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+# Protected Staged Case Assets Contract
+
+## Purpose
+
+This document is the canonical implementation contract for #316 — protected staged Case Study assets and rich Student case rendering.
+
+#316 builds on the completed staged-exercise engine (#313) and the completed pre-production hardening sequence (#328–#330). It must let a production staged Case Study present source-faithful text, tables, images, and document pages without shipping unreleased or Instructor-only material to the browser.
+
+## Scope
+
+Own:
+- a server-only protected asset registry keyed by stable `assetId`;
+- authorization for asset retrieval through the represented staged exercise;
+- Student access only to assets referenced by currently cumulative released Student content;
+- Instructor access only within the represented class/exercise;
+- accessible Student rendering for `table`, `image`, and `document-page` blocks;
+- protected response headers and public-bundle exclusion;
+- deterministic unit/API/browser/security/accessibility coverage.
+
+Do not:
+- put protected asset paths or bytes in `dist/`;
+- expose asset URLs in authored Student payloads;
+- use collaboration workspace edit capabilities as case-asset authority;
+- send future-stage assets and hide them client-side;
+- infer official case staging or asset mapping without reviewed source material;
+- weaken the existing complete protected Case Study payload boundary.
+
+## Existing authored contract
+
+Simulation version 1 already supports:
+- `narrative`, `prompt`, and `evidence` blocks with `body`;
+- `table` blocks with rectangular `headers` and `rows`;
+- `image` blocks with stable `assetId` and required `alt`;
+- `document-page` blocks with stable `assetId`, positive `page`, and required `alt`.
+
+The staged definition remains server-only. `assetId` is an opaque stable identifier, not a URL or filesystem path.
+
+## Asset registry
+
+The registry is server-only and keyed by `assetId`.
+
+Each entry must describe only what the server needs to locate and serve the protected asset. A registry entry must never be serialized into the Student exercise payload.
+
+Initial supported asset representations should be deliberately small:
+- raster image;
+- protected document page representation suitable for browser display.
+
+The registry must fail closed for:
+- unknown asset IDs;
+- unsupported media type;
+- missing source;
+- invalid page request;
+- registry/source mismatch.
+
+Asset IDs must remain stable across authoring revisions when the represented source evidence is the same.
+
+## Authorization model
+
+### Student
+
+Student asset retrieval requires the stable Student class-session capability.
+
+The server must:
+1. resolve the represented participant/class;
+2. resolve the current staged exercise;
+3. validate the pinned staged definition;
+4. compute cumulative Student content released through the current stage;
+5. confirm that the requested `assetId` is referenced by one of those released Student blocks;
+6. serve only that asset representation.
+
+A Student workspace collaboration capability is never sufficient authorization.
+
+An unreleased, future-stage, another-class, unknown, or Instructor-only asset must fail without revealing ownership or release timing.
+
+### Instructor
+
+Instructor asset retrieval requires the represented class Instructor capability.
+
+The server must resolve that class's staged exercise and allow only assets referenced by that exercise definition. Instructor authority does not become a global protected-asset browser.
+
+## Endpoint shape
+
+Keep the single Classroom Serverless Function deployment invariant.
+
+Add a routed Classroom asset endpoint under the existing `api/classroom.js` dispatcher rather than creating an independent Vercel function.
+
+The public route should carry only a stable asset identifier and, for document-page assets, an allowed page selector. Bearer authority remains in the Authorization header.
+
+Responses:
+- `Cache-Control: no-store`;
+- `Referrer-Policy: no-referrer`;
+- explicit safe `Content-Type`;
+- no redirect to a permanent/public object URL;
+- no credential-bearing URL.
+
+Do not expose registry paths, storage bucket keys, or other server internals in error bodies.
+
+## Student exercise payload
+
+The normal `GET /api/classes/exercise/student` response may include the already-authorized block metadata needed to render the content:
+- text block body;
+- table headers/rows;
+- image `assetId` + reviewed `alt`;
+- document-page `assetId` + page + reviewed `alt`.
+
+It must not include:
+- protected asset bytes;
+- filesystem/storage paths;
+- signed/permanent URLs;
+- future-stage block metadata;
+- Instructor-only content.
+
+## Student rendering
+
+### Narrative / prompt / evidence
+
+Continue rendering as safe text.
+
+### Table
+
+Render semantic HTML:
+- `table`;
+- `thead` / `tbody`;
+- header cells with appropriate scope;
+- responsive overflow container that does not break the mobile Intake layout.
+
+No arbitrary HTML from authored content.
+
+### Image
+
+Render only after authorized retrieval.
+
+Requirements:
+- authored reviewed alt text;
+- no public source URL;
+- loading/error state that does not disclose protected path details;
+- fit within the case-reference panel without horizontal page overflow.
+
+### Document page
+
+Render a protected page representation through the same authorized boundary.
+
+The browser should treat it as evidence/reference, not as a downloadable public document location. The displayed page must have authored accessible alternative text.
+
+## Progressive disclosure
+
+Authorization is derived from the server's current cumulative released Student content, not from the browser asking for an arbitrary `assetId`.
+
+Advancing a stage may make additional asset IDs authorized. Reassignment does not change class-level staged release authority. Revoked/expired Student class-session authority must stop asset retrieval immediately.
+
+Future-stage content must remain absent from:
+- Student exercise JSON;
+- DOM;
+- browser caches controlled by the app;
+- public manifests/static output.
+
+## Public deployment boundary
+
+Protected source assets and the registry are server-only build inputs.
+
+The existing generated `dist/` boundary remains authoritative. Extend the existing Vercel/public-output verification so protected source asset names/IDs/paths cannot accidentally be emitted as public static files.
+
+Stay within the repository Serverless Function budget by routing through the existing Classroom dispatcher.
+
+## Testing
+
+Minimum acceptance coverage:
+
+### Unit / schema
+- image/document blocks preserve only approved fields;
+- table renderer handles rectangular data;
+- invalid/unknown asset representations fail closed.
+
+### API
+- current-stage Student asset succeeds;
+- prior released-stage asset remains available after advance;
+- future-stage asset denied;
+- unreleased optional asset denied until release;
+- cross-class Student denied;
+- workspace capability alone denied;
+- revoked/expired Student session denied;
+- Instructor access is class/exercise scoped;
+- unknown asset indistinguishable from unauthorized protected asset;
+- no-store/no-referrer and safe content type asserted.
+
+### Browser
+- released table renders semantically;
+- released image renders through protected retrieval;
+- document page renders through protected retrieval;
+- future-stage asset never appears before release;
+- mobile layout has no horizontal document overflow;
+- keyboard interaction remains usable;
+- serious/critical axe scan passes with released rich content visible.
+
+## Delivery slices
+
+### 316A — contract + server registry boundary
+- establish this contract;
+- add registry shape and deterministic tests;
+- add routed asset endpoint;
+- prove authorization without adding production case assets.
+
+### 316B — Student payload + table rendering
+- preserve rich released block metadata;
+- render semantic tables;
+- add focused browser/a11y coverage.
+
+### 316C — protected image/document-page retrieval + rendering
+- add supported protected asset sources;
+- wire authorized fetch/render lifecycle;
+- add current/future/cross-class denial tests.
+
+### 316D — deployment/security/final audit
+- public-output guard;
+- mobile/a11y/security acceptance;
+- docs/cold-start reconciliation;
+- exact-head required gates and production verification.
+
+## Cold restart
+
+1. Read `AGENTS.md`, `api/AGENTS.md`, `docs/classroom-roadmap.md`, `docs/classroom-architecture.md`, `docs/classroom-api.md`, `docs/classroom-staged-simulation.md`, and this file.
+2. Confirm #330 is complete and #316 remains the active issue.
+3. Preserve the single Classroom dispatcher/function budget.
+4. Treat Student class-session authority as the only Student case-asset read authority.
+5. Do not add official production assets/staging merely to test the feature; use deterministic synthetic fixtures until #317.