Online Privacy Statement
Thank you for visiting EQAO’s website. Respecting your privacy and protecting your personal information in an online environment is a priority for EQAO.
This Online Privacy Statement explains EQAO’s current practices regarding the information we may collect, use and secure when you visit our website. This statement supplements the Government of Ontario’s Privacy Statement.
Accountability
The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) governs EQAO’s management of personal information. FIPPA requires the agency to protect the personal information in its possession.
The Information and Privacy Commissioner oversees government organizations’ compliance with the access and privacy provisions of FIPPA by investigating privacy complaints and hearing appeals regarding access decisions made by ministries or agencies.
Security
EQAO’s security practices are continually evolving to ensure that the integrity and confidentiality of its online information and systems are maintained. The government uses up-to-date security safeguards to protect its networks and websites from misuse, alteration, copying, disclosure, damage, destruction, monitoring or unauthorized sharing of information. The government’s safeguards include the use of security software and encryption protocols and involve physical, technical and procedural controls to protect information behind our firewalls.
Web Analytics
In order to serve you better, EQAO uses Google Analytics and other tools to help analyze the use of our website. These tools use cookies to collect and generate information about your visits to our website, which is then collected and used in an anonymous form for processing. EQAO also uses server logging for web requests (server logs trace the number and source of incoming web requests in a given period of time, mainly for security purposes, e.g., to trace likely viruses, and to determine traffic patterns). EQAO studies patterns of website activity to improve the experience of visitors to its website. The use of these tools does not allow EQAO or analytics service providers to identify individuals.
You can opt out of analytics activity by setting your browser to notify you when a cookie is sent and block analytics cookies if desired. Please consult your browser’s help menu for instructions. Visiting our website with analytics cookies disabled will have no significant impact on your browsing experience. You may also use a VPN to access our site anonymously.
Google currently offers a free Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. Please note that deleting or disabling cookies (e.g., deleting browser history) may affect the functionality of the opt-out browser.
Information that the EQAO collects via web analytics includes
- IP address of the electronic device used to access our website;
- the city and country where the IP address is based;
- the address of the website from which visitors came;
- the date and time of a visit to our website;
- the type and version of browser used to access our website;
- the name and size of files on our website opened or downloaded;
- keywords entered in our search engine; and
- pages of our website visited.
When you browse our website or download from it, our servers automatically collect limited amounts of information for traffic, monitoring and statistical purposes. The information is analyzed for operational trends, performance and for ways to improve our website. EQAO cannot identify you from this information.
Personal Information Provided for Feedback
You may choose to provide us with personal information such as your name, address, phone number or e-mail address if you wish to submit an e-mail message, comment, question or request. When you visit EQAO’s website, any personal information you provide will be used to respond to your message and/or provide you with the requested information. EQAO collects your personal information in this regard in accordance with section 38(2) of FIPPA. This section requires EQAO to collect only the personal information that is necessary for the proper administration of EQAO’s authorized business activities. All personal information that is collected, used or handled will be treated in accordance with FIPPA and any other applicable law at all times.
Questions?
Questions or comments regarding these practices can be directed to the Director of Corporate and Public Affairs, EQAO, 2 Carlton Street, Suite 1200, Toronto, ON M5B 2M9 1-888-327-7377.
Notice of Collection
EQAO collects personal information directly from students, parents/guardians, educators and other partners in a variety of ways, including through large-scale assessments and questionnaires.
If you have any questions at any time about the collection, use or disclosure of your personal information, please contact
Director of Corporate and Public Affairs
Education Quality and Accountability Office
2 Carlton Street, Suite 1200, Toronto ON M5B 2M9
Phone: 1-888-327-7377
E-mail: [email protected]
EQAO also obtains information about individual students from schools and school boards. EQAO collects this information for the purpose of carrying out its mandate as stated in the objects of the Education Quality and Accountability Office Act, 1996 (EQAO Act) Ontario Regulation 272/19 (Objects of the Office):
- Evaluating the quality and effectiveness of elementary- and secondary-school education
- Developing tests and requiring or undertaking the administration and marking of tests of pupils in elementary and secondary schools
- Developing systems for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of elementary- and secondary-school education
- Researching and collecting information on assessing academic achievement
- Evaluating the public accountability of boards and collecting information on strategies for improving that accountability
- Reporting to the public and to the Minister on the results of tests and generally on the quality and effectiveness of elementary- and secondary-school education and on the public accountability of boards
- Making recommendations, in its reports to the public and to the Minister, on any matter related to the quality or effectiveness of elementary- and secondary-school education or to the public accountability of boards
- Developing and marking examinations relating to proficiency in mathematics for teacher candidates and conducting research to evaluate their outcomes
In carrying out its objects to enhance the quality and accountability of the education system, EQAO
- develops and administers large-scale assessments and questionnaires;
- provides aggregated and individual student results (through data files with the student’s personal information) to the Ministry of Education, school boards and public schools; and Individual Student Reports (ISRs) to schools, which subsequently pass them on to each student (current or former) and the student’s parents or guardians, in alignment with the objects of the Education Act and the EQAO Act;
- aggregates student results in a way that can help students, parents and educators plan for academic improvement;
- provides information to the Minister of Education as required under the Education Act and the EQAO Act;
- conducts education research to make recommendations to improve the quality and effectiveness of education in Ontario; and
- conducts research and collects information to assess the ability and confidence of individuals writing math proficiency examinations.
EQAO collects information under the authority of the EQAO Act, clause 4(1)(b) and subsection 9(6), and the Education Act, section 266.3. This collection complies with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. EQAO takes all necessary precautions to safeguard personal information. EQAO also collects test process data (e.g., click-stream data) for the purposes of research and informing improvements in EQAO assessments.
When evaluating student responses to assessments, EQAO will disclose to the principal of the student’s school any content that it considers to be offensive, along with the student’s name; EQAO will not score the offensive content.
Note: Offensive content is obscene, racist, violent or otherwise seriously inappropriate content that expresses hate, discriminates or leads to discrimination toward others based on (but not limited to) any of the following grounds: age; ancestry, colour, race; citizenship, ethnic origin, place of origin; occupation, type of work, employment status (including unemployment); language, mother tongue, accent; creed; disability; family status; marital status (including single status); gender identity, gender expression; receipt of public assistance; income; place of residence; record of offences; sex (including pregnancy); and sexual orientation.
For public reporting of student achievement results, EQAO uses depersonalized and aggregated information. EQAO does not disclose information to the public about test results if the number of students involved is so small (fewer than 10) that an individual might be identifiable, even though individual results do not include student names. EQAO uses depersonalized student responses as examples for the scoring of assessments and for public resources and reports.
EQAO may disclose personal information to organizations or individuals for the specific purpose of conducting research, and in such circumstances, EQAO will enter into an agreement with the researcher to ensure protection of the personal information in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
EQAO’s Mailing List
EQAO collects personal information directly from members of the public who wish to receive updates, newsletters and publications from EQAO. The information collected for the mailing list will not be shared with third parties for their own marketing purposes. EQAO collects this information for the purpose of carrying out its mandate as stated in the objects described above. EQAO’s collection, use and disclosure of personal information is governed by Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), and EQAO takes all necessary precautions to safeguard personal information.
EQAO General Data Protection Notice
1.0 Application of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Legal Basis for Processing
- This notice applies to all Personal Data of European Union (EU) data subjects processed by EQAO when assessments are conducted of students attending Ontario schools located in the EU or of students attending Ontario schools but residing in the EU at the time that they undergo an assessment.
- EQAO is the data controller, within the meaning of the EU Regulation 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (hereinafter referred to as the “General Data Protection Regulation” or the “GDPR”), responsible for the processing of your Personal Data.
- EQAO has appointed a Data Protection Officer (DPO), who takes responsibility for Office’s ongoing compliance with this notice and Office’s privacy practices. EQAO’s Chair of the Board (or delegate) acts as the DPO and can be contacted at 1-888-327-7377 or [email protected] if you have any privacy-related questions or concerns regarding your Personal Data.
2.0 Lawful Processing and Data Subject Rights
- EQAO’s legal basis for processing Personal Data is to meet its legal obligations as set out under the Office’s objects outlined in clause 3 of the EQAO Act.
- Vretta Inc. is EQAO’s data processor for digital assessments, administering tests and compiling test results on behalf of EQAO. Information about Vretta’s GDPR-compliance initiatives and how to exercise your data subject rights, such as gaining access to your Personal Data, can be found on Vretta’s website. Any such requests shall be dealt with in a timely manner.
- All Personal Data collected in the context of student assessments administered in the EU by EQAO is transferred internationally and stored on Canadian data servers.
- EQAO shall ensure that Personal Data is accurate, relevant and limited to what is necessary for the purposes for which it is processed, as outlined in EQAO’s Notice of Collection.
- Since EQAO requires Ontario schools to provide Personal Data to EQAO, administer tests and report on test results to the Office and to the general public, as outlined in s. 4(1) of the EQAO Act, automated decision making undertaken in the scoring process is authorized by law. EQAO does not engage in profiling of data subjects and has suitable measures in place to safeguard data subjects’ rights, freedoms and legitimate interests. For example, all research is undertaken on de-identified data and reported to the Ministry of Education as aggregate data for statistical purposes.
- EQAO may issue directives regarding the circumstances in which a student need not take a test as set out in s. 4(3) of the EQAO Act. Accommodation and accessibility options are outlined in the User Guides for the OSSLT and Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics, or by contacting [email protected].
3.0 Privacy Complaints and Breaches
- In the event of a breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure of, or access to, personal data, EQAO shall promptly assess the risk to data subjects’ rights and freedoms and if appropriate report the breach to the relevant EU Member State data protection regulator
If you are an EU data subject and believe EQAO is not in compliance with the GDPR, you may lodge a complaint with your national Data Protection Authority. The authority will investigate and inform you of the progress or outcome of your complaint within 3 months.