Dive Brief:
- The American Psychological Association recommends that ed tech policies in school settings should not solely focus on screen time. Rather, policymakers should examine what students are doing on screens, what activities technology may be replacing, and whether it helps or hinders learning, APA said in a recent report.
- Other factors that measure ed tech’s impacts on learning and development — beyond the number of minutes students spend looking at a screen — include what students watch or what technology they use, whether another screen is on in the background, whether adults use devices during everyday routines, and the reason for technology use, APA said.
- Separate from ed tech more broadly, APA advises that generative artificial intelligence tools should be approached in schools with additional caution and age-appropriate guardrails. Research suggests when students use AI, there may be instances when they produce more accurate and complete work, but may struggle to solve similar problems from an assignment on their own, the report said.
Dive Insight:
As school districts weigh bans and limits on screen time and AI in classrooms nationwide, the APA report said that those decisions should be “firmly grounded in rigorous scientific evidence rather than marketing promises.”
Both New York City Public Schools and Los Angeles Unified School District recently announced one-year moratoriums on student-facing AI tools for the 2026-27 school year. The nation’s two largest school systems each said they’re considering how to safely and effectively use the technology in the future. Both districts have also set student screen time limits that vary by grade level.
The APA said its recommendations, which are based on psychological research, can be used by school leaders reviewing technology purchases, educators choosing ed tech tools, and policymakers setting rules around technology use.
“Educational technology has the potential to profoundly advance students’ learning and abilities, but parents, teachers, and school districts need tools that are safe, supported by evidence, and can genuinely help students learn,” said APA CEO Arthur Evans Jr. in a Sept. 3 statement.
APA’s suggestion to avoid regulating ed tech solely through the lens of screen time comes after the U.S. Department of Education in August issued guidance in a Dear Colleague letter reminding districts that ed tech and recreational technology use should be viewed as separate issues. The department added that local policies on screen time and ed tech use should focus on whether technology is contributing to improved student learning and outcomes, not whether students and teachers should abandon technology altogether.
How districts can judge tools based on outcomes
When looking to adopt ed tech, APA said that educators and policymakers should judge a tool by its learning outcomes, not just from student engagement, enjoyment or interest. The key to a successful tool is what students can do after they stop using it, the report said.
Specifically, APA recommends that districts tie ed tech procurement decisions to independent evidence or third-party validation. The group said vendors should be able to provide independent data demonstrating knowledge retention or skill transfer that lasts at least a week after a student uses a tool.
As ed tech experts and advocates flag concerns with outright bans on technology and AI in classrooms, they’ve also noted that it can be difficult to successfully and safely implement these new technologies in classrooms without consistent professional development for teachers and strong national research evaluating ed tech’s efficacy.
Still, some have pointed to promising and emerging procurement strategies for ed tech, including outcomes-based contracting. That approach allows a district to tie a portion of an ed tech provider’s compensation to the measurable results produced by a tool for a select group of students. A recent study by WestEd found early evidence that this procurement model can have positive effects on academic performance when schools use certain tutoring and ed tech interventions.
