Observation Partner Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Observation Partner ("Observation Partner," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, discloses, and protects information when you use our website, application, and related services (the "Service"). By using the Service, you agree to this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Service.

1) Scope and Audience

This policy applies to administrators and other adult users who use Observation Partner to create and manage classroom observations. The Service is not directed to students, and students do not create accounts on the Service.

2) Key Principles

• You control your content. We store only what you choose to enter (e.g., raw notes and observation drafts you decide to keep).
• Data minimization. If you do not enter student or teacher names, they are not stored.
• Security by default. We use industry-standard encryption in transit and at rest and apply access controls.
• No sale or sharing of personal information. We do not sell personal information and we do not "share" it for cross-context behavioral advertising.
• Compliance minded. We are designed to support FERPA and similar state student privacy laws. We provide CCPA/CPRA disclosures for California users.

3) Information We Collect

A. Content You Provide

Raw notes and observation drafts (typed or uploaded as .docx, .txt, .rtf) and any edits you make within the Service.

Optional names within notes. If you include teacher or student names in raw notes, they are stored as part of your content.

Professional writing samples you upload to improve drafting quality ("Train My Writing Style").

B. Account and Contact Information

Name, email address, password or SSO identifiers, and any profile settings you choose to store.

C. Usage, Device, and Diagnostic Data

Timestamps, IP address, device/browser type, pages viewed, feature usage, and basic event telemetry.

Limited cookies or similar technologies for session management and performance improvement.

D. Payment Information

Handled by our payment provider, Paddle. We do not store full payment card numbers. Subscription payments and refunds, where applicable, are processed by Paddle. Please see our Terms of Service for details.

4) Sources of Information

• Directly from you when you use the Service or contact support.
• Automatically from your device and browser for security and performance.
• From integrated third-party services you authorize (e.g., SSO, payment processors).

5) How We Use Information

• Provide and improve the Service.
• Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, or prohibited account sharing.
• Respond to support requests and send transactional communications.
• Comply with applicable laws and district agreements.
• Conduct de-identified or aggregated analytics to improve system quality.

AI Training Policy: Your content is used only to provide the Service to your account. We do not use your identifiable content to train models for other customers without your explicit consent.

6) Legal Bases (EEA/UK only)

• Contract performance.
• Legitimate interests balanced with your rights.
• Consent where required.
• Legal obligations.

7) When We Disclose Information

• Service providers / subprocessors (cloud hosting, AI infrastructure, payment, analytics, email delivery).
• Districts (FERPA context) when acting as a "school official" with a legitimate educational interest.
• Legal compliance and safety when required by law or to protect rights and security.
• Business transfers in mergers or acquisitions.

We do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.

8) FERPA and State Student Privacy Laws

When contracted by a district, we act as its school official.

We recommend minimizing personally identifiable information (PII) in notes.

We comply with state student privacy laws such as SOPIPA and CT PA 16-189.

9) California Privacy (CCPA/CPRA)

We provide all required notices, rights, and disclosures. See our California Privacy Section for details.

10) Children's Privacy

We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13.

11) Security

We use a combination of administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect information, including industry-standard encryption in transit and at rest, secure authentication via email and password or single sign-on, access controls, and monitoring for unusual activity.

While no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, we take reasonable steps to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

Planned Enhancements. We are actively developing additional security measures, including multi-factor authentication, expanded audit logging, and automated abuse detection. These features will be introduced in future releases.

12) Data Retention

User content: Retained only while in your account; deleted upon removal or account closure.

Logs: Retained for security, troubleshooting, fraud prevention, and compliance, then deleted or de-identified.

13) International Data Transfers

Stored and processed primarily in the U.S. We use appropriate safeguards for international transfers.

14) Your Choices and Controls

• Avoid including unnecessary PII.
• Access, edit, and delete your content anytime.
• Delete your account to remove all associated data.
• Opt out of marketing communications.

15) Cookies and Similar Technologies

Essential cookies for operation and first-party analytics only.

16) Third-Party Services

Linked sites have their own privacy policies.

17) AI and Third-Party Processors

We contractually prohibit processors from using your content for advertising or unrelated training.

18) Data Subject Requests and Verification

Contact privacy@observationpartner.com or use our privacy request form. We verify all requests.

19) Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy and will notify you of material changes.

20) Contact Us

Email: privacy@observationpartner.com

District Data Privacy Addendum (DDPA): For school districts, our full DDPA is available here . This addendum forms part of any district contract and governs handling of education records in compliance with FERPA and applicable state laws.