Terms of Service

Effective date: March 20, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using BookPulse ("the Service"), operated by Baarstad Consulting Services ("we," "us," or "our"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service. These terms apply to all users, including teachers, students, school administrators, and visitors.

2. Description of Service

BookPulse is an interactive English Language Arts (ELA) reading platform for classrooms serving grades 4 through 12. The Service provides chapter-by-chapter reading tasks aligned to educational standards, real-time teacher dashboards, student progress tracking, and optional AI-powered feedback on student writing. BookPulse operates in two modes: an immersive mode featuring public domain texts displayed within the application, and a companion mode where students use their own physical copies alongside edition-specific digital activities.

3. Account Registration

Teachers create accounts using Google OAuth or email and password. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities under your account. Students access the platform through teacher-provided class codes and create accounts using their first name, last initial, and a password. Teachers are responsible for distributing class codes only to their authorized students. Teachers must be 18 years of age or older to create an account.

4. Subscription Plans and Payment

BookPulse offers three individual tiers:

  • Free Plan: Access to the first 3–4 chapters of every available text in our catalog. No AI-powered feedback. No credit card required. No time limit.
  • Basic Plan: Full access to all chapters of every text, plus AI-powered feedback on student writing (300 evaluations per month). Available at $9 per month or $69 per year.
  • Plus Plan: Full access to all chapters of every text, plus AI-powered feedback on student writing (3,500 evaluations per month) and access to AI credit pack top-ups. Available at $14.99 per month or $149 per year.

All payments are processed securely through Stripe. You may cancel your subscription at any time. Upon cancellation, your Plus access continues through the end of the current billing period. No refunds are provided for unused time. If your payment fails or your subscription lapses, your account reverts to the Free plan until payment is restored.

5. AI-Powered Feedback

BookPulse offers optional AI-powered feedback on student written responses, available to Basic and Plus plan subscribers. When enabled by the teacher, de-identified student response text (containing no student names or identifying information) is processed by Anthropic's Claude to generate educational feedback. AI feedback is subject to a monthly cap that varies by plan: Basic receives 300 evaluations per month, and Plus receives 3,500 evaluations per month. Plus subscribers may also purchase credit packs for additional evaluations beyond their monthly allowance. When the cap is reached, student responses continue to be accepted and stored, but AI feedback is temporarily unavailable until the next billing cycle or credit pack purchase. Teachers may enable or disable AI feedback for each class at any time. AI feedback is supplementary and does not replace teacher assessment.

6. Student Privacy and Compliance

BookPulse is designed to comply with COPPA and FERPA. We collect minimal student information: first name, last initial, and a password (stored in hashed form). We do not collect student email addresses, full last names, dates of birth, or other personally identifiable information. Teachers act as authorized agents for their students under COPPA's school consent exception. For full details, see our Privacy Policy and FERPA Compliance page.

7. Content Ownership

  • BookPulse Content: The Service, including its design, code, task prompts, rubrics, and original educational materials, is the intellectual property of Baarstad Consulting Services.
  • Public Domain Texts: Texts included in immersive mode are sourced from public domain repositories and are not claimed as our intellectual property.
  • Teacher Data: Class configurations, rosters, and settings created by teachers remain the property of the teacher.
  • Student Responses: Written responses submitted by students remain the property of the student and their school.

By using the Service, you grant us a limited license to store and display your content as necessary to provide the Service.

8. Acceptable Use

You agree to use the Service only for lawful educational purposes. You may not: share your account credentials with unauthorized users; use automated systems (bots, scrapers) to access the Service; attempt to gain unauthorized access to other users' accounts or data; reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of the Service; or resell, redistribute, or sublicense access to the Service.

9. Account Termination

We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms, engage in abusive behavior, or pose a security risk to the Service. Teachers may delete their account at any time. Upon account deletion, all associated data (including student records for that teacher's classes) will be permanently removed within 30 days.

10. Data Retention and Deletion

Teacher account data is retained for the duration of the active subscription. Student data (first name, last initial, password hash, and task responses) is retained while the class is active. Teachers may delete students, classes, or their entire account at any time. Deletion requests sent to support@readbookpulse.com are processed within 30 days.

11. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. We do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation. While we strive to maintain accurate and high-quality educational content, we make no warranties regarding the suitability of the content for any particular educational standard or curriculum.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Baarstad Consulting Services shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Service. Our total liability for any claim arising from these terms shall not exceed the amount you paid for the Service in the twelve months preceding the claim.

13. Modifications to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms of Service at any time. Material changes will be communicated to registered teachers via email with at least 30 days' notice. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Continued use of the Service after the notice period constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

14. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of California without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising under these terms shall be resolved in the courts located in Orange County, California.

15. Contact

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us at support@readbookpulse.com or visit our contact page.