Terms of Service
Effective August 23, 2026
1. The service
Pencils Ready is an exam-session monitoring tool. During a teacher-started session it reports a student's active-tab hostname, Chrome focus, idle or lock state, and device heartbeat. It does not block sites or make an automatic determination of cheating. Teachers remain responsible for reviewing context and making all academic decisions.
2. Who may use it
Users must be at least 13 years old. A school or teacher must have the authority and required school, district, and family permissions before monitoring students. Teachers must offer any alternative required by school policy, law, or a student's educational plan.
3. Acceptable use
Use Pencils Ready only for legitimate, disclosed educational exam monitoring. Do not use it for secret or continuous surveillance, harassment, unlawful discrimination, account sharing, attempts to bypass security, or monitoring outside a teacher-started session.
4. Privacy and retention
The Privacy Policy explains what is collected, what is never collected, who can see it, and the 90-day retention period. By using the service, you agree to that data handling.
5. Availability and accounts
Keep account and session access secure and report suspected misuse promptly. The service may change or be unavailable, including because of third-party hosting, authentication, network, or browser services. Do not rely on Pencils Ready as the sole record for a high-stakes decision.
6. Disclaimer and responsibility
Pencils Ready is provided as-is for an early classroom pilot, without a promise of uninterrupted operation. To the extent allowed by law, Pencils Ready is not responsible for indirect or consequential losses. Nothing in these terms limits rights that cannot legally be limited.
7. Changes and contact
Material changes will be posted here with a new effective date. Questions may be sent to Kevin Woolf at woolf.kevin@gmail.com.