COPPA/Third Party Applications
The Ferndale Area School District encourages the use of various productivity and educational applications and websites in our classrooms. These tools play a vital role in enhancing learning, assessing student progress, and providing individualized instruction. In many cases, to fully utilize these services, certain personal information is required to create accounts or enable personalized access. This information may include the student’s name, grade level, age, geographic location, and/or district email address.
The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a federal law designed to protect children under the age of 13 from the collection of personal information on the internet. It requires website operators to obtain parental consent before collecting or using personal information from children. When the district creates accounts for students or requests that students sign up for a particular service, we must obtain parental permission to grant access to these platforms.
Below is a list of all current applications used by the district. If you have concerns about your child’s access to these applications, please contact your building principal. For more information on COPPA, visit COPPA Guidance.
Parents are encouraged to review this list regularly, as updates will be made throughout the school year.
Google Apps for Education
Core Services
Using their Google Workspace for Education accounts, students may access and use the following “Core Services” offered by Google (described at https://workspace.google.com/terms/user_features.html):
- Assignments
- Calendar
- Classroom
- Cloud Search
- Drive and Docs
- Gmail
- Google Chrome Sync
- Google Meet
- Jamboard
- Keep
- Sites
- Tasks
The Privacy Policies and Terms of Service for the Google Suite of Apps can be found here: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en-US
Additional Services
In addition, we also allow students to access certain other Google services with their Google Workspace for Education accounts. Specifically, your child may have access to the following “Additional Services”:
- Youtube
- Google Earth
- Google Maps
- Applied Digital Skills
- Blogger
- Chrome Web Store
- Currents
- 7th-12th Grade Students Only
- FeedBurner
- Google Alerts
- Google Arts and Culture
- Google Bookmarks
- Google Books
- Google Cloud Platform
- Google Cloud Print
- Google Groups
- Google My Maps
- Google News
- Google Photos
- Google Play Console
- Google Public Data
- Google Search Console
- Google Translate
- Locker Studio
- Managed Google Play
- Material Gallery
The Privacy Policies and Terms of Service for the Google Suite of Apps can be found here: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en-US
What information does Google Collect?
Google provides information about the information it collects, as well as how it uses and discloses the information it collects from Google Workspace for Education accounts in its Google Workspace for Education Privacy Notice. You can read that notice online at https://workspace.google.com/terms/education_privacy.html You should review this information in its entirety, but below are answers to some common questions:
What personal information does Google collect?
When creating a student account, the Ferndale Area School District may provide Google with certain personal information about the student, including, for example, a name, email address, and password. Google may also collect personal information directly from students, such as telephone number for account recovery or a profile photo added to the Google Workspace for Education account.
When a student uses Google core services, Google also collects information based on the use of those services. This includes:
- account information, which includes things like name and email address.
- activity while using the core services, which includes things like viewing and interacting with content, people with whom your student communicates or shares content, and other details about their usage of the services.
- settings, apps, browsers & devices. Google collects information about your student’s settings and the apps, browsers, and devices they use to access Google services. This information includes browser and device type, settings configuration, unique identifiers, operating system, mobile network information, and application version number. Google also collects information about the interaction of your student’s apps, browsers, and devices with Google services, including IP address, crash reports, system activity, and the date and time of a request.
- location information. Google collects information about your student’s location as determined by various technologies such as IP address and GPS.
- direct communications. Google keeps records of communications when your student provides feedback, asks questions, or seeks technical support
The Additional Services we allow students to access with their Google Workspace for Education accounts may also collect the following information, as described in the Google Privacy Policy:
- activity while using additional services, which includes things like terms your student searches for, videos they watch, content and ads they view and interact with, voice and audio information when they use audio features, purchase activity, and activity on third-party sites and apps that use Google services.
- apps, browsers, and devices. Google collects the information about your student’s apps, browser, and devices described above in the core services section.
- location information. Google collects info about your student’s location as determined by various technologies including: GPS, IP address, sensor data from their device, and information about things near their device, such as Wi-Fi access points, cell towers, and Bluetooth-enabled devices. The types of location data we collect depend in part on your student’s device and account settings.
How does Google use this information?
In Google Workspace for Education Core Services, Google uses student personal information primarily to provide the core services that schools and students use, but it’s also used to maintain and improve the services; make recommendations to optimize the use of the services; provide and improve other services your student requests; provide support; protect Google’s users, customers, the public, and Google; and comply with legal obligations. See the Google Cloud Privacy Notice for more information.
In Google Additional Services, Google may uses the information collected from all Additional Services to deliver, maintain, and improve our services; develop new services; provide personalized services; measure performance; communicate with schools or users; and protect Google, Google’s users, and the public. See the Google Privacy Policy for more details.
Does Google use student personal information for users in K-12 schools to target advertising?
No. There are no ads shown in Google Workspace for Education core services. Also, none of the personal information collected in the core services is used for advertising purposes.
Some additional services show ads; however, for users in primary and secondary (K12) schools, the ads will not be personalized ads, which means Google does not use information from your student’s account or past activity to target ads. However, Google may show ads based on general factors like the student’s search queries, the time of day, or the content of a page they’re reading.
Can my child share information with others using the Google Workspace for Education account?
We may allow students to access Google services such as Google Docs and Sites, which include features where users can share information with others or publicly. For example, if your student shares a photo with a friend who then makes a copy of it, or shares it again, then that photo may continue to appear in the friend’s Google Account, even if your student removes it from their Google Account. When users share information publicly, it may become accessible through search engines, including Google Search.
Will Google disclose my child’s personal information?
Google will not share personal information with companies, organizations and individuals outside of Google except in the following cases:
With our school: Our school administrator (and resellers who manage your or your organization’s Workspace account) will have access to your student’s information. For example, they may be able to:
- View account information, activity and statistics;
- Change your student’s account password;
- Suspend or terminate your student’s account access;
- Access your student’s account information in order to satisfy applicable law, regulation, legal process, or enforceable governmental request;
- Restrict your student’s ability to delete or edit their information or privacy settings.
With your consent: Google will share personal information outside of Google with parental consent.
For external processing: Google will share personal information with Google’s affiliates and other trusted third party providers to process it for us as Google instructs them and in compliance with our Google Privacy Policy, the Google Cloud Privacy Notice, and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures.
For legal reasons: Google will share personal information outside of Google if they have a good-faith belief that access, use, preservation or disclosure of the information is reasonably necessary for legal reasons, including complying with enforceable governmental requests and protecting you and Google.
What choices do I have as a parent or guardian?
First, you can consent to the collection and use of your child’s information by Google. If you don’t provide your consent, we will not create a Google Workspace for Education account for your child, and Google will not collect or use your child’s information as described in this notice.
If you consent to your child’s use of Google Workspace for Education, you can access or request deletion of your child’s Google Workspace for Education account by contacting Dawn Wolfe, technology@fasdk12.org. If you wish to stop any further collection or use of your child's information, you can request that we use the service controls available to access personal information, limit your child’s access to features or services, or delete personal information in the services or your child’s account entirely. You and your child can also visit https://myaccount.google.com while signed in to the Google Workspace for Education account to view and manage the personal information and settings of the account.
What if I have more questions or would like to read further?
If you have questions about our use of Google’s Google Workspace for Education accounts or the choices available to you, please contact Dr. William Brotz, wbrotz@fasdk12.org. If you want to learn more about how Google collects, uses, and discloses personal information to provide services to us, please review the Google Workspace for Education Privacy Center (at https://www.google.com/edu/trust/), the Google Workspace for Education Privacy Notice(at https://workspace.google.com/terms/education_privacy.html), and the Google Privacy Policy at https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/), and the Google Cloud Privacy Notice at (https://cloud.google.com/terms/cloud-privacy-notice).
The Core Google Workspace for Education services are provided to us under Google Workspace for Education Agreement (at https://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/terms/education_terms.html) and the Cloud Data Processing Addendum (as https://cloud.google.com/terms/data-processing-addendum).
Third-Party Services
Apps in use
Further, we allow students to access additional third-party services with their Google Workspace for Education accounts. Our school administrator enables access to these third-party services with your student’s Google Workspace for Education account, and authorizes the disclosure of data, as requested by the third party services. Additional information about these third-party services is available listed below.
- Adobe
- Privacy Policy: https://www.adobe.com/privacy/policy.html
- Nearpod
- Privacy Policy: https://nearpod.com/privacy-notice
- Pear Deck for Google Slides Add-on
- Unsplash Images
- iOS
- Clever
- Schoology
- Quizizz
- CommonLit
- Canva
- Turnitin
- Edpuzzle
- Legends of Learning
- ReadWorks
- Remind
- Classkick
- EasyBib
- Newsela
- Quizlet
- Edmentum - Study Island
- HiberWorld
- BreakoutEDU
- TypingClub
- Epic!
- Autodesk INC
- SoundCloud
- Grammarly
- LitCharts
- Bandlab
- Science Buddies
- Flip
- Nearpod
- VoiceThread
- Pixlr Suite
- mySkakespeare
- TED
- Adobe Rush
- Actively Learn
- Eduspire Solutions app
- Kahoot!
- Amplify Education
- Desmos
- Prodigy Game
- Study.com
- Zearn
- 99math
- NoRedInk
- Brainly Sign-In
- Khan Academy
- Duolingo
- Code.org
- Kami
- Quill.org
AI Apps & Services
Apps & Services in use
The Ferndale Area School District is committed to exploring the potential of artificial intelligence to enhance the learning experience for students and educators. As AI products for the classroom continue to grow and evolve, the district remains dedicated to vetting new tools that can support educational goals while ensuring they meet the needs of our school community. With the rapid development of AI technologies, we will continue to explore, evaluate, and integrate innovative tools that foster engagement and learning. Below you will find a list of Apps & Services currently in use and approved by the District.
In Use by Staff
The following list of AI tools is actively used by some staff members and highlights the diverse resources available to teachers for enhancing the learning experience.
- Google NotebookLM
- Google's Policy restricts use of this service to users 18+
- MagicSchool AI
- Diffit
- Napkin AI
- Brisk Teaching
- ChatGPT
- Canva AI
- Google Gemini
- EduAide.AI
- TheEducator.AI
- Lesson Lab AI
- Curipod
- Gamma
- Gamma's Policy restricts the use of this service to users 16+
- https://gamma.app/privacy
- Character AI
- Character AI's policy restricts the use of this service to users 13+
- https://character.ai/privacy
- Wondercraft AI
- SlidesAI
- https://www.slidesai.io/privacy-policy
- Whisk
- Whisk's policy restricts the use of this service to users 18+
- https://labs.google/fx/faq
Approved for Student Use
The following list includes AI tools currently available to students. While not all teachers and students may choose to use these resources, they are accessible for those who wish to explore them.
- Magic School
- ChatGPT
- Canva AI
- Google Gemini
- Google's Policy restricts the use of this service to users 13+
- https://policies.google.com/