Scientific Minds is committed to protecting the privacy of all users and meets government requirements for the transfer, storage, and use of all student data. This policy explains our collection of and use of personally identifiable information. Scientific Minds works to maintain compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99), the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232h; 34 CFR Part 98). By using Scientific Minds’ Internet-based products and/or by browsing or navigating the Scientific Minds website, the user accepts and agrees to be bound by the terms of this privacy policy. Collection, use, and disclosure of personally identifiable information is governed in accordance with the terms stated in this policy.

Policy for Student Use
Our learning services for children are provided by subscription to schools, school districts, and other educational entities, or by online sales to parents.
Students Under Age 18
Scientific Minds’ services are not available to children under age 18 except when students are enrolled as authorized users by a parent/guardian or by a teacher or other school administrator who has been authorized to do so by a parent/guardian. Children under 18 years of age are expressly prohibited from directly registering for any of our services without parental or educator permission. Scientific Minds does not use any information about children under 18 years of age for any type of marketing or promotional purposes either inside or outside the company. We will not provide any personally identifiable information, regardless of its source, about any child to an unrelated third party, except as expressly provided by this privacy policy.

Student Data
Scientific Minds' database servers are electronically secured using effective firewall solutions, and database servers are located in a physically secure datacenter. We do not share student records with anyone. Employees who have access to student records receive training in security and protection procedures. Scientific Minds participates in a monthly site scan conducted by TrustKeeper® to ensure a secure environment that meets Data Security Standards (DSS). Student records within the Scientific Minds system, including names and other identifying information, are not viewable by non-school officials.

Information Security
The security of all personally identifiable information is a primary concern to Scientific Minds; therefore, we exercise great care in the secure storage of information on our private network servers, which are not available by direct web addresses. All user information and grade book data are encoded and transmitted through session keys to ensure that no one other than Scientific Minds can read the transmitted information. Because Scientific Minds provides password-protected, subscription-only products, subscribers may provide certain identifying information about students when enrolling them as individual authorized users. This information includes name, grade level, class assignment, and any other identifying information that a subscriber may deem necessary in order to enable the assessment, assignment, and/or reporting features of the appropriate Scientific Minds classroom product. Information provided by authorized users is not available to the general public on the Internet. Only authorized users are permitted to access the website and its services or to view the member information relevant to the accounts. Users should not disclose passwords to anyone.
Scientific Minds provides secure transmission of information from the user computer to our private network servers. Only an authorized employee with relevant job duties could access this information. Scientific Minds maintains this privacy policy and other privacy initiatives through staff who periodically review web security and ensure that Scientific Minds' employees are aware of and comply with our security and privacy practices.
Scientific Minds also conducts security audits at regular intervals to ensure the security of all data. Because no data transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed to be 100 percent secure, Scientific Minds can’t guarantee or warrant the security of any information transmitted to us or from our online products or services. While we strive to protect all personal information, the user transmits information at his/her own risk. Once we receive a transmission, we use our best efforts and employ state-of-the-art technology to ensure its security on our systems, including firewalls and SSL (Secure Sockets Layer).

Information Tracking
When using Scientific Minds’ Internet-based products, a user may be asked to enter personal information such as a first and last name. This personal information is used only for security purposes specified at the time the information is entered, such as an access identity safeguard. Scientific Minds does not collect any information without the user’s express consent. Some usage of the website and services is tracked for verification purposes. For example, when a user completes an assigned module, the grade and/or responses are available to the teacher or administrator who assigned the module.
Scientific Minds uses “cookies”, a software technology common in the Internet industry, to create a personalized web experience. A cookie is simply a Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) header that consists of a text-only string entered into the memory of a browser. This string contains the domain, path, lifetime, and value of a variable set by a website. If the lifetime of this variable is longer than the time the user spends at the site, then the string is saved to file for future reference. Cookies remember your Scientific Minds user preference upon returning to the site. (Please note that your browser must be set to accept cookies to use Scientific Minds’ website and services.) We do not use cookies to retrieve any other type of information from our users.
Scientific Minds tracks certain information, such as subscription and site usage. These data are used only to analyze trends and/or for internal statistical purposes. No personal information is stored or used in any way as a result of this tracking, nor is this information disseminated to any third parties.
Web servers automatically identify a computer by its IP (Internet Protocol) address. The Scientific Minds website logs IP addresses and browser types for systems administration purposes and to compile aggregate information and audit the use of our site. These logs are analyzed to improve the value of the materials available on the website. While a user’s session is tracked, the user remains anonymous. Scientific Minds does not link IP addresses to any personally identifiable information. We can and will use IP addresses to identify a user when we feel it is necessary to enforce compliance with our rules or terms of service or to protect our service, site, customers, or others.

Information Use
In response to specific requests, the user may choose to give Scientific Minds information that personally identifies him/her, such as name, grade level, school name, and e-mail address. This information is never passed to third parties. However, if the user voluntarily provides personally identifiable information to a third party, Scientific Minds is not responsible for any actions or policies of such third party. It is the responsibility of the user to check the applicable privacy policy of such party when providing that party with personally identifiable information. Scientific Minds only retains personally identifiable information for the internal purposes of ensuring website access security and tracking site and courseware usage.
Scientific Minds does not allow children under the age of 13 to provide directly any personally identifiable information; all such information is collected solely from teachers, administrators, or parents/guardians and available to teachers, administrators, the student, and his/her parent or guardian.
Scientific Minds uses login information to identify an authorized user and to ensure that the user can see and use those areas of the website appropriate to the purchased subscription. For example, student users cannot access areas of the Scientific Minds website that are intended solely for teachers or administrators. Exceptions to the privacy protection practices described above would only occur if Scientific Minds were sold to a third party or were declared bankrupt or insolvent. In those instances, use of personally identifiable information would be determined by a court, other governing body, or the acquiring entity.

Information Request Procedures
If a student user wishes to be deleted from the Scientific Minds system or have data previously entered into the system deleted or edited, the user must submit a request to the school's teacher or administrator. Additionally, when the parent/guardian of a student user (license purchased by a school) wishes to obtain a copy of the student's access and use record, the parent/guardian must refer the request directly to the child's school.

Changes to the Privacy Policy
This privacy policy was last updated on February 14, 2014. Any changes to this privacy policy will be posted on this site with a date of revision.

Contact Information
Please contact us at info@ScientificMinds.com if you have any questions or comments about our privacy policy or our website. You can also contact us by mail, phone, or fax:

Scientific Minds Corporate Offices
P.O. Box 340726
Austin, TX 78734

Phone: 800.886.8145
Fax:     800.886.1226