First introduced to WHS during the 2023-2024 school year, Gaggle is an AI internet software program utilized by Westfield Public Schools designed to monitor online student activity. While most students are aware of Gaggle’s existence, many are still unsure of the ins and outs of the software and the details of what data it does and does not have access to. 

Gaggle started in 1999 with the mission of  keeping students safe and combating the student mental health crisis. According to Gaggle Representative Heather Durkac, Gaggle is often referred to as a “hall monitor for the digital hallways of your district.” Its purpose is to help schools comply with the Children’s Internet Protection Act, a federal law requiring schools to monitor the safety of students on school devices and platforms. 

To ease student concerns about Gaggle being a potential invasion of privacy, Hi’s Eye spoke to the district’s Chief Technology Officer Brian Auker to gain a better understanding of Gaggle’s capabilities. According to Auker, Gaggle can monitor all activity, including web browsing, that is done on a student’s Westfield Google account. Assistant Principal Brett Curtis explained that student activity on district-provided Chromebooks is also monitored by Gaggle. 

Material that is downloaded or typed onto a document using a student’s Google account is available to Gaggle as well. This means if a student is on a personal device, but logged into their school account, Gaggle has access to what they are typing. 

To clarify, Gaggle does not have access to student text messages, any activity done on a student’s personal Google account or student social media accounts. The only exception to this, according to Curtis, is if a student is logged into their social media on a school-issued Chromebook. 

Gaggle flags words and phrases related to self-harm, suicide or school violence. If trigger words or phrases are typed, the process is as follows: Machine learning algorithms review the content, then send material to a human review team at Gaggle. If the team deems the content as potentially dangerous, an alert is sent to the school.

Curtis emphasized that students should be aware that they do not have to send or submit material in order for it to be flagged. “Once you type it, even if you don’t hit search, [administrators] can see it,” he said. 

At WHS the assistant principals are responsible for reviewing alerts the school receives from Gaggle. Curtis explained that student class schedules and the context of flagged material are taken into consideration during the reviewing process. 

This means if the student is completing a homework assignment that contains references to harmful material like suicide or violence, the administration recognizes that it is part of an assignment and it does not pose a threat.

Although the idea of monitoring student activity can feel more like an invasion of privacy than a preventative measure, that is not Gaggle’s intent. Prioritizing the mental health of students has always been their mission, and over the years they have prevented approximately 7,000 student deaths, according to Durkac. 

Gaggle continues to be used in the district, the platform is constantly adjusting and perfecting the best ways to help students deal with mental health issues and help schools keep their student body safe.