Website Privacy Policy

Thank you for visiting the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium website and reviewing our Privacy Notice. This statement addresses collection, use, and security of and access to information that may be obtained through this website.

This notice covers the following topics:

  • Section A. Information Collected and How it is Used
  • Section B. Personal Information and Choice
  • Section C. Review and Correction of Personally Identifiable Information.
  • Section D. Cookies
  • Section E. Security
  • Section F. Disclaimer
  • Section G. Smarter Balanced Contact Information

Section A. Information Collected and How it is Used

If you do nothing during your visit to our website but browse, read pages, or download information, we will gather and store certain information about your visit. This information does not identify you personally. We automatically collect and store the following information about your visit:

  • The Internet Protocol Address and domain name used. The Internet Protocol address is a numerical identifier assigned either to your Internet service provider or directly to your computer. We use the Internet Protocol Address to direct Internet traffic to you. This address can be translated to determine the domain name of your service provider (e.g. xcompany.com or yourschool.edu);
  • The type of browser and operating system you used;
  • The date and time you visited this site;
  • The web pages or services you accessed at this site; and
  • The website you visited prior to coming to this website.

What We Collect If You Volunteer Information

If during your visit to our website you participate in a survey, send an email, or perform some other transaction online, the following additional information will be collected:

  • The email address, and contents of email for those who communicate with us via email.
  • Information volunteered in response to a survey.
  • Information volunteered through an online form for any other purpose.

The information collected is not limited to text characters and may include audio, video, and graphic information formats you send us.

Email may be used as a means of communicating with you. If your request requires assistance from another agency, your email address may be forwarded to another agency for appropriate action. Information collected from surveys and online forms will be used for educational purposes.

Section B. Personal Information and Choice

You may choose whether to provide personal information online.

“Personal information” is information about a natural person that is readily identifiable to that specific individual. Personal information includes such things as an individual’s name, address, and phone number. A domain name or Internet Protocol address is not considered personal information.

We collect no personal information about you unless you voluntarily provide it to us by sending us email, participating in a survey, or completing an online form. You may choose not to contact us by email, participate in a survey, or to provide any personal information using an online form. Your choice to not participate in these activities will not impair your ability to browse the Smarter Balanced website and read or download any information provided on the site.

If personal information is requested on the website or volunteered by the user, state law and the federal Privacy Act of 1974 may protect it. However, this information is a public record once you provide it, and may be subject to public inspection and copying if not protected by federal or state law.

Users are cautioned that the collection of personal information requested from or volunteered by children online or by email will be treated the same as information given by an adult, and may be subject to public access.

Section C. Review and Correction of Personally Identifiable Information

You can review any personally identifiable information we collect about you by using the information in the Contact Information section at the end of this Notice.  You may recommend changes to your personally identifiable information you believe to be inaccurate by submitting an email request that credibly shows the inaccuracy.  We will take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access or making corrections.  (RCW 43.105.310)

Section D. Cookies

To better serve our users we are now using “cookies” to customize your browsing experience with parts of the Smarter Balanced website. Cookies are simple text files stored on your computer by your web browser.

Cookies created on your computer by using this website do not contain personally identifying information and do not compromise your privacy or security. We use the cookie feature only to store a randomly generated identifying tag on your computer.

Section E. Security

Smarter Balanced has taken several steps to safeguard the integrity of its data and prevent unauthorized access to information maintained by us. These measures are designed and intended to prevent corruption of data, block unknown or unauthorized access to our systems and information, and to provide reasonable protection of private information in our possession

This information should not be construed in any way as giving business, legal, or other advice, or warranting as fail proof, the security of information provided via the Smarter Balanced website.

Section F. Disclaimer

The Smarter Balanced website has many links to other websites. These include links to websites operated by other government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private businesses. When you link to another site, you are no longer on the Smarter Balanced website and this Privacy Notice will not apply. When you link to another website, you are subject to the privacy policy of that new site.

Section G. Smarter Balanced Contact Information

You may contact Smarter Balanced by using our Contact Us page.