Zuckerman's Barn Kids Page

The Zuckerman's Barn website only collects reviewer information that is necessary for the site to function properly. This information is never shared with third parties except school personnel with direct responsibility for students who are using the site as part of a school's program.

The following information is collected for each reviewer:

1. First and last names are stored in off-line databases that are not publicly accessible. These names are used to communicate with students in person and to send progress reports to teachers.

2. Screen names are the primary way that reviewers are identified on the website. Students may tell their screen name to others, but may not reveal the identity of a third person. They may change screen names if they ever feel that their privacy has been jeopardized.

3. Passwords are used to authenticate a reviewer's account. They should not be told to anyone. Reviewers may change passwords any time for any reason.

4. Information about a child's school, teacher, and grade is stored on the server in a coded format. However, school and teacher names are never displayed in any form. School information is stored to allow students to see a list of reviewer screen names that match their own school. Class information allows material to be customized at an individual teacher's request. Grade information is shown on the website at a reviewer's discretion. In addition, students can see a list of reviewers who match their own grade.

5. Gender information (Boy/Girl) is collected voluntarily from students who want to be matched with a penpal 'Buddy.' This information is stored in coded form. However, students may also choose to state their gender as part of their short profile about themselves.

6. Other preferences are provided voluntarily by students on line. These include information like favorite genre and preferred levels of reading difficulty. This information is used to help students find reviewers with similar tastes and interests. It is also used to customize the website to suit their needs.

Please note that students are prohibited from posting personal information like real names, e-mail addresses, street addresses, and telephone numbers.

Note, too, that although this site is completely non-commercial, every attempt is made to comply with the provisions of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). To learn about the provisions of this act, you can start here.