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

  • Round Rock ISD Completes New Early College High School

    Round Rock ISD near Austin, Texas, recently announced that construction is complete on a new, 46,500-square-foot campus for Early College High School, according to a news release. The new facility will allow the school’s students and staff to move from portables into a permanent building and increase its enrollment to 500.

  • Houston-Area High School Breaks Ground on 117,000SF Multi-Use Facility

    North Shore Senior High School, part of Galena Park ISD in Houston, Texas, recently broke ground on a new multi-use facility for student extracurriculars, according to a news release. The North Shore Multi-Use Facility will include dedicated practice and training space for the school’s athletics and fine arts programs.

  • Harvard Announces Replacement Facility for Native American Program

    Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., recently announced that construction will begin this spring on a new home for its Native American Program, according to university news. The 6,500-square-foot, all-electric building will stand three stories and serve as the central hub for the Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP).

  • California K–12 District Finishes Renovations on Multi-Sport Stadium

    The Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) in Alameda, Calif., recently announced the completion of a renovation project on the Encinal Jr. & Sr. High School stadium, according to a news release. The district partnered with Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) and Bothman Construction on the facility, and funding came from Bond Measure B.