How The High School of Saint Thomas More Transformed Student Accountability
The High School of Saint Thomas More in Champaign, Illinois, was looking for a way to help students learn how to navigate an environment that was becoming increasingly digital and likely to remain that way as they progressed through college and beyond. That’s why administrators decided to partner with GoGuardian to transform student engagement, accountability, and classroom management.
The High School of Saint Thomas More faced a challenge many schools have seen as digital devices have become prevalent everywhere: How to integrate technology in classrooms while keeping students engaged, accountable, and safe online. Before the teachers at the school had a solution to help them, they often had to manually observe screens during class, which was difficult in 80-minute block schedules and disrupted lesson flow.
The school recently transitioned from a one-to-one Chromebook model to shared Chromebook carts, allowing teachers to better manage student activity while still giving them access to essential digital tools. Even so, students, particularly freshmen, would test the boundaries of acceptable Chromebook use. Sr. M. Bridget Martin, principal, emphasized that teaching responsible use of technology is a core value for the school. “We want to show students that actions have consequences, and technology use is no different.”
Implementing GoGuardian Admin and GoGuardian Teacher allowed educators to provide a structured yet flexible digital environment for all. It gave instructors visibility into student screens, tools to help them guide online activity, and a way to intervene when students went off-task or didn’t make the smartest decisions while using school-owned devices.
The challenge
The teachers at The High School of Saint Thomas More were frustrated with ongoing digital distractions in class. Students would occasionally figure out how to bypass content restrictions, and administrators had to mediate incidents without concrete evidence.
Long class periods amplified these challenges. While study halls or free periods provided opportunities for independent learning, learners often used devices for non-educational purposes. Without oversight, it was difficult to strike the right balance between freedom and safety.
When Sr. M. Bridget Martin would teach, she estimated that, “During a 45-minute class period…I would spend almost a quarter of the time redirecting students or asking them to close their computers or even having to confiscate them before we had GoGuardian Teacher.”
The plan
Sr. M. Bridget Martin turned to GoGuardian Admin and GoGuardian Teacher to provide a comprehensive solution that would help her and her staff ensure their students got the best of both worlds while giving teachers the tools they needed to craft a safe and effective digital learning environment.
With GoGuardian Admin, IT staff established a foundational layer of content filtering that protected learners from inappropriate material while still allowing access to valuable educational resources. Building on that framework, GoGuardian Teacher provided educators with classroom visibility, enabling them to oversee student screens and quickly redirect off-task behavior. Teachers could further refine the learning environment by creating custom Scenes that restricted access to only the websites or apps relevant to classwork.
Thanks to professional development training hosted by GoGuardian, staff received a hands-on demonstration on how to make the most of GoGuardian Teacher, helping them integrate the solution seamlessly into daily lessons.
The impact
The results were undeniable. As students became more aware of increased teacher oversight, accountability was an overarching principle that guided their actions. Inappropriate browsing incidents shrunk, and learners felt more comfortable using GoGuardian Teacher’s chat feature to ask questions of their teachers to help guide their understanding.
Students can engage in meaningful digital projects such as graphic design and music production, benefiting from structured access to advanced tools. With more control over digital environments, teachers are free to reward learners with time for productive brain-break activities.
In addition to these benefits, there was also a reduced administrative burden. With GoGuardian Admin's clear records and reporting features, the principal and staff spend less time chasing disciplinary issues and more time finding ways to enhance education through programs that rely on safe technology use.
| Challenge | Solution & Impact |
|---|---|
| Bypassing content filters | GoGuardian Admin established a foundational layer of filtering that reduced inappropriate browsing and reinforced student accountability. |
| Limited visibility into student activity | GoGuardian Teacher gave educators insight into student screens, enabling immediate intervention while maintaining lesson momentum. |
| Student hesitation to seek help | 1:1 chat support within GoGuardian Teacher increased student comfort in asking questions privately, supporting understanding and appropriate digital behavior. |
| Digital distractions during instruction | Custom scenes within GoGuardian Teacher help focus student attention by limiting access to only lesson-relevant websites and applications. |
| Need for structured enrichment and brain breaks | Teachers create custom scenes within GoGuardian Teacher to safely reward students with moderated activities without compromising focus or safety. |
Conclusion
The High School of Saint Thomas More’s approach to technology has evolved thanks to its use of GoGuardian Admin and GoGuardian Teacher. Students are now developing an understanding of the responsibility that comes with digital tools, teachers are better able to manage classrooms, and administrators have the insights they need to support staff and guide policy. Without this solution, Sr. M. Bridget Martin feels there would be increased distractions, heightened frustration, and a more reactive approach to discipline rather than a proactive teaching model.
She noted that GoGuardian Admin and GoGuardian Teacher have helped create an environment where technology supports learning, creativity, and accountability rather than detracting from it. The partnership has also reinforced the school’s values by demonstrating that every action has consequences, and by showing students how to make thoughtful choices online and offline.
