RIVERSIDE INSIGHTS
REMOTE PROCTORING PRIVACY STATEMENT

LAST UPDATED: 8/31/20 

 

Introduction

Riverside Assessments, LLC dba Riverside Insights (“Riverside,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy and prioritizes the security and integrity of your data. We developed this Remote Proctoring Privacy Statement (“Remote Proctoring Statement”) to provide information about how we collect, use, share, store, and protect the information of customers who use remote proctoring services in connection with our assessment services.

This Remote Proctoring Statement is specific to remote proctoring sourced through Riverside and supplements other information we have published about our data privacy standards and practices. For privacy information about our broader assessment services, please consult our Assessment Privacy Policy.

 

Summary

  • Our customers sometimes need to use our assessment services remotely. In such cases, remote proctoring technology may be necessary to maintain the security of our assessments and the integrity of our customers’ results.
  • We only partner with reputable remote proctoring providers whose practices align with Riverside’s data privacy policies.
  • Our remote proctoring service providers may use video and audio recordings, browser activity monitoring, and other technologies. These measures are for the sole purpose of test security and confidentiality.
  • We comply with consent requirements under applicable laws, regulations, and data privacy guidelines.

 

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Definitions

“Assessment Sponsor” means an institution that uses Riverside’s Services, such as school districts, state educational agencies, and other educational bodies.

“Personal Information” means information that, either alone or in combination with other information, identifies or relates to an individual.

“Platforms” means Riverside’s web-based platforms for assessment, scoring, and reporting.

“Products” means Riverside’s educational, clinical, and special needs assessments.

“Remote Proctoring Providers” means the third parties with whom we partner to deliver Remote Proctoring Services.

“Remote Proctoring Services” means assessment proctoring services delivered virtually, including through automated proctoring software or live online proctoring, in conjunction with our customer’s use of the Products and Platforms.

“Services” means the Platforms, Products, and Remote Proctoring Services.

 

What Is Remote Proctoring?

In the context of assessment services, remote proctoring, also known as online or virtual proctoring, refers to various internet-based tools that perform functions simulating live in-person assessment proctoring. Remote proctoring, together with online delivery of assessments, allows test takers to complete assessments from their homes or other remote locations.

The exact method of remote proctoring varies across providers, ranging from online observation in real time by live human proctors to automated proctoring software that relies on recordings that are reviewed after the assessment ends. It is common for remote proctoring services to use video and audio recordings and browser activity monitoring in order to detect potential cheating and other impermissible actions.

 

Why Does Riverside Provide Remote Proctoring Services?

Assessments are a necessary tool for educators and families to identify students’ needs and abilities, empowering them to better support their students. The value of assessments depends in large part on the fairness of the assessment process, the security of the test content, and the validity of the results.

Some customers have identified a need to administer our assessments remotely. In order to maintain the integrity of our Services, Riverside employs Remote Proctoring Services. These Remote Proctoring Services allow us to maintain the confidentiality of our assessments and to guard against unauthorized conduct that may give some test takers an unfair advantage and thus undermine assessment results.

In cooperation with our Remote Proctoring Providers, Riverside strives to design and implement Remote Proctoring Services that prioritize your privacy and the fair treatment of all users.

 

How Does Riverside Provide Remote Proctoring Services?

Riverside does not directly provide Remote Proctoring Services. We contract with reputable third-party providers of Remote Proctoring Services, who are subject to strict confidentiality and privacy obligations with respect to your data. These obligations are set forth in written contracts. We also ensure that our remote proctoring partners have adopted privacy policies that are consistent with this Remote Proctoring Statement and comply with applicable laws, regulations, and data privacy guidelines.

Riverside only partners with reputable Remote Proctoring Providers that share our commitment to securing and protecting your data. Moreover, we only require information that is reasonably necessary to deliver the Remote Proctoring Services while still protecting the integrity of your assessment.

 

Information Collected by Our Remote Proctoring Services

Whenever you use our Remote Proctoring Services, in addition to the data collection activities described in our Assessment Privacy Policy, our Remote Proctoring Services may collect the following information:

  • Video recordings of you and your testing environment through your device’s webcam;
  • Audio recordings through your device’s microphone;
  • Recordings of all display screens connected to your device;
  • The number of display screens connected to your device;
  • Facial detection to determine whether you are looking away from your screen for an extended period, whether there are other people present in the test taking environment, or whether you have left the exam;
  • Open browser windows and tabs;
  • Third-party websites you visit while the assessment is in process;
  • Mouse navigation and movement;
  • Your device’s IP address, geolocation, and browser type(s) and size(s);
  • Identification of connected storage drives;
  • Identification of any applications you run other than those used to deliver the Services; and
  • Transcripts of communications with the Remote Proctoring Provider’s customer support.

 

How We Protect the Information Collected by Remote Proctoring Services

The exact measures we take to protect information collected and stored by the Remote Proctoring Services will depend on the applicable Remote Proctoring Provider. At a minimum, we ensure that any information stored after you complete the assessment is encrypted and can only be accessed by the Assessment Sponsor’s authorized personnel. If your Remote Proctoring Services involve the storage of any video or audio recordings, nobody from Riverside or the Remote Proctoring Provider will view these recordings.

 

Use of Information Collected by the Remote Proctoring Services

Information collected by the Remote Proctoring Services may be used in the following ways:

  • The Assessment Sponsor’s authorized personnel may use video footage and other recordings in order to verify your identity and investigate any irregularities, such as signs of unpermitted assistance.
  • Remote Proctoring Providers may use de-identified data for the purposes of identifying trends, statistics, security, and research. Our Remote Proctoring Providers agree to implement technical safeguards and business processes that prohibit attempts to re-identify de-identified data.
  • Remote Proctoring Providers may use session cookies and persistent cookies to better understand how you interact with their services, monitor aggregate usage and web traffic, and improve their Remote Proctoring Services.

 

Disclosure of Personal Information

We take commercially reasonable steps to ensure that our Remote Proctoring Providers do not disclose your Personal Information except in the following limited circumstances:

  • To fulfill a purpose for which you provided the information;
  • If disclosure is reasonably necessary to comply with applicable laws, regulations, or legal requests;
  • To protect the safety of any person;
  • To address fraud, security, and technical issues; and
  • To protect their rights or property.

 

How Long Is the Information Collected by the Remote Proctoring Services Retained?

We strive to keep information only as long as reasonably necessary to deliver the Services and in accordance with applicable legal and contractual requirements. The length of time that information collected through Remote Proctoring Services needs to be retained will vary according to the needs of the Assessment Sponsor.

 

Notice to Parents/Guardians of Minors Under Age 13

The consent of a parent/guardian of a minor under age 13 is required for the collection, use, and disclosure of their student’s Personal Information. We may collect Personal Information as described above from minors under age 13 for purposes of providing K-12 assessments. We will not require children to disclose more information than is reasonably necessary to provide the Services.

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and the regulations thereunder (“COPPA”) permit a school, acting in the role of “parent,” to provide required consent regarding Personal Information of students who are under the age of 13. Where a school is the subscriber to our Services, we rely on this form of COPPA consent. We provide the school with this Remote Proctoring Statement, to ensure that the school, in providing its COPPA consent, has full information and assurance that our practices comply with COPPA.

Parents/guardians may review their student’s Personal Information, direct their student’s Personal Information to be deleted, and refuse to allow any further collection or use of their student’s Personal Information. Parents/guardians may agree to the collection of their student’s Personal Information but still not allow disclosure to third parties unless disclosure is reasonably necessary to provide the Services. Parents/guardians can seek Riverside’s assistance in exercising their rights by contacting us via email at inquiry@riversideinsights.com or calling us toll-free at (800) 323-9540 (US) or (630) 467-7000 (Outside the US).