New K-12 rules on screen time, technology use covered in nonprofit’s new guide
As the school year gets underway, the nonprofit Consortium for School Networking on Monday released a new, free guide to help school districts navigate the growing number of state and local policies regarding screen time and technology use in schools.
Though the complete guide is available only to the nonprofit’s members, a free and extended executive summary addresses topics such as the variety of new requirements, definitions for categories of technology use and how rules should evolve from early childhood through high school.
A number of states, including Alabama, Iowa, Tennessee and Utah, have new rules on the books this school year, with some mandating districts institute written technology use or screen time policies with minutes-based use, or directing them to develop their own rules around things such as designated lesson use, AI use and age-appropriate use.
Because the the requirements are not uniform and the deadlines vary, CoSN claims this can be taxing on already under-resourced schools, and puts obligations on districts before they even have questions about the implementation of these rules resolved. This guide can help districts comply with these often stringent minutes-based screen time mandates, and communicate to state entities clearly about what their current systems can and cannot measure.
The report is built around three principles school districts should heed when building local education technology policies: that policies are centered on learning, offer online protection for students and are locally built so they meet the unique needs of the community.
The report touches on navigating technical and staffing demands associated with rules that require parent oversight of classroom technology use; required exceptions for assistive technology and other legally protected uses; and the potential consequences of blanket restrictions on district-managed education technology. The full report offers ready-to-adapt materials, such as sample board policy language, family and staff communication templates, and more.
“School leaders are facing unprecedented pressure to navigate the complexities of student screen time. CoSN is proud to launch this timely toolkit to equip school district leaders with clear, actionable guidance to build thoughtful policies,” Keith Krueger, CoSN’s chief executive, said in a news release. “This powerful new resource builds on CoSN’s ongoing Purposeful Education Technology resources and moves policy beyond bans and measuring quantity to a more important focus on quality.”
