Early Signal Project: Parent & Guardian FAQ
Helping schools support students—early, ethically, and effectively
What is FERPA and why does it matter?
FERPA stands for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. It’s a federal law that protects your child’s educational records. Under FERPA:
- Schools must keep student data private.
- You have the right to review and correct your child’s records.
- Schools must get your written consent before sharing identifiable data with outside organizations—like ours.
The Early Signal Project follows strict FERPA guidelines. We only use school-approved data, and we never sell or share it outside the project.
What am I consenting to?
By signing the consent form, you’re allowing your child’s school to share select educational data with the Early Signal Project team. This helps us:
- Analyze patterns that may signal early academic or emotional challenges.
- Share insights with school counselors to support students proactively.
You can withdraw your consent at any time—just contact your school or the project lead.
What kind of data will be used?
We use existing school data, such as:
- Attendance records
- Grades and test scores
- Behavior and discipline reports
- Counselor referrals (if applicable)
- Optional student surveys (with separate consent)
All data is:
- De-identified before analysis (no names or IDs)
- Encrypted and stored securely
- Accessed only by authorized staff and school personnel
What are the project’s goals and KPIs?
Our mission is to help schools identify students who may need support, before problems grow. We measure success using:
| Key Performance Indicator (KPI) | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Precision of Risk Flags | % of flagged students who counselors agree were truly at risk. |
| Recall of Risk Flags | % of truly at-risk students who were successfully flagged. |
| Counselor Response Time | Avg. time between alert and first intervention. |
| Intervention Rate | % of flagged students who receive support within 1 week. |
| Student Outcome Shift | Change in GPA, attendance, or sentiment after intervention. |
| Counselor Satisfaction | Average rating of dashboard usefulness (1–5 scale). |
We share these metrics with schools to improve outcomes and ensure accountability.
How is my child’s privacy protected?
We take privacy seriously. Here’s how:
- No names, addresses, or student IDs are used in analysis.
- Small group data is suppressed to prevent re-identification.
- All systems use secure encryption and access controls.
- We never use data for marketing, fundraising, or non-educational purposes.
Who can I contact with questions?
Project Lead: William Aubrey
Email: william@earlysignalproject.org
Early Signal Project 