Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Beaumont ISD Implements AI Program to Prevent Violence and Suicide

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 10/28/19

Beaumont ISD will implement a new artificial intelligence-based safety management system to monitor student emails and accounts to prevent violence and suicide.

The Texas school district approved a contract with Gaggle, a software company that scans student emails and files stored on school-issued Google or Microsoft accounts. The company looks for instances of bullying and references to drug and alcohol abuse, intentions of violence, sexual content, self-harm, hate speech, pornography and more.

Once the flagged content is detected, a safety expert analyzes the material to determine the severity of the content and then works with the school district to properly address the concern.

Toni McPherson, director of information services and technology for Beaumont Independent School District, told the Beaumont Enterprise, the flagged content “will be blocked from being shared to others and the Gaggle staff will immediately review it and determine the severity. In high-severity situations, the content will be sent to the appropriate district staff to be addressed.”

While Gaggle may be used to prevent suicide or a school tragedy, some advocates are concerned the software violates student privacy and can violate the Family Education Rights Privacy Act (FERPA), reported the Beaumont Enterprise. Gaggle cites it’s compliant with the federal regulation under the “school official” exclusion, meaning the school districts give the company permission to handle student’s information. Parents can also opt out of the program but students will not be allowed to use school-issued technology.

Beaumont is one of about 1,400 schools who uses Gaggle. The software will cost more than $88,000 and is covered by federal funding and not from BISD’s general fund. Gaggle will be phased in at the school district over the next several months.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.

  • Photo courtesy of Kraus-Anderson

    Minnesota District Completes $49.7M Addition, Renovation Project

    St. Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $49.7-million addition and remodeling project at two district schools, according to a news release.

  • Rhode Island Boarding School Completes Student Dorm Renovations

    St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., recently announced the completion of a $26-million renovation project on Arden-Diman-Eccles Dormitory, according to a news release. The school partnered with Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) on the new space, which places a new focus on collaborative community spaces open to both boarding students and day students.

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.