Keeping students safe on school-issued devices while they’re at school is usually straightforward. School web filter appliances can handle this task easily. But when those devices travel outside of school walls, an appliance-based filter is no longer the right tool for the job.
Chico Unified School District experienced this in 2017. Implementing a 1:1 Chromebook program was a huge accomplishment, but it also created a new challenge. Chico Unified needed a school web filter that would keep students protected from harmful online content on their school Chromebooks, even when they were off the local network.
Not Every School Web Filter is Created Equally
John Vincent, Director of Technology at Chico Unified, started evaluating several cloud-based web filters, which are designed to address the challenges of remote filtering of school devices.
He knew what he was looking for, but what he found was surprising. Most cloud-based web filters could solve Chico Unified’s core problem, but Securly showed him something he hadn’t seen from any other filter provider: the Securly Home parent application.
“No other filter provider was showing us anything like Securly Home.
With Securly Filter + Home, we can give parents control of their student’s device, and they know their child’s online safety is being maintained at home.”
John Vincent, Director of Technology, Chico Unified School District
A School Web Filter that Does More
Securly Filter offers visibility, control, automatic site blocking, and reporting that makes online safety easier for IT teams and teachers. The addition of Securly Home gives families the ability to monitor and control student devices at home. They can set screen time schedules, see what their kids are searching for, and control internet access if they want to make it unavailable during meals or chore time.
John immediately saw the benefits of both. He was especially excited about being able to give parents and caregivers shared responsibility for students’ devices and equitable access to internet controls that they might not have otherwise. Once he saw how Securly Filter + Home could provide these capabilities, his decision was easy.
Detecting Signs that Students Are Struggling Fills a Safety Gap
After working with Securly Filter and Home for a year or so, John learned about Securly Aware and Securly On-Call. He knew he had to share these products with his district cabinet.
Securly Aware, a K-12 student wellness monitoring solution, goes beyond the blocking and allowing of sites that web filtering provides to detect risk signals in students’ online behaviors. John saw the potential to help his educational services teams:
- Know if students are at risk of self-harm, suicide, depression, violence, or bullying
- Proactively support students who demonstrate concerning behaviors
- Respond quickly to student safety and wellness concerns, before they get worse
Securly On-Call provides human analysis of alerts generated by Aware and validates the risk level. Available 24/7, the On-Call service notifies designated emergency contacts within minutes when a student’s online activities indicate an extreme risk situation, such as a suicide attempt.
John explains, “Even though the web filter is in place, students are still trying to search for things that it would be good to know about so that we can address them. When I first found out about Aware and On-Call, they seemed like a no-brainer, because they give us the visibility to be able to deal with risky situations and get our kids the help they need.”
When the Chico Unified cabinet members saw how Securly could help them fill this previously unknown gap in student safety and wellness, their approval to implement Securly Aware + On-Call was also a no-brainer.
Today, John knows his instincts were right. He sees every day how Securly is helping Chico Unified’s school-based teams know—and proactively investigate—when students are demonstrating safety or wellness concerns that might not otherwise be obvious.
He shares, “Our assistant principals and school counselors receive multiple alerts every week of kids doing something online that indicates a risk, and they’re able to say ‘we caught this one, we’ll take care of it.’ At some point, I know having Securly will save a student’s life, and there’s nothing more important than that.”
How a Solid Safety & Wellness Foundation Builds a Strong School Culture
Chico Unified continues to use Securly Filter + Home and Securly Aware + On-Call to provide a comprehensive approach to safety and wellness for its 12,000 students and their families. By going the extra mile to keep their students safe, secure, and ready to learn, Chico Unified has experienced the added benefit of building a districtwide culture rooted in trust and security.
John credits the district’s investment in student safety technology tools for this strong culture. And the investment is not just for the district’s schools, but also for its families. Giving families shared responsibility for student devices at home increases school-family engagement and builds positive relationships. John explains, “Knowing that students are being kept safe has created a real community of trust between the district, its schools, and its families.”
With Securly, Chico Unified is:
- Keeping students safe on school-issued devices at school and at home
- Sharing control and oversight of school devices with students’ families
- Proactively helping students who may be at risk of bullying, violence, and suicide
- Knowing if students are in crisis so they can intervene quickly
- Experiencing the benefits of a districtwide culture rooted in trust and security
Peace of Mind in Your Students’ Safety is Priceless
When asked about the future, John acknowledges that there are growing threats to defend against. However, he has confidence that Chico Unified is doing what they can to be prepared. In his words, “We’re happy to have Securly growing with our needs and helping us keep our students safe.”
“At some point, I know having Securly will save a student’s life.
There’s nothing more important than that.”
John Vincent, Director of Technology, Chico Unified School District
To learn more about John’s experience as a K-12 school district technology director and Securly customer, read the case study.
