Terms of Service

 

User Accounts and Responsibilities

Student Accounts: Each student is assigned a unique username and password by their teacher or account administrator to access Essential Skills programs individually. Students must keep their login information confidential and are encouraged to use the service under teacher supervision. Essential Skills programs are intended solely for educational purposes, and students should not share or misuse their login credentials.

Essential Skills will not be liable for any damages or losses arising from unauthorized access or use of student accounts due to the sharing or misuse of login credentials. Authorized educational staff are responsible for guiding students in the proper use of their login credentials and for ensuring these are kept confidential.

Educator and Administrator Accounts: Educators and administrators have dedicated accounts separate from student accounts. These users can log in to manage student accounts, including adding, removing, or editing student usernames and passwords. Educators can also assign modules, programs, and pretests to students to facilitate their learning experience. Educators and administrators are responsible for safeguarding their login credentials and ensuring the privacy and security of the student accounts they manage.

Essential Skills will not be liable for any damages or losses arising from unauthorized access or use of educator accounts due to the sharing or misuse of login credentials. Educators and administrators are responsible for protecting their login information and that of their students, in compliance with applicable school policies and privacy laws.

By using the Essential Skills platform, all users agree to maintain the confidentiality of their login information and understand that any misuse of accounts may lead to account suspension or other measures as deemed appropriate by Essential Skills.

 

Subscription, Payment, and Refund Policy

Subscription Tiers: Essential Skills offers a range of subscription tiers tailored to different programs and bundles, with pricing that scales according to the number of users. Customers can choose a subscription tier that best suits their educational needs.

Annual Billing and Multi-Year Discounts: Subscriptions are billed on an annual basis. Essential Skills also offers multi-year subscriptions with discounted pricing for customers who wish to secure extended access.

Cancellation and Refund Policy: Essential Skills offers a 45-day cancellation policy. Customers who cancel within the first 45 days of their subscription are eligible for a full refund. After this period, refunds are not available, and the subscription will continue until the end of the current term.

By purchasing a subscription, customers agree to the pricing, billing, and cancellation terms outlined above.

 

Permitted and Prohibited Uses

Essential Skills provides programs intended exclusively for educational use. Users agree to use the service responsibly and in accordance with these Terms. The following activities are strictly prohibited:

• Unauthorized Access: Attempting to gain unauthorized access to any part of the platform, including other users’ accounts or restricted areas, is prohibited.
• Sharing Login Credentials: Users must not share login credentials with unauthorized individuals or outside parties, including sharing student account credentials with other students or third parties.
• Data Scraping and Automated Collection: Using bots, scrapers, or other automated means to collect, monitor, or copy data or content from the platform is strictly prohibited.
• Tampering or Disruption: Any activity that disrupts, slows down, or otherwise interferes with the functionality of the service, such as introducing viruses, malware, or engaging in activities that could harm the platform’s operation, is prohibited.
• Circumventing Security Measures: Attempting to bypass security or authentication measures on the platform or reverse-engineering any aspect of Essential Skills’ software is not allowed.
• Misuse of Intellectual Property: Copying, modifying, distributing, or otherwise using Essential Skills content, trademarks, or intellectual property for non-educational or unauthorized purposes is prohibited.
• Inappropriate Content or Conduct: Users must not use the platform to distribute or create inappropriate, offensive, or unlawful content or engage in harassment or abuse toward other users.
• Commercial or Non-Educational Use: The platform may not be used for commercial purposes, resale, or for any purpose unrelated to educational activities.

 

Intellectual Property Rights

Essential Skills Content: Essential Skills retains all rights, title, and interest in its programs, content, and materials provided on the platform. Users are granted a limited, non-exclusive, and non-transferable license to use these resources for educational purposes within their school or institution.

User-Generated Content: Teachers and administrators have the option to upload custom-made spelling lists to personalize student learning. Any content uploaded to the platform remains accessible only to the user who created it and the students assigned to that user, as Essential Skills does not offer a content-sharing feature. By uploading custom spelling lists, users confirm they have the necessary rights to use the content for educational purposes.

Intellectual Property Protection: Users agree not to copy, modify, distribute, or use Essential Skills content or any uploaded user-generated content for purposes other than personal or institutional educational activities.

 

Service Availability and Modifications

Essential Skills is committed to providing uninterrupted access to its programs and strives to make the service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, Essential Skills cannot guarantee continuous, error-free operation and reserves the right to temporarily suspend or limit access for reasons beyond its control, such as unforeseen technical issues, maintenance, or natural events.

Unforeseen Events: In the event of unexpected interruptions, Essential Skills will work to restore full functionality as promptly as possible. Users acknowledge that Essential Skills is not liable for any temporary unavailability or delays in service due to events outside of its reasonable control.

Modifications to Service: Essential Skills may modify or discontinue parts of the service as needed to enhance or maintain the platform. Users will be notified of any significant changes to the service that could affect accessibility.

 

Termination of Accounts

Account Administrator Controls: Account administrators can permanently delete or reset their database of teachers and students using the Teacher Dashboard in the Database section. Once deleted, this data cannot be recovered, so administrators should carefully consider before proceeding with permanent removal.

Non-Renewal Termination: Essential Skills accounts are subscription-based. If a customer chooses not to renew their subscription upon its completion, the associated accounts will be terminated, and all data will be securely deleted in accordance with our data retention policy.

Termination for Policy Violation: Essential Skills reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts in cases of policy violations, misuse, or unauthorized use as outlined in these Terms. Users may also voluntarily terminate their accounts by contacting Essential Skills support.

By using the service, users agree to comply with these termination terms and acknowledge the permanent nature of account deletion actions taken by administrators.

 

Data Retention and Deletion

• Data Retention: Essential Skills retains student data only as long as necessary for educational purposes, and all information is securely deleted upon account termination or inactivity in compliance with FERPA and SOPPA.
• Deletion Requests: Schools or parents may request the deletion of student data at any time by contacting Essential Skills, following SOPPA and CCPA guidelines.

 

Dispute Resolution and Governing Law

Governing Law: These Terms of Service and any disputes arising from the use of Essential Skills are governed by the laws of Ontario, Canada, without regard to its conflict of law principles.

Jurisdiction: Any legal action or proceeding related to these Terms or the use of Essential Skills shall be brought exclusively in the courts located in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. By agreeing to these Terms, users consent to the jurisdiction and venue of these courts for any disputes arising from or related to the service.

 

Changes to Terms of Service

Essential Skills reserves the right to modify or update these Terms of Service at any time. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting to our website. Continued use of the service after updates indicates acceptance of the revised Terms.

 

Contact Information