Privacy Policy

Last Updated: August 19, 2025

Quick Summary

• We collect minimal data: First name + last initial only

• Educational purpose only: Personality assessment for classroom learning

• School consent model: Schools provide consent for educational tools under FERPA

• No marketing to students: We never contact or advertise to children

• Data security: Industry-standard encryption and secure storage

• School control: Schools can access, export, or delete student data anytime

About This Policy

Animal Genius (also known as “Classtopia”) is an educational assessment platform designed for K-12 classrooms. We help teachers understand their students through fun personality quizzes that assign animal personalities (like Panda, Owl, or Otter). This privacy policy explains how we protect student information in compliance with COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) and FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).

Information We Collect

Student Information (Minimal)

  • Name: First name and last initial only (e.g., “Sarah M.”)
  • Quiz responses: Answers to personality assessment questions
  • Animal assignment: The animal personality result (Panda, Owl, etc.)
  • Virtual store activity: Items purchased with earned coins (no real money)
  • Technical data: Anonymous usage statistics to improve the platform

Teacher Information

  • Professional email address and name
  • School/district affiliation
  • Class roster management data

We Do NOT Collect

  • Student last names or full names
  • Student email addresses or contact information
  • Home addresses or phone numbers
  • Photos or videos of students
  • Social Security numbers or other government IDs
  • Precise location data

How We Use Information

Educational Purposes Only: All student data is used exclusively for educational assessment and classroom activities.

  • Providing personality assessment results to help students understand themselves
  • Enabling teachers to better understand their students’ learning styles
  • Facilitating classroom discussions about personality differences and teamwork
  • Maintaining individual student progress and quiz history
  • Operating the virtual store and avatar customization features

We Never:

  • Market or advertise to students
  • Sell student information to third parties
  • Use student data for commercial purposes
  • Contact students directly via email or other means
  • Share individual student results outside the classroom

School Consent & COPPA Compliance

How We Comply with COPPA: Animal Genius operates under the “school consent” provision of COPPA, which allows schools to provide consent for educational services on behalf of students under 13.

School’s Role & Responsibilities

  • Schools have the authority to consent to educational tools under FERPA
  • Schools are responsible for obtaining necessary parental permissions for educational technology
  • Schools can access, review, and request deletion of their students’ data at any time
  • Schools maintain primary control over how the platform is used in their classrooms

Parental Rights

  • Parents can contact their child’s school to review what information is collected
  • Parents can request their child’s data be removed from our platform
  • Parents can ask questions about how the platform is used in their child’s classroom

Data Security & Protection

We take student privacy seriously and implement industry-standard security measures:

  • Encryption: All data is encrypted in transit and at rest
  • Secure hosting: Data is stored with enterprise-grade cloud providers
  • Access controls: Only authorized personnel can access student information
  • Anonymous identifiers: Students use secure passport codes instead of personal login credentials
  • Regular audits: We regularly review our security practices and procedures
  • Data minimization: We collect only the minimum data necessary for educational purposes

Information Sharing & Disclosure

We Do Not Sell or Share Student Information with third parties for commercial purposes.

Limited Sharing Only For:

  • Educational purposes: With the student’s teacher and school administrators
  • Service providers: With trusted vendors who help us operate the platform (under strict confidentiality agreements)
  • Legal requirements: If required by law or to protect safety (rare circumstances)
  • School requests: Data export or deletion as requested by the school

All service providers who may access student data are required to:

  • Use the data only for providing educational services
  • Maintain the same level of privacy protection
  • Not use student information for their own commercial purposes

Data Retention & Deletion

  • Active use: Student data is retained while the school actively uses our platform
  • School departure: If a school stops using our platform, student data is deleted within 90 days
  • Individual removal: Schools can request immediate deletion of specific student records
  • Graduation/transfer: Schools typically manage student data when students leave their classroom
  • Security logs: Anonymous technical logs may be retained longer for security purposes (no personal information)

Your Rights & Choices

For Schools & Teachers

  • Access and review all student data for your classes
  • Export student information and quiz results
  • Request deletion of individual students or entire classes
  • Control which students can access the platform
  • Disable specific features if desired

For Parents

  • Contact your child’s school to review their Animal Genius data
  • Request removal of your child’s information through the school
  • Ask questions about how the platform is used in the classroom
  • Discuss any concerns with your child’s teacher or school administration

Cookies & Tracking

We use minimal tracking technologies to operate our platform:

  • Essential cookies: Required for login and basic platform functionality
  • Session management: To maintain student and teacher sessions securely
  • No advertising tracking: We do not use cookies for advertising or marketing
  • No third-party tracking: We do not allow external companies to track our users
  • Anonymous analytics: Basic usage statistics to improve the platform (no personal identification)

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make significant changes, we will:

  • Update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this policy
  • Notify schools and teachers via email about material changes
  • Provide schools with at least 30 days notice for significant changes
  • Give schools the opportunity to review changes before they take effect

Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy or how we handle student information, please contact us:

Privacy Questions: privacy@animalgenius.com

General Support: support@animalgenius.com

Mailing Address:
Animal Genius Privacy Team
[Address to be updated]
United States

For Parents: Please contact your child’s school or teacher first with privacy questions, as they are the primary administrators of student data in our platform.

For Schools: We’re committed to working with you to address any privacy concerns and ensure our platform meets your educational needs while protecting student information.

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