UT Elementary Deploys Web Filtering

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The University of Texas Elementary School in Austin, a university-sponsored preK-5 charter school, is deploying Web filtering software to help keep students from accessing Internet content administrators consider inappropriate for their school's setting.

The school is using CyberPatrol's SiteSURVplus, a server-based solution that's coupled with a database of some 220 million sites that it blacklists. HTTP requests are routed through SiteSURVplus, which is installed on a system on the LAN, and then forwarded on to the DNS. Sites are blocked or allowed based on parameters set by the school.

“UTES needed a simple, cost-effective solution that would allow us to meet state requirements for URL filtering in schools as well as ensure we comply with University of Texas policies for safe and appropriate content filtering,” said Ramona Treviño, principal and CEO of the University of Texas Elementary School, in a statement released this week. “Students, teachers and staff all use the school’s laptop and desktop computers, so it was important that the solution we chose for our network would also let us create our own list of blocked or allowed sites in addition to those categories already blocked by the software.”

The University of Texas Elementary School is an open-enrollment public charter school operated out of the University of texas at Austin.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


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