Enhancing Security
Tennessee academy emphasizes critical thinking
- By Grant Woods
- Nov 03, 2014
Located in Maryville, Tenn., the
Clayton Bradley Academy first
opened its doors as a yearround
K-6 school in July of
2013. Now, in its second year,
the school has expanded to
Pre-K through 9th grade.
Focusing on science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM)
curriculums through 1-to-1
technology initiatives, critical
thinking is emphasized via project-
based learning. The school
also builds educational partnerships
with businesses, nonprofits
and area colleges to
foster true learning communities
as well as provide a sustainable
technology and learning
environment.
These initiatives have quickly placed Clayton
Bradley at the forefront of instructional
technology, as well as operations and facilities
technologies. Since opening, Clayton Bradley
has become a model school, demonstrating
successful technology implementation plans
for other schools and districts both inside and
outside of the classroom.
Operational and facilities technologies
have become just as important as instructional
technology, which includes the campus
safety and security systems. Originally, Clayton
Bradley implemented a basic, IP-camera
system that included keyfob access control to
all doors and classrooms for teachers and
administrators. Selected by the building contractor,
the security system was proprietary
which limited the ability to update, upgrade
and expand.
While the camera quality was suitable, the
ability to use motion detection as well as configure
the DVR as an adaptive device was
lacking. Furthermore, as a proprietary system,
any further expansion could only include
the original camera brand, not open upgrades
to competitive comparisons.
Because of these limitations, Clayton Bradley
decided to replace the surveillance system
with one that would be more flexible, scalable,
adaptive to future needs and overall, more
intuitive. Primary requirements for the new
system focused on enhanced motion detection
features, higher-quality camera resolution,
configurable alert systems and connectivity
with access control, along with
communication with first responders and
local law enforcement, and remote access
from mobile devices or web browsers.
As part of their research, Clayton Bradley
was introduced to IP camera systems from
AVer Information, a company that also develops
IP security and surveillance solutions
designed specifically for school and campus
environments. Indoor and outdoor IP cameras,
combined with enhanced features that
include a variety of motion detection configurations
triggering alerts, frame rate boost,
regional triggers and storage saving options
were very attractive to Clayton Bradley.
“Their solution during our due diligence
ranked high in flexibility with the features
and quality we were looking for,” said Tom
Sudman, CEO of Digital AV and consultant to
Pat Bradley, director for Clayton Bradley
Academy. “Not only that, but AVer is actively
working on improvements to make their solution
even smarter.”
Remote access through the web or mobile
devices and the ability to link first responders
helped Clayton Bradley make the decision to
move forward with implementation.
AVer’s features and functions were developed
with the unique needs of school facilities
in mind, and their pricing and service
also were designed to be education-centric,
with programs and support available only to
education.
“There is a great quality to cost ratio with
AVer that other brands do not offer,” Sudman
said. “Their school-specific pricing has
allowed us to maximize our budget and surveillance
coverage, without sacrificing quality
or necessary features.”
As Clayton Bradley continues to evolve their
security systems, they will be working to integrate
the Aver system as a component of a
comprehensive security and surveillance dashboard.
Combining visual data from the surveillance
system with other data elements will
better enable Clayton Bradley to confirm or
deny the level of any given event while keeping
law enforcement and first responders involved
in the entire process. Since the school itself is a
source of technology transfer and education
for other schools, this is another way Clayton
Bradley can contribute to enhancing the safety
and security for themselves
as well as become a
model for other school
security initiatives.
This article originally appeared in the November 2014 issue of Security Today.
About the Author
Grant Woods is the product marketing director at Aver Information Inc. Americas.