Legal

Summary

WriteSpan LLC ("WriteSpan," "we," "us," or "our") is an educational technology company that provides longitudinal writing assessment services to colleges and universities. Our platform is located at assess.writespan.com. Our principal place of business is in the United States. This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through our platform, our marketing website at writespan.com, and any related services we provide to institutions and their students.

WriteSpan provides its services to colleges and universities ("Institutions"). When an Institution subscribes to WriteSpan, the Institution acts as the data controller for its students' educational records. WriteSpan acts as a service provider and data processor on behalf of the Institution. Before any student data is collected or processed, WriteSpan enters into a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) with each Institution. The DPA governs how WriteSpan handles student data and establishes the Institution's rights and obligations under applicable law, including FERPA. If you are a student and have questions about how your data is handled, you should direct your initial inquiry to your Institution's writing program administrator.

We collect the following categories of information: From Institutions and institutional administrators: Institution name, contact names, email addresses, job titles, and account credentials. We also collect information about how administrators use the platform, including login activity and actions taken within the dashboard. From students: Institutional email address, cohort year, essay submissions, selected writing prompts, word counts, and submission timestamps. We do not collect a student's legal name unless an Institution provides it as part of enrollment. Assessment data: Writing scores generated by the WriteSpan Scoring Engine, dimension-level feedback notes, reviewer notes added by human reviewers, score release records, and longitudinal assessment history across up to five assessments. Technical data: IP addresses, browser type, device information, and platform usage logs. This information is collected automatically when you access our platform. We do not knowingly collect information from children under the age of 13. If you believe a student under 13 has submitted data through our platform, contact us immediately at info@writespan.com.

We use information collected through our platform solely to: Provide writing assessment services to Institutions and their students, including generating WriteSpan Machine Scores, producing longitudinal developmental reports, and facilitating human reviewer access to assigned essays. Communicate with institutional administrators about account activity, score releases, and platform updates. Operate, maintain, and improve the WriteSpan platform. Any use of aggregated or de-identified data for platform improvement does not include individually identifiable student information. Comply with legal obligations, including responding to lawful requests from government authorities. We do not use student essay submissions or assessment data for advertising, marketing, or any purpose unrelated to providing the assessment services described above.

WriteSpan uses artificial intelligence to score student essays. When a student submits an essay, the essay text is transmitted to the WriteSpan Scoring Engine, which uses a large language model provided by Anthropic, PBC ("Anthropic") to generate dimensional scores, confidence indicators, and brief feedback notes. Anthropic is a subprocessor of student data. Essay text transmitted to Anthropic for scoring is subject to Anthropic's usage policies. WriteSpan has configured its use of Anthropic's API in accordance with Anthropic's data handling commitments for API customers. Student essays submitted through WriteSpan are not used to train Anthropic's models or WriteSpan's systems. WriteSpan does not use student-submitted content to train, fine-tune, or improve any AI model. All AI-generated scores are clearly labeled as "WriteSpan Machine Scores" within the platform. Human expert review is available as an additional validation layer. Scores are never automatically released to students — release is always controlled by the Institution's authorized administrator. Institutions will be notified of any material changes to our AI subprocessors.

WriteSpan is committed to full compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. § 1232g, and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 99. Student essay submissions, assessment scores, and longitudinal writing records collected through WriteSpan are education records as defined under FERPA. WriteSpan accesses and processes these records solely in its capacity as a service provider acting under the direct control of the Institution, consistent with the "school official" exception at 34 C.F.R. § 99.31(a)(1). WriteSpan does not disclose student education records to any third party without the written consent of the eligible student or parent, except as permitted by FERPA and the applicable Data Processing Agreement with the Institution. Students and parents who wish to exercise their FERPA rights — including the right to inspect, review, or request amendment of education records — should contact their Institution's Registrar or designated FERPA administrator. WriteSpan will cooperate fully with Institutions in responding to such requests.

WriteSpan does not sell student data or institutional data to any third party, for any purpose, at any price. WriteSpan shares information only in the following circumstances: With Institutions: Assessment scores, feedback notes, and submission records are accessible to authorized institutional administrators and human reviewers designated by the Institution. With subprocessors: WriteSpan works with a limited number of technology subprocessors to operate the platform. These currently include Anthropic (AI scoring), Supabase (database and authentication), Vercel (hosting and deployment), and Resend (transactional email). Each subprocessor is bound by data processing terms consistent with applicable law. For legal compliance: We may disclose information if required by law, subpoena, court order, or other governmental authority, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of WriteSpan, our users, or the public. In connection with a business transfer: If WriteSpan is acquired, merged, or undergoes a change of control, student data will remain subject to the commitments in this Privacy Policy. We will notify affected Institutions before any transfer of student data occurs.

WriteSpan uses industry-standard technical and organizational measures to protect the information we collect and process. These include encrypted data transmission (TLS), encrypted data storage, role-based access controls, and restricted access to production systems. Access to student data within the WriteSpan platform is governed by role-based permissions. Institution administrators, reviewers, and students can only access data within their authorized scope. WriteSpan staff access to institutional data is limited to what is necessary to provide support and maintain the platform. No security system is impenetrable. In the event of a data breach that affects student educational records, WriteSpan will notify affected Institutions without undue delay and will cooperate in any required notifications to students or regulatory authorities.

WriteSpan retains student assessment records for the duration of the active institutional agreement and for seven years following the conclusion of that agreement. This retention period is consistent with common accreditation documentation requirements and allows Institutions to access longitudinal records for program assessment and reporting purposes. Institutions may request earlier deletion of student records by submitting a written request to info@writespan.com. WriteSpan will complete verified deletion requests within 30 days, subject to any legal hold obligations. Technical logs and platform usage data are retained for up to 12 months and then deleted or anonymized.

Students: Your rights with respect to your educational records are governed primarily by FERPA and are exercised through your Institution. You may contact your Institution's Registrar or writing program administrator to inspect your records, request corrections, or ask questions about how your data is used within WriteSpan. Institutional administrators: You may access, export, or request deletion of your institution's data by contacting info@writespan.com. We will respond to verified requests within 30 days. California residents: If you are a California resident, you may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to delete your personal information, and the right to opt out of the sale of your personal information. WriteSpan does not sell personal information. To exercise your CCPA rights, contact us at info@writespan.com. Other state laws: WriteSpan monitors developments in state privacy law, including emerging state AI transparency laws, and will update this Policy as required.

WriteSpan uses session cookies necessary for authentication and platform functionality. We do not use third-party advertising cookies or cross-site tracking technologies. We may collect anonymized, aggregated usage analytics to understand how the platform is used and to improve our services. This data does not identify individual users and is not shared with third parties for advertising purposes.

WriteSpan may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify Institutions by email and update the effective date at the top of this page. We encourage institutional administrators to review this Policy periodically. Continued use of the WriteSpan platform after a policy update constitutes acceptance of the revised terms. If an Institution objects to a material change, it may terminate its agreement with WriteSpan in accordance with the terms of its institutional contract.

For questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or WriteSpan's data practices, contact us at: WriteSpan LLC info@writespan.com assess.writespan.com For FERPA-related inquiries, students should contact their Institution directly. WriteSpan will cooperate with all FERPA requests received through institutional channels.