and with other teachers or administrators.
We may disclose Students’ personal information when we have a parent’s or guardian’s consent directly or through the school.
When schools use integrated services, such as Google Classroom or Canvas, these integrated services may receive information needed to provide their services. For example, an assignment created in Skill Struck’s Services may be submitted through Canvas. In this case, Canvas would receive the assignment and submission data.
Skill Struck may disclose information (including personal information) collected from its Site with local authorized Skill Struck representatives for support purposes. Skill Struck policy requires that these representatives comply with this Policy, as well as related FERPA, COPPA, and state laws. Skill Struck will not share personal contact information with other businesses except service providers and successors, as described below.
Skill Struck may share relevant information with service providers—that is, third-party vendors, consultants and other service providers who are working on our behalf, who are hosting our data, and need access to information to carry out their work for us. Service providers may include web hosting services, mail and email processing providers, payment processing providers, and research and support providers. All such service providers are bound by contract to maintain the confidentiality, security, and integrity of the personal information they obtain from us, and, will not use personal information for any purpose other than as described in this Policy.
If Skill Struck is sold to a new owner, in whole or in part, whether by merger, stock sale, asset sale or other means, Skill Struck retains the right to transfer personal information to the new owner, provided that the new owner agrees to receive such data subject to the conditions of this Policy in effect when such data was collected.
Skill Struck may share Student information with law enforcement, courts of competent jurisdiction, or others when we have a good faith belief that access, use, preservation or disclosure of such information is reasonably necessary to (1) satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental request; (2) enforce the applicable Terms of Service, including investigation of potential violations thereof; (3) detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues; or (4) protect against harm to the rights, property or safety of Skill Struck, its users or the public as required or permitted by law.
Districts may request the deletion of their student data from Skill Struck’s platform. Such requests must be submitted in writing to privacy@skillstruck.com. We will process these requests within 30 days to ensure accurate identification, deletion, and verification of data removal. This timeframe ensures our team can meticulously manage and safeguard user data integrity. Upon deletion by request, Skill Struck will contact the requestor by email to confirm that the data has been deleted.
Upon the termination of a contract with Skill Struck, we automatically initiate the deletion of the district's data after 60 days. This 'right to be forgotten' ensures that data is not retained indefinitely, reinforcing our commitment to data privacy and security without requiring explicit requests from districts for such deletions. Upon the deletion of data after 60 days following the end of the contract, Skill Struck will notify our main point of contact with the district to confirm that data has been deleted.
Skill Struck is committed to safeguarding the privacy and security of student education records, in full compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99).
Employee Certification: All employees at Skill Struck are certified under FERPA, ensuring they are trained and knowledgeable about handling student data appropriately and securely during the normal course of business.
School Official Exemption: In accordance with FERPA, Skill Struck operates under the "school official exemption," which permits the sharing of student Personally Identifiable Information (PII) without parental consent, under the conditions that Skill Struck:
Performs an institutional service or function for which the school would otherwise use employees.
Has a legitimate educational interest in the education records.
Is under the direct control of the school with respect to the use and maintenance of education records.
Ensures the education records are used only for authorized purposes and does not disclose PII from education records to other parties without consent.
Skill Struck adheres strictly to these guidelines, affirming our role as a trusted partner to educational institutions, providing services essential for educational purposes, and maintaining the confidentiality and security of student information.
Skill Struck utilizes standard security measures, such as firewall, limited access, and SSL encryption technology, designed to help protect against loss, misuse, and alteration of user information collected by Skill Struck during its transmission. Access to personal data is controlled by both physical and logical controls. Only selected members of the Skill Struck staff can access the raw data or backups, and must do so by logging into the platform using 2-factor authentication.
No method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is 100% secure, however. Therefore, Skill Struck cannot guarantee the absolute security of Student information.
Authorized school representatives also maintain the right to audit Student data held on our platform for their school, upon reasonable notice, to ensure compliance with data privacy laws.
For any questions about security on the Skill Struck platform, email privacy@skillstruck.com.
Skill Struck periodically verifies that this privacy policy properly describes the information that is collected and how it is used, and that Skill Struck and its managers act in compliance with this policy. With respect to any complaints relating to this policy that cannot be resolved through our internal procedures, Skill Struck will cooperate with appropriate regulatory authorities to resolve such complaints.
From time to time Skill Struck may display personal testimonials of satisfied users on its Site in addition to other endorsements. Skill Struck will not display testimonials without the written consent of the individuals offering the endorsements.
This Policy may be amended at any time. If Skill Struck makes material changes in the way that personal information is collected, used, and/or shared, clients will be notified by posting notice of the changes on the Site at least thirty (30) calendar days prior to the implementation of the material change and provide instructions on how to remove information prior to the changes taking effect. Such notifications will occur via email to applicable school officials and administrators.
Skill Struck offers those who provide personal information the opportunity to withdraw consent with respect to the information they submitted at any time ("opt-out"), in which case such personal information will not be further processed. Skill Struck honors a “once out – always out” policy. Individuals may also contact Skill Struck support to request assistance with correcting, amending, or deleting their personal information.
Skill Struck acknowledges that individuals have the right to access their personal information. If a student or other end user that receives access to Skill Struck through a school or organization wishes to alter their information, they will need to contact their administrator personal information.
Skill Struck will retain individual information for as long as the applicable user account is active, or as necessary to provide the Services, whichever is longer. In addition, Skill Struck will retain and use personal information as necessary to comply with its legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.
If you have questions or concerns regarding your privacy, please contact us as follows:
Privacy Officer
Skill Struck, Inc.
826 Expressway Lane PMB 816,
Spanish Fork, UT 84660
E-mail: privacy@skillstruck.com
Telephone: (801) 251-6787