• What is GoGuardian and What is Beacon?

    GoGuardian and GoGuardian Beacon are software tools that provide the following services to schools and districts like SEDOL:

    • Content-filtering that prevents students from accessing inappropriate or harmful content when browsing online using district-issued devices and login credentials.  Classroom management tools that allow teachers to monitor, select, and limit content that students using Chromebooks have access to while online.  A similar solution currently exists for staff whose students have been issued iPads;

    • Monitoring student internet activity and sending administration alerts for review and action during the school day and outside of normal school hours when a student is searching, creating, viewing, or interacting with online content that may be harmful to themselves or others.   This will help SEDOL identify and intervene when a child may be at risk of suicide, self harm, or harming others.  

    • Notifying a parent or guardian after school hours via email when their child’s internet usage suggests that their child may be at risk of suicide or self-harm.

    GoGuardian products are used in over 8,500 schools and 5,000 districts in the US, supporting over 23 million students. 

    Additional information about GoGuardian and Beacon can be located on the company’s website.

    Will parents or guardians receive a notification when their child generates an alert related to suicide or self-harm?

    Yes.  SEDOL has turned on a feature in Beacon that will notify parents/guardians via email after school hours if their child is searching, creating, viewing, or interacting with online content that suggests that is related to suicide or self-harm. 

    We care about your child, you, and your family. Staff from SEDOL will be following up with parents or guardians and students when alerts are generated so that all parties can get the support that is needed.

    Why are Parent/Guardian notifications available only after school hours?

    GoGuardian’s core settings currently allow parents to be contacted only outside of normal school hours.  The reasoning behind this is that GoGuardian attempts to notify the person who is taking care of the student at any given moment, especially when that student needs someone to talk to immediately. Outside of school hours, a student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) are often the closest and most available caretaker.

    What do I as a parent/guardian need to do to receive these notifications?

    Before a school/district can send notifications to a parent/guardian, a functioning email address must be added to the platform to receive alerts from Beacon.  This information was provided to SEDOL during the registration process for your child.

    Please remember to check your email, including your spam folder, regularly for these alerts and to see if your email inbox has enough storage to receive email notifications.  

    It is critical that you let your school or program administrator know if your email address or phone number(s) changes (or there is a change in who holds your child’s educational rights) because you will not receive Beacon notifications.  

    Please contact the school or program administrator if you have questions about the email(s) that SEDOL has on file for you to receive these notifications.

    When could I as a parent/guardian receive these notifications?

    Parents/guardians could receive alerts via email throughout the night, before and after normal school hours each day, weekends, and during winter and spring breaks.

    Can parents get access to additional information about the notifications?

    Yes, if a parent, legal guardian, or eligible student wants additional information about the alert, he/she should contact their school or program administrator. 

    What is expected of me, as a parent or guardian, when I receive Beacon notifications as a parent/guardian?

    We understand receiving a notification that your child is browsing content that is related to suicide or self-harm can be troubling, but this represents an important opportunity to speak with your child. 

    First, start by checking in with your child, ask them how they are doing and see if they require additional care. It’s ok to be direct and ask “are you thinking about self-harm or suicide? Tell me more about your thoughts and feelings.”

    Emotional ups and downs and general curiosity is a natural part of growing up.   However, due to the sensitive nature of this topic, we encourage you to reach out to your child to get more information as soon as possible.

    If you or your child needs urgent help, please consider reaching out to other members of your community such as your child’s doctor or private therapist, call or text 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Treatment Referral Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) to locate treatment services in your area.  

    Some additional resources for having this important conversation include:

     

     

     

     

     

    Please do not call GoGuardian if you receive a notification as GoGuardian will not share details about the notification over the phone and GoGuardian is not a mental health professional that can help take next steps.  In these instances, please contact your child’s school or program administrator.

    Is GoGuardian Beacon’s algorithm generating a profile of my child?

    GoGuardian Beacon’s system analyzes the online content that a student interacted with or created to trigger an alert.  GoGuardian Beacon’s does not analyze a child’s demographic information or any other sources of a child’s mental health. Outside of the Beacon alert information, GoGuardian Beacon does not store any other mental health information about your child (i.e., GoGuardian Beacon does not have Individualized Education Program information, prior conversations with counselors, notes from a school psychologist).  

    How does GoGuardian protect my child’s data?

    To help remain scholarly and safe online, GoGuardian collects certain personally identifiable information about each student.  GoGuardian has consulted with privacy experts, participates in privacy organizations, is a proud signatory of the Student Privacy Pledge, and has been awarded certifications by iKeepSafe for complying with both Family Education Rights and Privacy Act and California student privacy laws (which have served as a model for many other states’ student privacy laws).  For more detailed information about GoGuardian, you may visit GoGuardian’s website, Trust & Privacy Center, and GoGuardian’s Product Privacy Policy.