Starting this school year, Securly, a new classroom productivity program, is being more and more utilized by teachers. Securly is being used for multiple purposes and is already starting to take effect. In previous years, teachers haven’t had much control over what students do in their class. This year, Efficiency has been replaced with Securly, which is supposed to be a more convenient program for teachers to use in their classrooms.

Securly is a program that exists to assist teachers inside and outside the classroom. Securly Pass is a digital bathroom pass, Securly Flex is the new M30 sign-up page, which is replacing Efficiency, and Securly Classroom helps teachers manage their students in class and keep them focused when working on digital classwork.

 “We actually have Securly for multiple purposes this year,”  Vice Principal Dr. Quynh Harvey said. “For example, instead of Efficiency, we’re using Flex Securely.”

An extended second-period presentation covered how to make M30 requests using Securly Flex for Mustang 30, but this presentation didn’t cover the other parts of Securly, such as Securly Pass or Securly Classroom. When a teacher is using Securly Classroom, a notification pops up on students’ computers, alerting them that the software is being used.

“What Securly Classroom allows us to do is, in short, be able to work with and share information, but also monitor information on students’ Chromebooks from the teacher’s laptop,” Harvey said. 

Harvey says that an example of a use for Securly Classroom would be during assessments when the teacher or proctor wants to check in on the testing progress with the students.

In addition to Securly Classroom and Securly Flex, Securly Pass is the new software being used for digital passes. This new system allows teachers to utilize the most out of their class time and ensures students are doing the same. 

However, teachers are not required to utilize this program. The district has not fully rolled out all of the information on what Securly entails, so teachers have time to see what it is and decide if it is something they feel will positively impact their classrooms. 

“Our staff knows that it’s available, so they’re kind of in a pattern to be like, ‘okay, let’s hold on to see what it entails, what the work looks like, ’” Principal Daniel DeBruycker said. “So when we roll something out as administrators, we just want to make it as easy as possible on staff, so it’s not just another thing they have to learn if they want to use it or if they don’t.”

In addition to not needing to utilize it, some teachers won’t even need to learn about it, depending on the Chromebook usage in their class. Because it is the first year of experimenting with this program, it is at the teacher’s discretion whether or not they even need to use it this year.

“So if I’m a teacher that has a class that’s not utilizing the Chromebook very often, then it’s not something I need to be aware of, concerned about, or even spend time with as an educator,” DeBruycker said.

Securly is slowly being rolled out, starting with Flex Securly, which was used for our first Mustang 30 session of the year. Securly Pass is the next product being used in classes, with lanyards as the physical pass you use after signing out on your computer from under the Academics tab on Metea Media. However, it is uncertain when to expect Securly Classroom to be added and used by teachers on a regular basis.

“It’s gonna take some time for us to learn about the system, the capabilities, and then I always like to pilot because it gives us a sense of one we learn how to use it,” Harvey said.

The purpose of using this new program is to enable smart choices in the classroom and push students to perform to the best of their abilities. With the advancing technology and the increase in AI usage, the administration is hoping that Securly can offer teachers a classroom management tool that positively impacts both students and teachers. 

According to Securly.com, “Securly Classroom helps teachers regain control of their classrooms by showing them exactly what their students are seeing. If students are distracted during a lesson, teachers can close tabs and block sites if necessary.”

The district is hoping that by using Securly, teachers will see improvements across the schools in all areas of academics and overall student performance. 

This story was originally published in the Stampede Volume 17 Issue 1 on Sept. 30.