The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) has published From Screen Time Mandates to Purposeful Technology Policies and Guidance, a free guide to help school districts manage the growing complexities of screen time and technology use policies.
The guide offers actionable advice on how schools can develop learning-centered, student-protective, and locally relevant technology policies, and it includes practical resources such as sample policy language and communication templates to support district leaders as they address both state and local requirements.
The guide 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 guide 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 guide offers ready-to-adapt materials, such as sample board policy language and family and staff communication templates.
Although the complete guide is available only to CoSN’s members, a free and extended executive summary addresses topics such as the variety of new requirements, definitions for categories of technology use, and the evolution of rules from early childhood through high school.