FERPA Compliance
STARS handles all submitted educational records in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. § 1232g. Transcripts and related academic records submitted through this system are used solely for the purpose of evaluating CSET subtest eligibility under California AB 130 and are never disclosed to third parties without the candidate's written consent.
What FERPA Protects
- Your transcript documents and academic records are treated as confidential education records.
- Access is restricted to authorized STARS evaluators and credentialing staff at Notre Dame de Namur University.
- Records are not shared with employers, other institutions, or government agencies except as required by law.
- You retain the right to request access to your submitted records and to request corrections to factual errors.
Legitimate Educational Interest
Evaluators who access submitted transcripts do so under a legitimate educational interest as defined by FERPA — specifically, to perform the credential evaluation service you have requested and paid for. Access is logged and limited to the minimum necessary to complete the evaluation.
Data Security Practices
Protecting your personal information and academic records is a core obligation of the STARS system. The following technical and administrative safeguards are in place:
All data submitted through STARS is transmitted over TLS 1.2+ (HTTPS). Transcript files are encrypted in transit.
Uploaded transcript files are stored in access-controlled persistent storage. Files are not publicly accessible by URL.
Payment processing is handled entirely by Stripe. STARS never stores credit card numbers, CVVs, or full payment details.
Evaluation records are accessible only via a token-guarded URL (derived from your Stripe session ID). No account login is required or stored.
STARS collects only the information necessary to perform the evaluation: name, email, institution, degree, and transcript files.
Submitted records are retained for a period sufficient to support credential verification and then securely deleted per institutional policy.
Incident Response
In the event of a data security incident affecting your records, STARS will notify affected candidates within 72 hours of discovery, consistent with applicable California data breach notification law (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.82).
AB 130 Evaluation Methodology
STARS evaluations are conducted under the framework established by California Assembly Bill 130 (AB 130), which authorizes the use of transcript-based subject matter competency verification as an alternative pathway to CSET examination for certain credential candidates.
How the Evaluation Works
- Transcript Review: Submitted transcripts are reviewed by a credentialed STARS evaluator to identify coursework relevant to each CSET subtest domain.
- Course Mapping: Each course is mapped to one or more CSET subtest domains using keyword analysis of course titles and descriptions, cross-referenced against CTC subject matter requirements.
- Unit Threshold: A subtest is considered met when the candidate's transcript contains sufficient semester units of relevant coursework to satisfy the minimum unit threshold for that subtest domain.
- Degree Major Check: The candidate's degree major is cross-referenced against the CTC's authoritative list of acceptable and unacceptable degree majors for the applicable credential subject area.
- Certification: Results are reviewed and certified by Aspo Normantas, Credential Data Analyst, and countersigned by Terrance Hanna, Credential Analyst, at Notre Dame de Namur University School of Education — Credentialing Office.
Limitations of Transcript-Based Evaluation
A STARS evaluation reflects a good-faith review of submitted coursework against AB 130 criteria. It does not guarantee CTC approval of a credential application. The final determination of subject matter competency rests with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Candidates are encouraged to consult their credential program advisor before relying solely on a STARS evaluation.
CTC Program Alignment
STARS evaluations are aligned to the credential programs and subject matter requirements published by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).
Supported Credential Programs
Degree Major Verification
For Single Subject credential candidates, STARS cross-references the candidate's degree major against the CTC's authoritative table of acceptable and unacceptable degree majors for each statutory teaching subject. This table is sourced directly from CTC Leaflet CL-635 and updated when CTC publishes revisions.
Disclaimers & Limitations
- No guarantee of CTC approval. The CTC makes all final determinations regarding credential eligibility. STARS results are advisory only.
- Accuracy of submitted records. STARS evaluations are based solely on the transcripts submitted by the candidate. STARS does not independently verify the authenticity of submitted documents.
- Regulatory changes. CTC subject matter requirements and AB 130 eligibility criteria may change. STARS makes reasonable efforts to keep its evaluation criteria current but cannot guarantee that all regulatory updates are reflected immediately.
- Non-refundable fee. The $125 evaluation fee is non-refundable once the evaluation has been initiated, regardless of the outcome.
- Not legal advice. Nothing on this site or in any STARS report constitutes legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship.
Governing Law
This service is provided in the State of California. Any disputes arising from use of STARS shall be governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict of law principles.
Questions About Compliance?
Our credentialing team is available to answer questions about privacy, data handling, or evaluation methodology.
Contact Us