For Schools & Districts
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about ReadingVox for your school or district. Privacy, compliance, setup, licensing, and how it all works.
Privacy & Compliance
Is ReadingVox FERPA compliant?
Yes. ReadingVox is designed to meet FERPA requirements. We act as a “school official” under FERPA and only process the minimum student data necessary to provide the service. We do not sell, share, or use student data for advertising or profiling. Our full privacy policy and Data Processing Agreement (DPA) are available for district review. Read our FERPA compliance guide →
Is ReadingVox COPPA compliant?
Yes. ReadingVox complies with COPPA. We do not collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable school consent. Schools provide consent on behalf of students as part of the license agreement. We collect only what is needed to deliver text-to-speech functionality.
Do you support the Student Privacy Pledge and NDPA?
Yes. ReadingVox is built to align with the Student Privacy Alliance National Data Privacy Agreement (NDPA). We have a published privacy policy that supports NDPA form completion, and we are happy to sign your state or district DPA. Contact us at [email protected] for pre-signed agreements.
What student data do you collect?
We practice strict data minimization. The only data we process:
- Student email or ID — to authenticate the student under the school license (never shared externally)
- Page text sent for audio — processed for text-to-speech generation, then cached temporarily for performance
- Usage counts — aggregate page-play counts for the admin dashboard (no individual tracking)
We do not collect names, birthdates, grades, addresses, browsing history, or any data beyond what is required for TTS functionality.
Where is student data stored?
All data is stored on servers located in the United States. Our primary infrastructure runs on US-based data centers (AWS US-East and Cloudflare R2 US regions). Data never leaves the United States. We do not use offshore processing or storage.
Can we get a copy of the data you have on our students?
Yes. Under FERPA and most state student privacy laws, you have the right to access, correct, and delete student data. Contact [email protected] and we will provide an export within 30 days. When your license expires or is cancelled, all associated student data is permanently deleted within 60 days.
Do you sell or share student data with third parties?
No. Never. We do not sell, rent, lease, or share student personally identifiable information with any third party for any purpose, including marketing, advertising, or profiling. The only sub-processors involved are the infrastructure and AI providers listed on our IT & procurement page (speech generation, translation, storage, database, payments, and email), and they are bound by data processing agreements.
What happens to data when we cancel?
When a school license expires or is cancelled, all student records, cached audio, and usage data associated with that license are permanently deleted within 60 days. We provide written confirmation of deletion upon request.
Data Storage & Security
Where are your servers located?
All ReadingVox servers are located in the United States. Our application servers run on AWS US-East (Virginia). Audio files are stored on Cloudflare R2 in US regions. Database backups are stored in US-based facilities. No student data is processed or stored outside the US.
Is data encrypted?
Yes. All data is encrypted in transit via TLS 1.2+ (HTTPS). Data at rest is encrypted using AES-256 encryption on all storage systems. API keys are SHA-256 hashed before storage and cannot be retrieved in plain text.
Do you have SOC 2 or other security certifications?
ReadingVox does not currently hold its own SOC 2 or ISO certification. We follow industry-standard security practices including encryption in transit and at rest, access controls, and regular patching, and we are happy to complete your district security questionnaire.
What is your breach notification policy?
In the unlikely event of a data breach affecting student information, we will notify the affected school district within 72 hours of discovery, provide a detailed incident report, and work with your team on remediation. This commitment is included in our Data Processing Agreement.
Installation & Setup
How is ReadingVox installed for a school?
ReadingVox is deployed as a Chrome extension through Google Admin Console. Your IT administrator force-installs it to student Chromebooks in one step — no student action needed. Once deployed, students see the ReadingVox toolbar automatically on any webpage they visit. See our step-by-step deployment guide →
Does it work on Chromebooks?
Yes! ReadingVox is built specifically for Chromebooks, which are the most common device in K-12. The Chrome extension works on any Chromebook managed through Google Admin Console. It also works on Chrome browsers on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Does it work on iPads or tablets?
Currently, ReadingVox is a Chrome extension, so it works on devices that run Chrome (Chromebooks, Windows PCs, Macs). iPad support via a Safari extension is on our roadmap. For iPad environments, we also offer an embeddable website widget that works in any browser.
What websites does it work on?
ReadingVox works on every website — Google Classroom, Canvas, Khan Academy, Wikipedia, Newsela, Epic!, ReadWorks, IXL, and any other site students visit. Google Docs and Slides open in a side reading panel with word highlighting, and the screenshot reader handles text inside images. If a page has text, ReadingVox can read it aloud.
How long does setup take?
Most schools are up and running in under 15 minutes. The process: (1) Purchase a license, (2) Add the extension ID to Google Admin Console, (3) Configure the license key in the extension policy. Students can start using it immediately — no training required.
Can we pilot it before purchasing?
Absolutely. We offer a free 30-day pilot for up to 50 students. No credit card required. Start one at readingvox.com/pilot or contact us at [email protected].
Licensing & Pricing
How does licensing work?
ReadingVox uses a simple per-student annual license. You purchase a license for your school or district, set the number of student seats, and deploy. All features are included — no tiers, no add-ons, no surprises. The license covers the full school year.
How much does it cost?
ReadingVox is $1 per student per year, with a minimum of 100 students. All features are included at every level. District volume pricing is available for 1,000+ students. We are significantly less expensive than comparable tools like Read&Write (~$2.20-2.50/student). See our full comparison →
Do you accept purchase orders?
Yes. We accept purchase orders with NET-30 terms. You can request a PO quote online and we will return a formal quote within one business day.
Can we pay by credit card?
Yes. Schools can pay by credit card through our secure checkout. We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. A receipt and invoice are provided immediately.
What if we need to add more students mid-year?
You can add seats at any time. Additional students are pro-rated for the remainder of the license term. Contact us or use your admin dashboard to add seats instantly.
Is there a free tier for schools?
We offer a free 30-day pilot for up to 50 students, and we provide free licenses to Title I schools that qualify. Contact [email protected] to learn more about our equity program.
How It Works
How does the text-to-speech work?
When a student clicks play, ReadingVox extracts the text from the current webpage and converts it to natural-sounding speech using natural neural voices. Words are highlighted in real-time as they are spoken, helping students follow along. Audio is cached so the same page loads instantly for the next student.
What is the AI Vocabulary Simplification feature?
ReadingVox includes an AI-powered vocabulary simplifier. Students select a paragraph and it uses a large language model to replace difficult or complex words with simpler alternatives, directly on the page. Changed words are highlighted so students can see what was simplified, and hovering reveals the original word.
This helps struggling readers access grade-level content without needing a separate simplified version of the text. Teachers can use it as a scaffold that students can toggle on and off.
What voices are available?
ReadingVox includes 6 natural-sounding neural English voices, male and female, with US and UK accents: Heart, Michael, Lily, Leo, Mia, Theo. Reading speed adjusts from 0.5x to 2x. Students pick the voice that works best for them in Settings, and their choice is remembered.
What other accessibility tools are included?
- Word highlighting — words light up as they are read aloud
- Speed control — 0.5x to 2x
- Dictionary — definitions, examples, synonyms, and pronunciation
- Text magnifier — shows the sentence being read in large text, with the current word highlighted
- Screen mask / reading ruler — dims everything except a strip that follows the reading
- Font controls — text size from 80% to 200% and font family (including OpenDyslexic)
- Page colors — high-contrast presets: black on white, white on black, blue on yellow, yellow on blue
- Translation — translate and hear text in 13 languages for ELL students (7 with natural voices; machine translated; word highlighting is English only)
- AI vocabulary simplification — replace hard words with easier ones in a selected paragraph
- Simplify view — a clean, distraction-free view of the page text in one column
- Screenshot reader — drag over an image to extract its text and read it aloud
- Keyboard shortcuts — Alt+R to play or pause, Alt+← and Alt+→ to skip back and forward
Does it work with Google Docs?
Yes, in the Chrome extension. Because Google Docs renders text on a canvas (which normal screen readers cannot access), ReadingVox uses the Google Docs API to fetch the document text (read-only) and reads it in a side reading panel with word highlighting. Google Slides works the same way. Students see a one-time Google permission prompt the first time. Learn more about Google Docs accessibility →
Can students use it for testing or assessments?
ReadingVox is an accommodation tool, and many IEP and 504 plans include text-to-speech as a documented accommodation. Whether it can be used during specific assessments depends on your state testing guidelines. ReadingVox can be enabled or disabled by the administrator at any time. Read our testing accommodations guide →
Does it track what students are reading?
No. ReadingVox does not track browsing history or record which specific pages students visit. The admin dashboard shows aggregate usage statistics (total pages read, active student count) but does not show individual student reading activity.
Built for School Compliance
FERPA
COPPA
SOPIPA
US Servers
NDPA Ready
Data Deletion
Still have questions?
Our team is here to help. We are happy to walk through compliance requirements, complete security questionnaires, or set up a pilot for your school.
For privacy-specific inquiries: [email protected]