Privacy Policy

Operational PAL Assessment

YOU ARE REQUIRED TO READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS SITE.

THIS STATEMENT PROVIDES GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRIVACY POLICY OF THIS WEBSITE AND ITS RELATED PLATFORMS (MOBILE OR OTHERWISE). IF YOU ARE UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE, PLEASE BE SURE TO READ THIS PRIVACY POLICY WITH YOUR PARENTS OR GUARDIAN AND ASK THEM QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND.

YOUR USE OF THIS SERVICE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE BY YOU OF THIS PRIVACY POLICY.

The Evaluation Systems group of Pearson, a business of NCS Pearson, Inc. ("Pearson") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy applies to Personal Data that Pearson may collect or process in providing electronic portfolio registration and services as a service provider to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education ("Client"). Pearson are providing you this site and its related applications and services and the Pearson ePortfolio system (collectively, "Service"). The Service may be delivered to you through the Internet via your browser or app (mobile or otherwise). For purposes of this Privacy Policy "Personal Data" is any information that can be used to identify you or that when added with other Personal Data can be linked to you and includes those listed below.

This Privacy Policy discloses how we collect, protect, use and share information gathered on this Service. Your use of this Service is further subject to the terms of use ("Terms of Use") posted on this website or app (this Privacy Policy is part of the Terms of Use).

If you have any questions or concerns about the Privacy Policy, please contact us. For information on how to contact us, see How to Contact Us below.

Your Rights and Responsibilities

You agree that by visiting and/or providing, transmitting, or having another party you have authorized provide or transmit your Personal Data to us on any of our Sites, you are accepting the practices described in this Privacy Policy and any updates made to this Privacy Policy. It is your responsibility to read this Privacy Policy and check for updates on a regular basis. By continuing to use our Site, products or services after such updates have been made you are agreeing to be bound by any changes to this Privacy Policy.

You are never required to provide us with your Personal Data. If you do not agree to this Privacy Policy, please do not provide, transmit or allow anyone else to provide or transmit your Personal Data to us; however, if you decide to not provide to us your Personal Data it may affect our ability to allow you to register, schedule, and take a test administered and delivered by us on behalf of the Client; or to provide to you any other products or services offered.

You agree that we may collect or receive, use, process, disclose, transfer and retain your Personal Data as described herein. This Privacy Policy governs your use of any and all of our Sites, our testing services, and in purchasing our products and services in general. We will use your Personal Data only for the purposes set forth herein.

As the subject of the Personal Data collected, you have rights related to the Personal Data that we hold about you.

At any time you have the right to:

Request access to the information we hold about you, subject to the approval of the Client.
Ask us how to correct any inaccurate or incomplete information we have about you or request us to make the corrections, subject to the approval of the Client.
Request us to delete your information from our records, subject to the approval of the Client.

You may request access, correction, or deletion of and correct the Personal Data you have submitted by logging into your account, calling our toll-free number at 1-877-460-2204, or contacting us by email.

Upon receiving any request listed above, we may need to verify your request. In this case, we may ask you to provide additional information, including information you have previously disclosed to us, to confirm your identity. If you wish to designate an authorized agent under any law or regulation, please contact us at the toll-free number above and we will coordinate that designation. We will respond to access requests within a reasonable amount of time in accordance with state and national laws and requirements. We recognize that you may have a right to not receive discriminatory treatment by exercising any of the rights listed above.

Additionally, if you have questions or requests regarding the above, please contact us as outlined in the How to Contact Us section below.

Purpose of this Site and Collecting Personal Data. This Site is an online registration and web based platform designed for use by Massachusetts Performance Assessment for Leaders ("PAL") candidates to register for the PAL and submit materials for scoring and reporting to designated education agencies. Pearson may use the Personal Data and content candidates provide while accessing this site to: a) perform registration and collect payment for the PAL; b) communicate with the candidate about the assessment registration, assessment process, and assessment results; c) perform services, including scoring and data analysis; d) prepare and communicate test results to the Client, candidate, and the candidate's designated reporting educator preparation programs(s) or entity; e) improve products and services; f) notify candidates about updates, products, and services related to PAL; g) contact candidates regarding opportunities for participation in test-related studies or activities. If a candidate does not wish to be contacted regarding these opportunities, please contact us at es-postmaster@pearson.com.

Personal Data Collection and Disclosure. The personal data that Pearson collects or receives from Candidates who participate in the PAL may include the following: name, e-mail address, address, phone number, partial social security number (last four digits), date of birth, gender, assessment field, a MEPID (Massachusetts Education Personnel ID), educational program/institution affiliation, primary language (optional), district in which you work, licensure level (optional), expected program completion date (optional), race/ethnicity, credit card or payment information.

Upon request by the candidate, we will (i) deactivate the candidate's account, thereby canceling the candidate's ability to use the Site, or (ii) correct a candidate's Personal Data that is erroneous.

This site is not directed to children or anyone under the age of thirteen (13). Pearson will not, through this site knowingly collect, maintain, or use any personally identifiable information about anyone under the age of thirteen (13).

Content Collection and Disclosure. Candidate users of this site may submit personal portfolio materials or artifacts through this site for purposes of the PAL scoring at Pearson. All portfolio materials submitted by candidate users may be viewed by the following individuals: employees, contractors, or subcontractors of Pearson scoring the assessment or providing technical support or related systems or services. Submitted assessment materials, or a portion thereof, may be reviewed by authorized individuals at the Client as part of an investigation associated with compliance with the Rules of Assessment Participation or an originality detection investigation, as needed. Pearson will provide the scores assigned to candidate portfolio materials or artifacts to the educational program/institution/entity designated by the candidate during the registration process and to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. With candidate consent (obtained from response to the associated registration question), the PAL assessment materials, without student or other identifying information may be used for development activities conducted by Pearson and the Client to support continued assessment development processes. These development activities may include, but are not limited to, conducting ongoing studies of the PAL. In the event content submitted by users violates state or federal law, or indicates the existence of a threat of harm to any person as determined in Pearson's sole discretion, Pearson may also provide the user's Personal Data and portfolio materials to local, state or federal law enforcement officials.

Data Categories. We may collect and/or disclose to third parties the following categories of data in order to manage day to day business needs including, but not limited to, providing you with our services, performing services on behalf of a business, payment processing and financial account management, business planning and forecasting, system improvements, security and fraud prevention, and compliance with legal and regulatory obligations:

Identifiers such as a real name, address, unique personal identifiers, or email address
Customer records such as signature
Characteristics of protected classifications under California or federal law
Commercial information, such as products or services purchased, obtained, or considered
Biometric information
Internet or other electronic network activity information such as information regarding a consumer's interaction with an Internet Web site, application, or advertisement
Geolocation data
Sensory data, such as audio, electronic, visual, or similar information
Professional or employment-related information
Education information
Inferences about preferences, characteristics, psychological trends, preferences, predispositions, behavior, attitudes, intelligence, abilities, and aptitudes

Other Use or Disclosure of Information. We do not and will not sell your Personal Data. Except for the limited exceptions set forth below, Pearson will not share with or disclose to third parties a candidate's personally identifiable information collected through or in connection with this Site. Pearson may, however, use or disclose personally identifiable information:

as requested or required by the Client or to another educational program/institution/entity that candidate designates;
in response to a subpoena, court order, or legal process, to the extent permitted and required by law;
to protect candidate security or the security of other persons, consistent with applicable law;
in connection with a sale, joint venture, or other transfer of some or all of the assets of Pearson;
to affiliated companies and organizations who are working as contractors or agents of Pearson who are obligated to protect candidates privacy in a manner consistent with this Privacy Policy.

By using this Site and the Pearson ePortfolio system, a candidate gives their consent for their Personal Data to be transmitted in the situations outlined above.

Pearson may statistically aggregate in non-person-specific form assessment responses and other information collected in the assessment registration and delivery process. Such aggregated non-person-specific information may be used for quality control, operations management, and security and to enhance, develop, or improve assessment processes, assessment services, and assessments.

Protection of Personal Data. Pearson uses reasonable precautions to protect Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These precautions include industry standard physical, electronic, and managerial procedures. For example, this Site currently uses industry-standard TLS encryption to protect user account and password information and uses a secure connection to Pearson servers, which are protected by firewalls to prevent unauthorized access. The administrative system and authentication mechanisms are protected through the use of TLS encryption of data transmitted via HTTP. As other security methodologies become commercially available, Pearson may change its current security systems processes or substitute these systems with other security systems or processes.

IP Addresses. An IP address is a number automatically assigned to a computer by the Internet Service Provider ("ISP"). This site may collect IP addresses; the associated URLs; domain types; the browser type used to access our site; the country, state, and telephone area code; the location of the ISP's servers; the pages of our site that the user views during the visit; any search terms entered on this site; and the user's Web site address and e-mail address. This information may be collected for system administration purposes, to gather broad demographic information, and to monitor the level of activity on the site. Pearson does not link IP addresses to personally identifiable information; however, we reserve the right to link IP addresses and other information supplied by the ISP to personally identifiable information in order to protect the integrity of our system and for security purposes.

Cookies and Do Not Track

Cookies are small text files that a website transfers to a computer's browser. We use cookies to measure traffic patterns, personalize content, and control security. The cookies we use supply non-personally-identifiable information, but they may identify your computer, browser, and Internet specifications.

This site does not respond to web browser "do not track" signals or comparable signals or mechanisms.

Precautions to be Taken by Users

User Information and access to this Site is password protected for candidate privacy. Candidates are urged to keep confidential all user information and passwords. If storage of this information is required, it is recommended that it be kept in a secure location. To protect data, candidates should always logoff when exiting this Site and not divulge or share user identification or passwords with anyone.

Links to Other Sites

This website may contain links to other websites on the Internet that are owned and operated by third parties, or by Pearson or its affiliates. The information practices of those websites are not covered by this Privacy Policy, but by their own terms and policies, which should be read carefully. These other sites may send their cookies to users, collect data, or solicit Personal Data. This Privacy Policy applies only to information collected or received in connection with assessment registration and services for the PAL. This Privacy Policy is not intended to apply to other Pearson websites, or other types of information which may be subject to different privacy policies.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to change the terms of this Privacy Policy and the Terms of Use for this Site from time to time by posting an updated Privacy Policy. Authorized users will be notified of any material changes to this Privacy Policy at login, via email or through another form of notification. We encourage candidates to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes or updates. Unless otherwise specified, continued use of this Site following the posting and notification of such revisions or the designated effective date will indicate your acceptance of such revisions. This Privacy Policy is effective as of November 1, 2020, at 12:00 a.m. EDT.

How to Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at es-postmaster@pearson.com.

PAL Pilot Test

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY

YOUR USE OF THIS SERVICE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE BY YOU OF THIS PRIVACY POLICY.

The Evaluation Systems group of Pearson, a business of NCS Pearson, Inc. ("Pearson") respects your privacy. Pearson is providing you this site and its related applications and services (collectively, "Service"). The Service may be delivered to you through the Internet via your browser or app (mobile or otherwise). This Privacy Policy applies to Personal Data that Pearson may collect or process in providing testing registration and testing services as a service provider to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing ("Client"). For purposes of this Privacy Policy "Personal Data" is any information that can be used to identify you or that when added with other Personal Data can be linked to you and includes those listed below.

If you have any questions or concerns about the Privacy Policy, please contact us. For information on how to contact us, see Contacting Pearson below.

Your Rights and Responsibilities

As the subject of the Personal Data collected, you have rights related to the Personal Data that we hold about you.

At any time you have the right to:

Request access to the information we hold about you, subject to the approval of the Client.
Ask us how to correct any inaccurate or incomplete information we have about you or request us to make the corrections, subject to the approval of the Client.
Request us to delete your information from our records, subject to the approval of the Client.

You may request access or deletion of and correct the Personal Data you have submitted by logging into your account, calling our toll-free number at 1-877-460-2204, or contacting us at es-postmaster@pearson.com.

If you would like to correct the personal information that we collect at the time of registration, please follow the process on the "Update Personal Information" page of your account on this site.

Additionally, if you have questions or requests regarding the above, please contact us as outlined in the Contacting Pearson section below.

What personal information do these Services collect?

The Personal Data Pearson collects or receives about you in providing these Services may include:

first name,
last name,
address,
email address,
phone number and/or fax number,
gender,
race/ethnicity,
assessment,
language,
date of birth,
preparation program/institution affiliation, and
Educational information including educational institutions you attended and the educational institution you have specified to receive your test results ("reporting institution").
Internet Service Provider (ISP) Information including: IP address, URLs, domain types, browser type used to access the site, and location of the ISP's servers, pages visited by you while on our site, search terms entered by you on the site, your website and email address. This information may be collected for administration purposes, to gather demographic information, and to monitor activity levels on the site. IP addresses are not linked to personally identifiable information; however, we reserve the right to link IP addresses and other information supplied by the ISP to personally identifiable information in order to protect the integrity of our system and for security purposes.

This website and our Services are not directed to children or anyone under the age of thirteen (13). Pearson will not, through this website or through its test registration and administration process, knowingly collect, maintain or use any personally identifiable information about anyone under the age of thirteen (13).

Identifiers such as a real name, address, unique personal identifiers, or email address
Customer records such as signature
Characteristics of protected classifications under California or federal law
Commercial information, such as products or services purchased, obtained, or considered
Biometric information
Internet or other electronic network activity information such as information regarding a consumer's interaction with an Internet website, application, or advertisement
Geolocation data
Sensory data, such as audio, electronic, visual, or similar information
Professional or employment-related information
Education information
Inferences about preferences, characteristics, psychological trends, preferences, predispositions, behavior, attitudes, intelligence, abilities, and aptitudes

How and why does the Service collect my personal information?

Pearson collects personal information provided by you for purposes of registering, taking and reporting the results of the examinations related to these Services for a variety of reasons:

To perform test registration and collect payment for test registration fees;
To communicate with you about the test registration, test process, and test results on behalf of the Client;
To administer, score and prepare test results;
To communicate test results reports to you, the Client and your specified reporting institution;
To improve products and services.

In addition, Pearson may use the information you provide to contact you with regard to other test-related information or other opportunities for participation in other testing related studies or activities. If you do not wish to be contacted regarding these opportunities, please contact us at es-postmaster@pearson.com.

What is the legal basis for Pearson using my personal information?

Pearson is processing your personal information with your consent and in order to fulfill our contract obligations to the Client. Providing personal information to register and take the examination covered by this Notice is voluntary. By reading and acknowledging this Notice and registering for the Services associated with this Notice, you consent to have your personal information transmitted and processed in accordance with this Notice.

Will Pearson share my personal information with anyone else?

We do not and will not sell your personal information. We may disclose and share your personal information, including:

To the Client and your specified Reporting Institution; and/or
With relevant third parties (such as law enforcement agencies, your employer or educational institution) if we reasonably believe you may be in breach of the law (e.g., in response to a subpoena, court order, or legal process, to the extent permitted and required by law); and/or
To maintain test security and integrity, and/or to protect your security and safety and the security and safety of other persons, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law; and/or
In connection with a sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of our company or assets, subject to the commitment of the acquiring entity to comply with this Notice; and/or
With our contractors, agents, or service providers who are committed and required to implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your privacy consistent with applicable law and this Notice; and/or
In other situations with your consent or as required by the Client.

We also use personal information in aggregate form (so that no individual user is identified by name) to identify types of users, test responses and other information, audit and analyze how our Services are used, to help with strategic development of our Services, to conduct quality control, operations management, and to develop or enhance security and testing processes, services and tests. This information may also be shared with the Client.

What is Pearson's applicable Cookie policy for these Services?

Cookies are small text files that a website transfers to your computer's browser. We use cookies to measure traffic patterns, personalize content, and control security. The cookies we use supply non-personally-identifiable information, but they may identify your computer, browser, and Internet specifications.

Will Pearson send my personal information to another country?

The Services associated with this Notice are hosted within the United States. The Internet is a global environment. By using this website and sending information to us electronically, you consent to the electronic transmission of any data that you may choose to supply. Information transmissions to this site and emails sent to us may not be secure. Given the inherent operation and nature of the Internet, all Internet transmissions are done at the user's own risk.

Links to other sites

This website may contain links to other websites on the Internet that are owned and operated by third parties, or by Pearson or its affiliates. The information practices of those websites are not covered by this Privacy Policy, but by their own terms and policies, which you should read carefully. These other sites may send their cookies to users, collect data, or solicit personal information. This Privacy Policy applies only to information collected or received in connection with test registration and services for the Client. This Privacy Policy is not intended to apply to other Pearson websites, or other types of information which may be subject to different privacy policies.

Changes to this Notice

We may update this Notice from time to time. We will always include the date of a new version so that you know when there has been a change.

Contacting Pearson

If you have any questions or concerns about this Notice, please do not hesitate to contact us at es-postmaster@pearson.com.

Updated October 10, 2023

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