DEPARTMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD'S FOCUS ON EARLY LEARNING
PRIVACY POLICY
Last Updated: February 16, 2018


This Privacy Policy describes how information about you is collected, used and disclosed by the Department of Early Childhood's Focus on Early Learning (“Focus on Early Learning,” “we,” “us” or “our”). This Privacy Policy applies to information we collect when you use our website, www.bpsearlylearning.org, and any other Focus on Early Learning websites, mobile applications, social media platforms, or other online products and services that link to this Privacy Policy (collectively the "Sites"). This Policy does not apply to Sites that link to a different privacy policy. We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make changes, we will notify you by revising the date at the top of the policy, and we may, in some cases, provide you with additional notice (such as adding a statement to our homepage or sending you an email notification). We encourage you to review the Privacy Policy whenever you access the Sites to stay informed about our information practices and the ways you can help protect your privacy.

WHAT WE COLLECT
Information You Provide Us
We collect information directly from you when you provide it to us, such as when you:

  • Register for a service or event on our Sites;
  • Register to receive our newsletters or other updates;
  • Submit a contact request;
  • Fill out a form;
  • Respond to surveys available on the Sites or through email communications;
  • Post material or requests; and
  • Correspond with us.

The types of information we may directly collect include your name, email address, zip code, phone number, and other information you choose to provide.

Information We Collect Automatically When You Use the Sites
As you navigate through and interact with our Sites, we may use automatic data collection technologies to collect certain information about you, your equipment, browsing actions and patterns, including details of your visits to our Sites, including:

  • Log Information: We log information about your use of the Services, including the type of browser you use, access times, pages viewed, your IP address, and the page you visited before navigating to our Services.
  • Device Information: We collect information about the computer or mobile device you use to access our Services, including the hardware model, operating system and version, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information.
  • Traffic data, location data, logs, and other communication data and the resources that you access and use on the Sites; and

The technologies we use for automatic data collection may include:

  • Cookies (or browser cookies). A cookie is an electronic identifier that is transferred automatically to your computer through your browser that allows our computers to save certain information about you and recognize you when you visit our Sites in the future so we can remember preferences, track usage, see which areas and features of our Services are popular, and improve the Sites and your experience. You may at any time disable or refuse to accept browser cookies by changing the preferences or settings on your browser. However, if you select this setting you may be unable to access certain parts of our Sites.
  • Flash Cookies. Flash cookies (also called locally shared objects) may also be used to remember preferences or settings and to track usage. However, Flash cookies are stored differently on your hard drive and are managed through a different interface than the one provided by your web browser. If you wish to disable or delete Flash cookies from your system, you should consult the Help file for your Flash application, and/or visit http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/disable-local-shared-objects-flash.html for detailed instructions on how to do this. However, if you turn Flash cookies off, you may not have access to some features and services of the Sites.
  • Web Beacons. Pages of our the Sites and our e-mails may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as clear gifs, pixel tags and single-pixel gifs) that are used, for example, to count users who have visited those pages or opened an e-mail and for other related website statistics (for example, recording the popularity of certain website content, and verifying system and server integrity).
  • Analytics. We may use third parties to provide analytics services on the Sites. These third parties may use cookies, web beacons, and other technologies to collect information about your use of the Sites and other websites, including your IP address, web browser, pages viewed, time spent on pages, links clicked, and conversion information. This information may be used by Focus on Early Learning and others to, among other things, analyze and track data, determine the popularity of certain content, deliver advertising, and content targeted to your interests on our Sites and better understand your online activity. For example, we use Google Analytics, which is a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google"). to help analyze how individuals interact with the Sites. For information about how Google Analytics collects and processes data, please use this link: www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/.

USE OF INFORMATION
We use your information as follows:

  • To operate, maintain, and improve our sites, products, and services;
  • To transmit email to you to respond to your comments, questions, or use or access of our products or services;
  • To link or combine user information with other personal information;
  • To provide and deliver the information, products, and services you request;
  • To provide news and information we think will be of interest to you;
  • To monitor and analyze trends, usage, and activities in connection with our Sites; and
  • To carry out any other purpose for which the information was collected.

SHARING OF INFORMATION
We may share information about you as follows or as otherwise described in this Privacy Policy:

  • With vendors, consultants, and other service providers who need access to such information to carry out work on our behalf;
  • In response to a request for information if we believe disclosure is in accordance with any applicable law, regulation, or legal process, or as otherwise required by any applicable law, rule or regulation;
  • If we believe your actions are inconsistent with the spirit or language of our user agreements or policies, or to protect the rights, property, and safety of Focus on Early Learning or others;
  • To investigate, prevent or take action regarding suspected illegal activities, fraud, or potential threats, or exercise legal rights or defend against claims;
  • In connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of our business to another company; and
  • With your consent or at your direction, including if we notify you through our Services that the information you provide will be shared in a particular manner and you provide such information.

SECURITY
Focus on Early Learning takes reasonable measures to help protect information about you from loss, theft, misuse and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration and destruction.

YOUR CHOICES
You may opt out of receiving our newsletter or other promotional emails from Focus on Early Learning by following the instructions in those emails. If you opt out, we may still send you non-promotional communications, such as those about your use of the Sites.

CONTACT INFORMATION
We welcome your comments or questions about this privacy policy. You may also contact us at our address:
Boston Public Schools' Department of Early Childhood
3200 Washington Street, Third Floor
Roxbury, MA 02119
earlylearning@bostonpublicschools.org

 

Focus on Early Learning