Palatine CCSD 15 technology leaders presented a broad update on Jan. 14 covering the district’s unified technology structure, cybersecurity work and early steps to pilot supervised AI tools in schools.

The technology director described three major ecosystem changes: implementation of a dual analytics hub anchored on PowerSchool and Unified Analytics; migration of web filtering to Securly (which offers a home app and an AI-chat feature intended to operate in a monitored school mode); and adoption of Incident IQ to unify ticketing and asset management. "By unifying our department, we are ensuring that when a teacher reaches for a digital tool that it works, that it's safe, and that it provides insight for student growth," the presenter said.

On cybersecurity, staff said they have implemented a network detection and response system, expanded multi-factor authentication to financial systems and are tracking recommendations from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The presenters identified three critical gaps yet to be closed: increased user training (a recent phishing exercise showed roughly 20% failure), improved network visibility and a more robust incident-response plan.

Instructional technology staff described work on AI guidance and a staged pilot of Securly AI chat: administrative and teacher testing is underway, and middle-school pilots are planned depending on teacher readiness and Google organizational-unit logistics. "This is a moving target," the presenter said, adding that the district is focusing on tools it controls to protect student data.

Board members asked about report generation after the PowerSchool migration, multi-factor authentication methods, data backups and ransomware protection; tech staff described ongoing report-development processes, Google-based MFA options, off-site backups and layered monitoring.

Next steps: phased AI pilot in middle schools, continued focus on user training and publishing progress to the board.