Data Handling Statement
ADLEA works with educators, schools, districts, families, researchers, and partners in Armenia and across the diaspora. That work depends on trust. This statement describes the principles and practices ADLEA follows whenever we collect, use, store, or share information about the people in our community, especially learners. It complements our Privacy Policy.
Our Principles
- Collect only what we need. We collect the least information necessary for a clear, stated purpose.
- Never sell data. We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information, and we never use it for advertising or marketing profiles.
- Be open about our practices. We tell people what we collect, why we collect it, and how long we keep it.
- Give special care to learners. Information about children and students receives the highest level of protection.
- Respect each community. We handle information with the cultural care and respect our Armenian and diaspora communities deserve.
Learner and Student Information
ADLEA works with learners through their schools, districts, and families, never around them.
- We collect information about learners only when it is needed for a specific program, such as Virtual ADLI Programs, or for an approved research study.
- For learners under 18, we obtain consent from a parent or guardian, and from their school or district where appropriate, before collecting personal information.
- When a school or district shares student records with us, we use them only for the purpose that school or district authorized. We handle them in line with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), California student privacy laws, and the laws of the country where the learner lives.
- We do not use learner information for advertising, for building profiles unrelated to learning, or for any purpose a family or school has not agreed to.
- Learner stories, photos, or videos are shared publicly only with written consent from the learner and, for minors, a parent or guardian. That consent can be withdrawn at any time.
Research and Evaluation
ADLEA’s research agenda helps build the evidence base for Armenian Dual Language Immersion. In all research and program evaluation, we:
- ask for informed consent from participants and, for minors, from a parent or guardian, before they take part;
- follow the ethical review requirements of our university research partners;
- remove names and other direct identifiers from research data whenever possible, and report findings only in combined form so that no individual learner, educator, or family can be identified; and
- keep research data separate from membership and contact records.
Educators, Members, and Partners
We use the information educators, members, and partners share with us, such as contact details, roles, schools, and membership details, to provide our programs and stay in touch. When a school, district, or sponsor pays for a membership, we share with them only what is needed to administer it.
How We Protect Information
- Access to personal information is limited to the ADLEA team members and service providers who need it for their work.
- We use reputable service providers that protect data in transit and at rest, and we secure our accounts with strong passwords and multi-factor authentication where available.
- We do not enter identifiable learner information into public or consumer AI tools.
- Service providers and partners who handle personal information on our behalf must protect it and use it only for the purposes we specify.
Keeping and Deleting Information
We keep personal information only as long as it is needed for the purpose it was collected for, or as long as the law requires. Learner information shared for a program is deleted or returned when the program ends or when the school, district, or family asks, unless the law requires us to keep it.
If Something Goes Wrong
If we learn that personal information in our care has been accessed without authorization, we will act promptly to contain the incident. We will notify affected individuals, families, and partner schools or districts as required by law.
Requests and Questions
Educators, families, learners, and partners can ask to see, correct, or delete the information we hold about them, or withdraw consent they have given, by emailing info@adlea.org. We review this statement at least once a year and update it as our programs grow.