As assistant principal at Hurricane High School in Putnam County Schools, W.V., Nichole Mowery worries about what kids may say to each other online.
“Students use devices that open a digital world, but that space is vast and can be impossible for teachers and administrators to monitor 24/7,” she said. To the end, her district leverages Lightspeed, a tool for monitoring students’ online behaviors. “It just adds another layer of protection for our students as they navigate their digital world.”
When students use school-issued technology to share their distress — via email or social media, for example — technology can help school leaders catch the early warning signs and step in to help.
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Lightspeed Systems works in much the same way: Scanning communications, using AI and human review to determine whether there’s a real risk, and alerting school officials as needed. Director of Product, Safety & Wellness Jennifer Duer says the technology drives tangible outcomes.
“A customer rolled out Lightspeed Alert and within their first week got alert that a student had a knife on campus. They called that student down to the office and found that he had been in a bullying situation and was intending to use that knife to defend himself,” she said. “Within a few days of rolling out the product, they found something really significant that they were able to prevent.”