FERPA Compliance

Student Data Privacy & Protection

Student Data Privacy & FERPA Compliance

FERPA-Aligned by Design

LevelUp Writer is designed to support educational institutions while protecting student data at every step. We align with the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and follow best practices for handling student information responsibly, securely, and transparently.

We believe student data should be used only to support learning — never exploited, sold, or hidden.


What FERPA Means

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a U.S. federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. It gives students (and parents, where applicable) rights over how their information is accessed, used, and shared.

LevelUp Writer is built to operate within this framework.


How LevelUp Writer Supports FERPA

1. School-Controlled Data

Educational institutions retain ownership and control of all student data. LevelUp Writer acts strictly as a service provider operating on behalf of the institution.


2. Legitimate Educational Interest

We process student data only to deliver core educational functionality, including:

  • AI-guided writing mentorship
  • Structured feedback and idea development
  • Learning progression tracking

All data use is limited to supporting the student’s educational experience.


3. No Selling or Advertising Use

LevelUp Writer does not:

  • Sell student data
  • Use student data for advertising
  • Share student data with third parties for non-educational purposes

Student information is never monetized.


4. Data Minimization

We collect only the data necessary to operate the platform effectively.

This may include:

  • Student writing content
  • AI interaction history
  • Account and usage data required for functionality

We do not collect unnecessary or unrelated personal information.


5. Controlled Access

Access to student data is strictly limited to:

  • The student
  • Authorized instructors or school personnel
  • Platform systems required to deliver the service

We use role-based access controls to ensure data is only available to the appropriate parties.


6. Transparency by Design (Core Differentiator)

LevelUp Writer is fundamentally different from traditional AI writing tools.

Instead of obscuring the writing process, we make it fully visible and auditable.

The platform provides:

  • Complete AI conversation history between student and writing mentor
  • Timestamped snapshots of the document (captured continuously during writing)
  • Instructor visibility into idea development and writing progression

This creates a clear, verifiable record of how work was produced — supporting both learning outcomes and academic integrity.


Data Security & Protection

We implement industry-standard safeguards to protect student data, including:

  • Encryption of data in transit
  • Secure data storage practices
  • Access controls and authentication mechanisms
  • Monitoring and logging of system activity

We continuously improve our systems to maintain strong data protection practices.


Institutional Agreements

LevelUp Writer enters into agreements with educational institutions that define:

  • Permitted uses of student data
  • Data protection and confidentiality requirements
  • Security obligations
  • Compliance with FERPA and other applicable laws

We operate under the direction of the institution and in alignment with its policies.


Student Rights

Consistent with FERPA, students (or parents, where applicable) have the right to:

  • Access their education records
  • Request correction of inaccurate information
  • Control disclosure of their personal information

Requests related to student data are handled in coordination with the educational institution.


Data Retention & Deletion

We retain student data only as long as necessary to provide the service or as required by the institution.

Upon request from the institution (or as defined in agreements), we support:

  • Deletion of student data
  • Removal of accounts and associated records

AI & Data Use

LevelUp Writer uses AI to support student learning through guided writing mentorship.

  • AI interactions are used solely to assist the student in developing their work
  • We do not use student content to advertise or profile users
  • AI systems are designed to support — not replace — student thinking

FERPA + Academic Integrity

LevelUp Writer is not just FERPA-aligned — it is designed to help institutions meet modern academic integrity challenges.

By making the writing process transparent, the platform helps educators:

  • Verify authentic student work
  • Understand how ideas were developed
  • Reduce reliance on unreliable AI detection tools

This creates a stronger foundation for both compliance and learning outcomes.


Contact

If you have questions about student data privacy or FERPA compliance, please contact:

support@levelupwriter.com

We are happy to provide additional documentation, including a detailed Data Privacy Overview for institutions.


Disclaimer

LevelUp Writer is designed to support compliance with FERPA requirements. Final responsibility for compliance rests with the educational institution, which determines how student data is managed and shared within its policies and agreements.