LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) returned to the classrooms this week for the start of the school year, with the district implementing restrictions on the use of digital devices during the school day.
Under a policy adopted by the Board of Education in June, digital device use will be eliminated for students in early education, transitional kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade, with limited exceptions.
The restrictions are part of a broader district policy aimed at reducing student screen time across all grade levels.
“During COVID, student devices became a necessary lifeline, and seemingly overnight, screen time limits were shelved to ensure every child had access to the technology they needed to continue learning and stay connected with their teachers and peers,” board member Nick Melvoin said in June. “Our charge now is to recalibrate, evaluate the role of educational technology in the classroom and balance access to that technology with the kinds of instruction and interaction we know help students thrive.”
Exceptions will be made for district- and state-mandated assessments, students enrolled in the LAUSD Virtual Academy and students with disabilities who need devices under an Individualized Education Program or 504 Plan.
The district will also block student access to YouTube, social media and streaming platforms unless access is approved by a teacher.
Students will no longer automatically receive devices to take home, although families will be able to request them. The policy also encourages teachers to assign homework involving reading, writing, problem-solving, hands-on activities and other work that can be completed without a digital device.
The changes follow the district’s earlier restrictions on student cellphone and social media use during the school day.
According to the district, the nation’s second-largest, the move makes it “a national leader in setting thoughtful, research-based limits on student screen use and classroom technology tools.”
The district said the policy was developed after research and outreach to parents, teachers and community members.