This policy describes the privacy practices of Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (“McREL”) This privacy policy is relevant only for McREL websites and does not apply to McREL printed publications, seminars, conferences or any other McREL media or presentations outside of the McREL websites. This policy does not apply to any third party websites or to companies or persons not controlled, affiliated or managed by McREL and applies only to information collected by McREL through a McREL website and not to information disclosed, obtained or used by McREL through other means. McREL may provide links to unaffiliated websites for which this privacy policy does not apply. If you are unsure whether a website is controlled, affiliated or managed by McREL, we recommend that you review the privacy policy at each linked website to determine how that site treats your personal information.
McREL may change this privacy policy from time to time. The revised policy will be posted on the McREL website. Please check this page periodically for changes.
Personally Identifying Information (PIN)
The Personally Identifying Information (PIN) gathered by McREL on McREL websites may include but is not limited to your e-mail address, password, zip code, age, gender, name (and/or company name), street address, phone number and credit card numbers or other billing information where necessary to contact you or to process website purchases. The PIN collected depends on the website page you are visiting and the services that you participate in.
McREL does not knowingly collect personally identifying information from children under the age of 13.
Website User Registration
User registration may be required to access content, services and features on McREL websites. Upon registration, we may require you select a user name and password that will allow you to change your PIN as needed.
Feedback, Commentary, Surveys, Message Boards, Chat Rooms, Blogs
Those website users that choose to provide feedback or commentary, fill out surveys, engage in McREL chat rooms, post content on McREL blogs or use McREL message boards may be required to provide additional PIN such as demographic information, household/personal characteristics, education level and profession.
Some chat room and message board and blog forums may require registration and the sharing of PIN. Any information disclosed in chat rooms, forums, message boards, blogs and/or other interactive website groups becomes public information. Such information is not subject to this policy. You should exercise caution when deciding to disclose personal information in public forums. McREL does not send spam, however, other parties may view or mine your email address or other PIN from public forums and send spam. Therefore, you should consider taking steps to prevent spam from being sent to the email address you provide in such interactive website forums.
Forwarding
Forwarding an article found on a McREL website generally requires that you disclose the name and e-mail address of the person to whom you are forwarding the article. McREL will retain this information only to provide the forwarding service.
Special Circumstances
McREL may disclose and use the information collected where required to do so by law, or where McREL, in good faith, believes the use or disclosure of the information collected is necessary to (1) comply with the law or legal processes; (2) protect and defend McREL rights and property; (3) protect against misuse or unauthorized use of any McREL website; or to (4) protect the personal safety or property of users or the public. McREL may also use the information collected when, in its sole discretion, it believes necessary or appropriate in connection with a sale or transfer of some or all of McREL’s assets.
Computer Identifying Information (CIN)
The information personal to your computer and your computer use automatically is referred to as computer identifying information (CIN). The CIN gathered by McREL generally includes cookies, specific website page requests, the domain name (e.g., www.mcrel.org) and Internet Service Provider (e.g., Comcast, American Online, NetZero) from which you access the Internet, the Internet Protocol address of your computer, the browser software (e.g. Internet Explorer or Netscape) and operating system (e.g., Windows XP, 2000, OS/2 or MacOS) you are using, your geographic location, the time and date you accessed the site, and the Internet address you visited prior to visiting the site.
Cookies
Cookies are used to store and track information about you. A cookie is a small amount of data that is sent to your browser from a Web service and stored on your computer’s hard drive. Cookies may be linked to PIN. Cookies may be used to deliver targeted advertising based on your behavior and demographics and for other purposes. Advertising networks that serve ads into our sites may also use cookies.
Internet Protocol (IP) Address
An IP address is your computer’s location on the Internet. McREL websites may log IP addresses for systems administration and troubleshooting purposes, to gather demographic and other information about you and to link information about a users computer session to PIN.
Aggregate information
Aggregate information is user information not linked to personally identifiable information.
USE OF INFORMATION COLLECTED
In general, McREL uses your PIN and CIN that is collected to administer the McREL websites and to provide information and services you request. When you provide PIN information and access McREL websites, you are sharing PIN and CIN with McREL and McREL affiliates and service providers. If you do not want to share your PIN information, do not provide it. If you do not want to share CIN, do not access McREL websites. In addition, McREL may share aggregate information with third parties such as advertisers and business partners. Aggregate information may also be used to perform statistical, demographic and marketing analysis of subscribers, their subscribing and purchasing patterns and to help diagnose problems with our services and our websites.
For example, McREL uses or may use the PIN and CIN collected to do the following:
Website Use & Registration: McREL may use the information collected for the purposes provided by each user such as to provide information and services, to confirm and process transactions and to contact the user regarding his or her account, new or existing products and services, special offers or to otherwise contact the user.
Personalization: McREL may use PIN and CIN collected to personalize the content and advertising that users see based on personal characteristics and preferences; enhance products and services and develop new products and services; share user information with select advertisers or other third parties whose products or services may be of interest to you.
Advertising & Third Parties: McREL may share PIN and CIN collected with third parties hired to perform services on our behalf, including but not limited to, fulfilling subscription requests, sending e-mails and assisting in the provision of the McREL websites and services and may supply PIN and CIN to third-party ad servers or ad networks to deliver ads to you.
Program & Product Offerings: McREL may use the PIN and CIN collected in order to offer you the opportunity to receive information and offers about products or services from our business partners or third parties provided such parties agree not to provide the information to others.
YOUR INFORMATION, YOUR CHOICE
If you do not wish to share your PIN, you always have the option to not provide the information or use the McREL service that requires it.
Opting-Out
If you are a current McREL registered website user or would like to become one, but do not want your PIN shared with third parties or do not want to receive promotional and/or marketing information about other products, services and offerings from McREL and/or any third parties, please review the following:
Third Party Opt-Out: If, at any time, you do not want us to share your information with third parties who wish to send you information about their products and services, simply follow the unsubscribe options at the bottom of the e-mail(s), or email us at privacy@mcrel.org, or write to us at the mailing address below. If you choose to opt-out via email, please put “THIRD PARTY OPT-OUT” in the subject line.
McREL Opt-Out: If, at any time, you do not to receive information about offers and new products and features from McREL, simply follow the unsubscribe options at the bottom of the email(s), or e-mail us at privacy@mcrel.org, or write to us at the address below. If you choose to opt-out via email, please put “McREL OPT-OUT” in the subject line.
Opt-Out Exception: Even if the registered user chooses to opt-out of receiving e-mails from both McREL and third parties, McREL reserves the right to contact a registered user regarding account status, changes to this policy, the terms of use, license agreements and other matters relevant to the use of the McREL websites, services or software provided through the websites and/or the information collected.
Review & Update Your PIN
A registered user of McREL websites may review and request a change or update of the PIN and/or e-mail preferences which he or she provided to McREL at any time by e-mailing us at privacy@mcrel.org or writing to us at the address below.
Mailing address for Opt-Out requests or PIN review or change requests:
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning
Attn: Privacy
4601 DTC Blvd., Suite 500
Denver Colorado 80237
Please include your name and the address to which you would like us to respond, and identify the nature of your request in detail.
SECURITY
McREL uses procedures to safeguard and help prevent unauthorized access to the information collected on the McREL websites. Although such protective measures have been put in place, McREL cannot ensure that the information collected will never be disclosed in a manner inconsistent with this privacy policy.
CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS
Under California law, California residents may request certain information regarding McREL’s disclosure of personal information to third parties for direct marketing purposes. To make such a request, please e-mail us at privacy@mcrel.org or write to us at:
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning
Attn: California Privacy
4601 DTC Blvd., Suite 500
Denver, Colorado 80237
Please include your name and the address to which you would like us to respond, and identify the nature of your request in detail.
CHANGES AND QUESTIONS
McREL may change this privacy policy from time to time. The revised policy will be posted on the McREL website. Please check this page periodically for changes.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding our privacy policy and/or practices, please contact the privacy coordinator using the contact information provided below.
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning
Attn: Privacy Coordinator
4601 DTC Blvd., Suite 500
Denver, COLORADO 80237
