GOGUARDIAN PROTOCOL

GoGuardian, a service that provides Chromebook monitoring, filtering and theft recovery, is part of the overall digital network security system for UNIS and applies to Junior School and Middle School students’ equipment. This system works in conjunction with the Google Apps for Education digital learning ecosystem and Chromebooks. This system does not apply to staff/faculty/admin equipment.

IMPORTANT NOTE

UNIS may monitor data collected from Chromebook activity by GoGuardian without prior notice. UNIS is not obliged to monitor data collected from Chromebook activity by GoGuardian.

UNIS Google Apps for Education system allows for users to be grouped into organizational units (OU) according to their role in the school. The system is divided into Employee OU’s and Student OU’s. Student OU’s are further separated into Tutorial House, Middle school and Junior School, and by Campus, so permissions can be set for each group based on age. GoGuardian is CIPA compliant.

Go Guardian has two levels of access.

• SuperAdmin Role​: Access to all aspects of the GoGuardian system. This access level is assigned to the following:

  • Director of Academic Technology

  • Senior IT manager

  • Senior Mobile Infrastructure Architect

• Admin Role: ​Access to all aspects of the system EXCEPT Audit Logs and Theft Recovery as these are at the SuperAdmin level only. This access level is assigned to the following:

  • Application Analyst and Specialist

Websites are blacklisted based on Go Guardian’s CIPA compliant categories list and additional categories and keywords listed by the school. The system’s proprietary content­ based filtering software tracks and analyzes every website visited and flags sites that might contain questionable content thus allowing for further review of a site for possible addition to the blacklist. The system allows flexibility based on grade level.*

To further protect and engage students while online, Chromebook activity is monitored to determine how the devices are being used and what is being accessed. This information provides analytical data for Chromebook use, and provides specifics on flagged activity by individual users. This monitoring feature allows teachers to use “GoGuardian for Teachers” which offer specific features:

• Activity Timeline: Understand when, where, and how students are learning, in real time.

• Tab Control: Instantly send one or more students to a specific website in a new tab.

• Attention Mode: Quickly close tabs, darken screens, and lock devices for "eyes up front" focus.

In the event a Chromebook is reported stolen, the theft recovery feature of GoGuardian will be utilized by the school. This feature provides advanced geolocation technology to pinpoint the location of the stolen Chromebook on a map for reporting purposes. In addition, this theft recovery feature provides screenshots and keylogs from the stolen Chromebook for the purpose of identifying who is using the stolen device. In order to utilize this feature, a police report must be provided to the school administration. Because of the sensitive nature of this feature, the following protocol will be utilized:

1. Upon receipt of a police report, the serial number of the stolen device will be removed from its current Google Console OU and placed in an OU called Theft Recovery that is strictly reserved for the theft recovery feature. This will be the only device (serial number) in the OU. This will be the responsibility of the Mobile Technology Infrastructure Administrator who manages OU’s in the Google Console. The Mobile Technology Infrastructure Administrator will notify the Director of Academic Technology that a theft investigation is ready to commence.

2. As noted above, the Theft Recovery feature in GoGuardian is only accessible at the SuperAdmin level. The Theft Recovery feature will be activated by the Director of Technology.

3. Once activated, recorded activity will be documented on the Chromebook Theft recovery form, signed, and submitted to the Security Department, in communication with the Police Department, and the school administration.

4. After the investigation is completed, the Mobile Technology Infrastructure Administrator will be notified and the device (serial number) will be transferred to an OU labeled “Reported Stolen” as this OU will disable all features of the Chromebook and lock it down.

5. Once the device is recovered, it will be submitted to the Mobile Technology Infrastructure Administrator for evaluation. If it is operable, it will be returned to its original OU and returned to its assigned student for use in school.

IMPORTANT NOTE

The Theft Recovery feature ​is not automatically enabled ​on all Chromebooks. It is exclusively used according to the protocol described above.

To assist teachers in managing a digital classroom and to ensure devices are utilized in the classroom for instructional purposes under the guidance of a teacher, GoGuardian For Teachers, a screen share feature, is enabled at the Middle School and Junior School level for all ​student devices only​. To ensure teachers will have limited access to viewing student screens, this feature is configured according to the following parameters:

1. School IP: In order for the screen to be visible, the device must be connected to the Internet via the School network IP.**

2. Time: The screen share feature will be enabled Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm.

1. All teachers will be able to use GoGuardian For Teachers and monitor their students’ online activity, lock student screens to specific websites, and refocus attention to online educational tasks while in the classroom.

2. Although screen share is available during school hours, teacher use is restricted to use with students assigned to them during a specific class period. Access to student screens beyond their assigned class with an individual teacher is not allowed.

The protocol is subject to change: any faculty/staff/admin/student can request modification in order to enhance their experience with Technology at UNIS. Exception to this protocol will be considered on a one-to-one basis.

* Expectation needs to be defined by Health and Security Committee in collaboration with JS and MS Principals.

** This limitation will be revised if students are tethering from their mobile phone.