Oswego SD308 approves system to monitor students’ computer activity

Oswego School District 308 plans to implement a system that will allow teachers to monitor students’ use of Chromebooks.

At their Jan. 22 meeting, School Board members unanimously approved the purchase of “Securly Classroom,” an online tool that gives instructors the ability to manage and monitor students’ experiences on their Chromebooks in their classrooms.

The district provides Chromebooks to students in first through 12th grades. Securly Classroom will cost the district $34,386.95 the first year, which covers February through August 2024. That costs includes Securly Classroom, access to Securly’s Learning Portal, personalized training recordings and an implementation fee.

The following year of Securly Classroom will cost the district $48,437.05. The need for Securly Classroom was discussed at the Jan. 8 School Board meeting.

“This is an exciting opportunity and tool that our teachers have the potential of using to help with motivation and also engagement and also some classroom management pieces,” Faith Dahlquist, the district’s associate superintendent for educational services, said in addressing School Board members at the meeting.

Dahlquist noted that teachers would not be required to use the monitoring system.

“This is an optional tool,” she said.

Brent Kiger, the district’s director of technology and infrastructure, talked to School Board members about Securly Classroom and how it works.

“It will help students stay focused,” Kiger said. “The teacher will be able to segment or isolate or group particular websites that can be used during the lesson. It will allow them to lock to one particular website. It also gives the teacher the ability to close tabs that aren’t pertinent to the lesson.”

Securly Classroom also will give teachers the ability to create groups of websites that can’t be assessed by students. In addition, it will allow teachers to shut off devices.

“When devices aren’t needed, the teacher will be able to lock the screen, freeze the screen and make sure they have everyone’s eyes looking at them,” Kiger said.

It can also monitor what is on a student’s screen. “No longer will the teacher feel like that they need to be in the back of the room to make sure that everybody’s doing what they need to do,” Kiger said.

In addition, the system will allow teachers to send class-wide announcements or start chats with individual students. In turn, students will be able to interact directly with their teachers using the system.

“In a case where a student may not feel comfortable in asking the question in front of everybody, well now they can chat with the teacher,” Kiger said.

Seventy-one other school districts in Illinois use Securly Classroom, said Kevin McDonald, the district’s director of information systems and support.

Kiger and McDonald told School Board members that data on use and teacher satisfaction with the product will be collected during the 2024-25 school year and reviewed when considering whether or not to renew the contract and identify additional training opportunities.