Naviance Q.J. External Settlement
FAQs for Naviance User/School Districts

Q: What does the Q.J. Naviance lawsuit allege?
A: The class action lawsuit, Q.J. v. PowerSchool Holdings LLC, et al. (Case No. 1:23-cv-05689), alleges that PowerSchool allowed third-party companies to track and collect data on students while they were using Naviance.

Q: Is PowerSchool admitting to any wrongdoing?
A: No. PowerSchool, and the other co-defendants (Hobsons, Heap, and the Chicago Board of Education) did not violate any law. The settlement was reached to avoid the uncertainties and expenses associated with continuing a case like this.

Q: How does PowerSchool protect student data privacy?
A: At PowerSchool, we take our responsibility to protect student data privacy and to act responsibly as data processors to schools and districts extremely seriously. We believe ensuring the personal information contained in student education records is protected should be the standard globally and is at the center of how we build education technology at PowerSchool. PowerSchool strictly and proactively follows all legal, regulatory, and voluntary requirements for protecting student privacy including federal laws such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and state regulations, such as California’s Student Online Personal Information Protection Act (SOPIPA) and its variants. Read more here: PowerSchool’s Commitment to Protecting Student Data Privacy.

Q: What changes is the company making to the Naviance Platform as part of the settlement?
A: As part of the proposal, PowerSchool will:

  • Create a fund to pay approved class claims, administration costs, attorneys’ fees and expenses (as awarded), and a service award (as approved). The settlement class is broadly defined to include U.S. students who logged into Naviance at least once during the class period, including periods when Heap or other third-party analytics software was embedded or integrated into the platform.
  • Establish a Web Governance Committee to assess use of analytics/advertising technologies in Naviance for legal compliance.
  • Supplement privacy disclosures on the Naviance student landing page to notify students about third-party analytics/advertising technologies.

Q: Who is included in this settlement?
A: You are included if you are a person in the United States who while a student or has a child who, logged into the Naviance Platform at least once between August 18, 2021, and January 23, 2026.

Q: How do individuals file a claim?
A: A claim must be submitted via a Claim Form by May 26, 2026.

  • Online: An online form will be made available on the settlement website soon.
  • Mail: A Paper Claim Form is currently available in the "Documents" section of the settlement website.

Q: Where can I find PowerSchool’s privacy policy?
A: PowerSchool’s global privacy principles and privacy statement can be found here: https://www.powerschool.com/privacy/.