Purposeful Tech, Meaningful Learning in IL District 200

A campaign from Schools Beyond Screens - Schools Beyond Screens Wheaton/Warrenville

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Why This Matters

[This petition is intended for parents, guardians, staff, students, residents, and taxpayers of Illinois School District 200; Wheaton/Warrenville]

School districts everywhere are rushing to adopt digital learning tools without proper safety studies or limits, despite research showing screens fragment attention and impair the deep thinking skills our kids need to develop. As parents, we have the power to demand reasonable and responsible EdTech policies that require evidence of educational benefit, ensure age-appropriate implementation, and protect our children's ability to focus and learn.

Our children are already spending an enormous amount of time on screens outside of school, averaging nine hours per day for high school students according to one study. Excessive screen time has been linked to health problems, including anxiety, depression, executive function disorders, eye strain, sleep deprivation, neck pain, and screen addiction. Numerous studies have shown better comprehension and retention when students learn on paper vs screens. Our district can be a leader in adopting evidence-based policies that limit unnecessary screen time and ensure technology is used only when it enhances learning.

 
We are asking District 200 to be a leader in implementing an intentional approach to educational technology and student screen time.  We urge our District to adopt a comprehensive educational technology policy that includes the following (with accommodations for students with disabilities, special educational needs, and those who may lack access to technology at home):  

1. Eliminate 1:1 devices in elementary school. Transition to shared laptop carts and/or computer labs for tasks such as assessment, test readiness and keyboarding instruction. Children at this stage of development learn best from hands-on, teacher-led, in-person learning experiences.  1:1 devices for young children are not supported by research. School issued devices instead contribute to excessive cumulative screen time.

2. Establish grade-level screen time limits. Classroom screen use should be limited to activities with demonstrated educational value that cannot be effectively replicated offline. Eliminate the use of screens for downtime, entertainment, and as rewards or incentives.

3. Prioritize offline learning. Encourage the use of printed materials, physical textbooks and offline assignments. Research consistently shows better comprehension and retention with print materials. Policies should actively encourage analog alternatives, especially for homework.

4. Block non-educational platforms on student devices. Prohibit student access to entertainment, social media and gaming platforms on all district devices, such as YouTube, Pinterest, and Gimkit on district computers. Teachers may retain the ability to use approved video content for instructional purposes, but unsupervised student access to non-educational platforms should not be permitted at school.

5. Enact an immediate pause on all student-facing generative AI tools on 1:1 devices. Strong long-term evidence that AI improves learning is needed before adopting it widely in classrooms. In the meantime, AI literacy and skills can still be taught in dedicated computer labs or through loaner devices.

6. Provide parents with transparent, meaningful opt-out rights through high school. Allow families to opt out of specific EdTech programs, not just blanket consent forms, and ensure alternative learning methods are always available.  Allow parents to opt out of bringing instructional technology home and offer offline curriculum and textbook alternatives at all grade levels. 

7.  Ensure communications for sports, clubs, and field trips go through approved channels or email.  Prohibit school-related communications with students through social media channels (e.g. Snapchat, Instagram, What's App, etc.).

8. Increase transparency around educational technology. Make publicly available: 1) a list of all EdTech contracts; 2) the vetting process and evaluation results used for approval; 3) links to independent reviews/research demonstrating improved Edtech outcomes compared to analog methods; 4) detailed information on how each tool collects and uses student data.

9.  Implement a bell-to-bell ban on student cell phone use, with exceptions for documented needs. Unstructured school time should foster social development, not screen time.

Recent Supporters

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    Signed in Wheaton, IL

    about 1 hour ago

  • Parent

    Signed in Wheaton, IL

    about 1 hour ago

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    Signed in Wheaton, IL

    about 2 hours ago
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