With the Student Privacy Pledge retired and 40+ states now requiring Data Privacy Agreements, schools need to verify every vendor in their edtech stack. Here are 8 education apps with the strongest DPA coverage and privacy protections.
A Data Privacy Agreement (DPA) is a legally binding contract between a school district and an edtech vendor that governs how student data is collected, used, stored, and deleted. Unlike voluntary pledges or self-attestations, a signed DPA creates enforceable obligations with real consequences for violations.
The Student Data Privacy Consortium (SDPC) has become the backbone of school-vendor privacy contracting in the United States. Since 2016, over 275,000 standard DPAs have been executed through the SDPC system, and the freely accessible Resource Registry now hosts more than 130,000 signed agreements between 12,000+ school districts and 6,674 education app providers. The SDPC operates through 28 state alliances where districts negotiate collectively, saving thousands of hours of individual contract work.
The landscape shifted significantly in April 2025 when the Future of Privacy Forum retired the Student Privacy Pledge after 10 years, citing that more than 40 states had passed student privacy laws that codified the Pledge's principles into enforceable regulation. Schools that relied on the Pledge as a trust signal now need to verify that their vendors have signed actual DPAs — either through the SDPC National DPA, state-level agreements, or direct district contracts.
We evaluated education apps based on their SDPC participation, signed National or state-level DPAs, formal privacy certifications (iKeepSafe, KidSAFE), and transparency of data practices. These 8 apps have the strongest verified DPA coverage and privacy protections for district use.
Prodigy uses game-based learning to teach math, with a newer English/ELA component.
Visit ProdigyKhan Academy Kids offers free, comprehensive early learning content covering reading, math, and more for children ages 2-8.
Visit Khan Academy KidsIXL is a comprehensive adaptive learning platform covering all subjects from Pre-K through 12th grade.
Visit IXLDreamBox is an adaptive K–8 math program that provides rigorous and personalized instruction using interactive visuals and intelligent scaffolding. Widely used in schools and homes.
Visit DreamBoxABCmouse offers a full early learning curriculum with thousands of activities for children ages 2-8.
Visit ABCmouseStarfall teaches reading through systematic phonics with engaging activities for Pre-K through 5th grade.
Visit StarfallZearn is a standards-aligned digital math platform offering comprehensive instruction, practice, and remediation. Free for families, premium for schools.
Visit ZearnNewsela adapts real news articles to 5 different reading levels, making current events accessible to students grades 2-12.
Visit NewselaProdigy Math leads our list with the most comprehensive privacy stack: SDPC membership, iKeepSafe COPPA + FERPA + CSPC certifications, a 92% Common Sense Privacy score, and 1EdTech TrustEd App certification. For districts that need a single, fully vetted math tool, it is the safest choice.
If your district needs free options with strong DPA coverage, Khan Academy Kids, Starfall, and Zearn are all nonprofit-backed, ad-free, and participate in the SDPC system. Free does not have to mean unvetted.
For K-12 coverage across multiple subjects, IXL and Newsela both maintain SDPC DPAs across multiple states and hold additional privacy certifications. DreamBox and ABCmouse round out the list with strong vendor-level DPA programs for their respective age groups.
With the Student Privacy Pledge retired and over 40 states now requiring DPAs by law, the message is clear: voluntary commitments are no longer sufficient. Check the SDPC Resource Registry at sdpc.a4l.org to verify that every app in your district's stack has a signed agreement, and prioritize vendors with formal certifications from iKeepSafe, KidSAFE, or 1EdTech.
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SpellingJoy Team
The SpellingJoy team is dedicated to creating free, high-quality spelling resources for K-6 students and their families. We test every app we review and provide honest assessments to help parents make informed decisions.