When Joshua Jerome took the reins as Chief Technology Officer for Carbon County School District #1, he undertook a significant challenge: he wanted to move as many of the district’s applications and processes as possible to the cloud – eventually including their K-12 Web Filter.

An early adopter of cloud technologies, Joshua saw the potential in cloud and hosted solutions to lower his upfront costs, minimize maintenance requirements, and provide greater security. This was back in 2013, at the same time Securly introduced the first cloud-based web filter for K-12 schools.

Just a few years later, Joshua started looking for a cloud web filter for his district. The web filter needed to be CIPA-compliant as well as work on school-issued Chromebooks, even when they went home with students. He found a flexible and reliable solution in Securly Filter.

A Cloud-based K-12 Web Filter is Just the Beginning

As many districts have experienced, students’ use of Chromebooks opens up new educational opportunities, but it also creates new challenges. 

Even the most experienced teachers can find it difficult to keep students engaged in class when they’re on school devices. When students are hidden behind laptops, it’s almost impossible to know if they’re focusing on classwork or watching their favorite YouTuber.

With the successful implementation of Securly Filter, a dedicated K-12 web filter, under his belt, Joshua again looked to Securly. He added Securly Classroom, another cloud-based tool, to the mix to help his teachers defeat digital distractions so they could do what they do best: teach.

By giving teachers the ability to see their students’ Chromebook screens on their own computer, Classroom helps teachers make sure students are focused on classwork. It also helps them plan and run their classes, monitor student progress, and generally makes teaching in technology-enabled classrooms easier.

Taking Safety to the Next Level by Implementing Student Wellness Monitoring

Securly Filter laid a solid foundation for student safety by making sure students weren’t exposed to harmful or inappropriate online content. However, Carbon County wanted to do more to ensure their students were safe. 

The district took a proactive stance on student wellness by implementing Securly Aware student wellness monitoring. Also cloud-based, Securly Aware scans students’ online activities for signs that students may be contemplating or experiencing harm, including cyberbullying, depression, suicide, and violence. When it detects these signs, it sends email alerts to designated school personnel, such as student services teams, counselors, or principals.

The implementation of Securly Aware was closely followed by the addition of Securly On-Call. Instead of hiring a dedicated safety specialist, Joshua and his Special Services Director instead opted to rely on Securly On-Call’s team of highly trained safety specialists. The On-Call team analyzes Aware alerts 24/7 for Carbon County, and notifies school or emergency personnel in high-risk situations.

Streamlined Edtech Management from a Single, Trusted Student Safety Partner

While Joshua’s biggest accomplishments at Carbon County started with a move to the cloud for their K-12 web filter, they didn’t end there. By building the district’s partnership with Securly, Joshua has helped his district foster a culture where students are safe, secure, and ready to learn. 

Joshua underscores the value of having a responsive and reliable edtech support team. He relies on his dedicated Securly customer success manager to partner with him in troubleshooting issues and keeping their tools running smoothly.

And the cherry on top?

Consolidating on Securly for several edtech tools makes vendor management just a little easier. For busy district IT teams who are managing a growing number of edtech applications, every little bit helps.

To learn more about how Carbon County is keeping students safe, secure, and ready to learn, read the full case study.

Curious to learn more ways IT can help support student safety, wellness, and engagement? Visit www.securly.com

The post How Carbon County’s K-12 Web Filter Laid a Solid Foundation for Student Safety and Streamlined Edtech Management first appeared on Blog.

The post How Carbon County’s K-12 Web Filter Laid a Solid Foundation for Student Safety and Streamlined Edtech Management appeared first on Blog.