Privacy-first design
CoGuide is built with privacy and security as fundamental principles. We believe that classroom technology should enhance learning without compromising student privacy or creating security risks.Core principle: Your school owns the data. CoGuide processes it securely and never uses it for purposes beyond improving classroom engagement.
Data protection framework
What data we collect
CoGuide collects only the minimum data necessary to provide classroom insights:Participation data
- Hand raise events: When students raise their hands (no facial recognition)
- Speaking patterns: Voice activity and timing (no voice recording or storage)
- Seat participation: Which seats participate (when using seat mapping)
- Response timing: When students respond to questions
What we don’t collect
- Facial images: No facial recognition or facial data collection
- Voice recordings: No audio recording or voice storage
- Personal information: No names, student IDs, or identifying details
- Biometric data: No fingerprint, face, or other biometric information
- Location data: No GPS or location tracking beyond classroom seat positions
Data processing and storage
Local processing
On-device analysis
- All analysis happens on your classroom device
- No data sent to external servers during class
- Real-time processing for immediate insights
- Complete privacy during active monitoring
School-owned storage
Your school controls data
- Data stored in your school’s cloud or local servers
- School IT administrators control access
- No third-party data sharing
- Complete data ownership and control
Privacy protection measures
No facial recognition
CoGuide explicitly does not use facial recognition technology:1
Computer vision only
Uses computer vision to detect hand-raising gestures and general classroom activity.
2
No face analysis
Never analyzes, stores, or processes facial images or biometric data.
3
Gesture detection
Focuses only on detecting participation gestures like raised hands.
4
Anonymous tracking
All participation data is tied to seat locations, not individual identities.
Seat mapping privacy
When using seat mapping, privacy is maintained through location-based tracking:Anonymous participation
- Seat numbers only: Participation tied to A1, A2, B1, etc., not student names
- No identity linking: Seat numbers are not linked to student identities
- Pattern analysis: Focus on participation patterns, not individual students
- Aggregate reporting: Analytics show classroom trends, not individual performance
Data minimization
- Essential data only: Collect only participation timing and frequency
- No personal details: No names, photos, or identifying information
- Temporary storage: Data kept only as long as needed for analysis
- Automatic purging: Old data automatically deleted according to retention policies
Voice and audio privacy
CoGuide processes voice data for participation tracking without recording or storing audio:Real-time processing
Real-time processing
- Voice data processed in real-time for participation detection
- No audio recording or storage
- Voice patterns analyzed for speaking time calculation
- Audio data discarded immediately after processing
No voice storage
No voice storage
- No audio files created or stored
- No voice recordings saved
- No speech-to-text conversion stored
- No voice data transmitted to external servers
Privacy protection
Privacy protection
- Voice data never leaves the classroom device
- No voice analysis beyond participation detection
- No voice recognition or identification
- Complete audio privacy maintained
Security measures
Data encryption
All data is protected with industry-standard encryption:Encryption in transit
- TLS 1.3: All data transmission encrypted with latest TLS standards
- End-to-end encryption: Data encrypted from device to storage
- Certificate pinning: Prevents man-in-the-middle attacks
- Secure protocols: Only secure communication protocols used
Encryption at rest
- AES-256: Data encrypted with military-grade encryption
- Key management: Encryption keys managed securely
- Separate keys: Different encryption keys for different data types
- Regular rotation: Encryption keys rotated regularly
Access controls
Comprehensive access controls ensure only authorized personnel can access data:1
Teacher authentication
Teachers must authenticate to access CoGuide and classroom data.
2
Role-based access
Different access levels for teachers, administrators, and IT staff.
3
Audit logging
All data access logged and monitored for security.
4
Session management
Automatic logout and session timeout for security.
Network security
Secure connections
Protected communication
- All network traffic encrypted
- VPN support for additional security
- Firewall-friendly design
- No unencrypted data transmission
Offline capability
Local operation
- Works completely offline
- No internet required for core functions
- Data syncs when connection available
- Maximum privacy and security
Compliance and regulations
FERPA compliance
CoGuide is designed to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA):No PII collection
No PII collection
- No personally identifiable information collected
- Data cannot be linked to individual students
- Anonymous participation tracking only
- School controls all data access
Educational purpose
Educational purpose
- Data used only for educational purposes
- No commercial use of student data
- No sharing with third parties
- School maintains data ownership
Parent rights
Parent rights
- Parents can request data deletion
- School controls data access and sharing
- No data used for non-educational purposes
- Transparent data practices
COPPA compliance
Complies with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA):- No personal information: No collection of personal information from children
- School-controlled: All data processing under school control
- No third-party sharing: No data shared with external parties
- Parental consent: School obtains necessary parental consent
State privacy laws
CoGuide complies with state student privacy laws including:- California Student Privacy Rights Act (CalSPRA)
- New York Education Law Section 2-d
- Illinois Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA)
- Other state privacy regulations
Data retention and deletion
Retention policies
1
Configurable retention
Schools can set their own data retention periods (7-90 days recommended).
2
Automatic deletion
Data automatically deleted when retention period expires.
3
Manual deletion
Teachers and administrators can delete data immediately if needed.
4
Audit trail
All data deletion logged and auditable.
Data deletion options
Immediate deletion
Immediate deletion
- Delete specific class sessions
- Remove individual student data
- Clear all data from device
- Emergency data purge
Scheduled deletion
Scheduled deletion
- Automatic deletion after retention period
- End-of-semester data purging
- End-of-year data cleanup
- Custom deletion schedules
Export and delete
Export and delete
- Export data before deletion
- Create backups if needed
- Verify data removal
- Confirm deletion completion
School data ownership
Complete data control
Your school maintains complete control over all data:Data ownership
- School property: All data belongs to your school
- No third-party access: CoGuide cannot access your data
- School policies: Your school’s data policies apply
- Complete control: School decides how data is used and shared
Data portability
- Export capabilities: Export all data in standard formats
- Data migration: Move data to other systems if needed
- No vendor lock-in: Data not tied to CoGuide platform
- Open formats: Data stored in open, accessible formats
IT administration
School IT administrators have full control over CoGuide deployment:Deployment control
IT management
- Control where data is stored
- Set security policies
- Manage user access
- Monitor data usage
Compliance oversight
Regulatory compliance
- Ensure FERPA compliance
- Monitor data retention
- Audit data access
- Report on data practices
Transparency and communication
Clear privacy policies
1
Written policies
Clear, written privacy policies explain data collection and use.
2
Regular updates
Privacy policies updated regularly and communicated to stakeholders.
3
Easy access
Privacy policies easily accessible to teachers, students, and parents.
4
Plain language
Policies written in clear, understandable language.
Stakeholder communication
Teacher training
Teacher training
- Privacy training for all teachers using CoGuide
- Clear guidelines on data use and protection
- Regular updates on privacy practices
- Support for privacy-related questions
Parent communication
Parent communication
- Clear explanation of what data is collected
- Information about privacy protections
- Contact information for privacy questions
- Regular updates on privacy practices
Student awareness
Student awareness
- Age-appropriate explanation of classroom monitoring
- Information about privacy protections
- Clear understanding of what is tracked
- Reassurance about data security
Security best practices
For teachers
1
Secure devices
Keep classroom devices updated and secure.
2
Access control
Use strong passwords and enable device locks.
3
Data handling
Follow school policies for data access and sharing.
4
Regular updates
Keep CoGuide software updated for latest security features.
For IT administrators
1
Network security
Ensure secure network configuration for CoGuide deployment.
2
Access management
Implement proper user access controls and monitoring.
3
Data backup
Establish secure data backup and recovery procedures.
4
Security monitoring
Monitor CoGuide usage and data access for security issues.
Incident response
Security incident procedures
1
Immediate response
Stop monitoring and secure data if security incident occurs.
2
Assessment
Assess scope and impact of any security incident.
3
Notification
Notify appropriate stakeholders according to school policies.
4
Recovery
Implement recovery procedures and security improvements.
Data breach procedures
Immediate actions
Immediate actions
- Stop all data collection immediately
- Secure all devices and data
- Assess scope of breach
- Notify school administration
Investigation
Investigation
- Determine cause of breach
- Identify affected data
- Assess potential impact
- Document findings
Recovery
Recovery
- Implement security fixes
- Restore secure operations
- Update security procedures
- Monitor for additional issues
Privacy questions and support
Getting help
Privacy documentation
Detailed privacy policies and procedures available in CoGuide documentation.
Support team
Contact our privacy team at [email protected] for privacy questions.
School IT
Work with your school’s IT department for technical privacy questions.
Legal counsel
Consult with your school’s legal team for compliance questions.
Regular privacy reviews
- Annual reviews: Regular privacy policy and practice reviews
- Compliance audits: Periodic compliance assessments
- Security updates: Regular security updates and improvements
- Stakeholder feedback: Regular input from teachers, students, and parents
Next steps
Learn more about CoGuide’s privacy and security features:Data protection
Detailed information about data protection measures and procedures.
Compliance
Comprehensive compliance information for FERPA, COPPA, and state laws.
Analytics insights
Learn how analytics protect privacy while providing valuable insights.
Integrations
Understand how integrations maintain privacy and security.