K-12

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed bipartisan legislation into law this week requiring school districts to draft policies banning the use of cellphones on campus during instructional time, with some exceptions.

A new initiative from the National Governors Association moves beyond math and ELA proficiency to track data contributing to “lifelong well-being" and “civic engagement.”

Founded in 2025 over concerns about students not learning how to engage in evidence-based conversations about controversial topics, the Or Initiative aims to equip them with civil discourse skills.

School-zone speed cameras in Richmond, Va., which are only online while children arrive or leave from school, produced just over 100,000 violations in their first year of use.

The town of Vernon recently became the latest of several local governments in Connecticut to put enforcement cameras on school buses, hoping to curb moving violations around the vehicles when students are present.

A bill passed by the Pennsylvania Senate calls for schools to adopt a so-called bell-to-bell cellphone ban, meaning students would not be allowed to use devices during school hours.

Connecticut legislators expect to debate a couple technology-related education issues this year, including whether to pass a statewide policies to restrict access to cellphones and social media for K-12 students.

In an effort to help short-staffed custodians, one of the largest school districts in Washington invested over $1 million in 14 robot floor cleaners, stationing one at each middle and high school.

With a $755,000 grant from the nonprofit Proof Positive, the play2PREVENT Lab at Dartmouth College is leveraging behavioral science to build “serious games” for youth on the autism spectrum.

A North Carolina school district has contracted with Howard Technology Solutions for software designed to bar students from accessing illicit material online, which has become a bigger problem in the era of 1:1 devices.

Amid so many justified policies and debates concerning smartphones in classrooms, it’s important for education leaders to distinguish between distracting phones and valuable ed tech that prepares kids for the future.

Southwest Metro Intermediate District 288 is in the early phase of testing an AI-powered video analysis system that could help administrators deliver faster, more detailed feedback to classroom teachers.

Collaboration between the College Board and the Carnegie Foundation will launch a multi-state coalition and support states as they redesign teacher pathways, update certification systems and expand access to CTE courses.

Massachusetts is above the national average for percentage of high school students who have taken a computer science course, but there’s no state requirement to teach the subject in K-12 schools.

The 2026 Technology Innovation and LEAD Awards recognized K-12 districts and leaders for systemwide technology initiatives touching everything from blended learning to AI training and school board collaboration.

A panel of district leaders at the Future of Education Technology Conference in Orlando emphasized the importance of cautious budgeting, school culture, stoicism and flexibility for retaining both teachers and families.

High schoolers are learning about AI through peer-to-peer work and after-school programming like Code Girls United, and higher education institutions in Montana are prioritizing introductory lessons in AI for students.

Council Bluffs Community School District will spend funding from Google on an autonomous robot, new welding booths and specialized Project Lead The Way engineering devices and IT hardware for interdisciplinary courses.