Management

Examining Trends and State Guidance for K–12 Schools

Education leaders should heed guidelines in development at the state level and work with a strategic partner to make changes.

Janice D. Mertes

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Janice Mertes is the CDW state-level ambassador serving state departments and K–12 education. She has more than 30 years of experience in public education, including 20 years in a large suburban Wisconsin school district as a social studies teacher and technology leader. Janice serves as the CDW liaison for national educational technology organizations, including SETDA, CoSN, the Council of Chief State School Officers’ Education Information Management Advisory Collaborative CIO Network and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology.

Unfunded mandates are unpopular, and for good reason. School districts are operating on tight budgets. Without funding, they don’t have the flexibility to incorporate new resources to comply with mandates.

Recently though, states are looking for solutions to tackle growing concerns in K–12 schools. To do this, they are leaning into developing guidance for school districts. State guidelines serve as a roadmap — or a strong recommendation — for school systems.

As state governments continue to publish guidance, trends are emerging across the country, particularly related to technology and digital learning environments. Here are four trends we’re seeing and what schools can do:

1. Strengthening K–12 Physical Security

Aligning with the back-to-school season, there are new and ongoing trends in school safety.

Click the banner below to improve school safety with resources from CDW.

In terms of trending legislation, more states are adopting Alyssa’s Law, which requires silent alarms that connect to law enforcement resources. Technology continues to grow in this space, with private sector solutions evolving that include artificial intelligence for physical security.

Schools should look at ways to rebuild their infrastructure to account for these trends and make them more manageable for K–12 staff.

2. Managing Distractions From Cellphones and Wearable Tech

While schools don’t have jurisdiction over students’ personal technology outside of campus, K–12 leaders do need to respond to the adoption of state cellphone guidance. These changes come amid concerns about student personal devices, social media’s influence and general distraction from lessons and classwork.

Many of the guidelines are age-appropriate and allow schools to set their own policies for student phone use. For example, in much of the northeast U.S., there has been quiet but purposeful adoption of cellphone pouches to quell the distractions.

The conversation around cellphones and wearable devices in K–12 is part of a larger trend toward removing distractions and improving engagement.

Student addiction to screens is a concern for many parents, one that isn’t solved with cellphone restrictions alone, especially when students find ways to break open phone pouches and subvert other barriers to their technology use.

DISCOVER: New technology helps defend against student-built proxies.

In response, schools need to create environments where students aren’t distracted and teachers don’t have to police device use. Instructional design should allow for the appropriate use of devices while considering social and emotional learning and student mental health.

3. Making Assistive Technologies Available to All Students

The incorporation of assistive technologies, particularly those powered by AI, is another trend in the K–12 education space.

There’s voice-activated technology for students with mobility challenges, and technology with vastly improved multilingual translation capabilities. Translator tools are being adopted very quickly in schools.

These solutions elevate technology as a way to meet the demands for those needs, but schools are also recognizing that the evolution of assistive technology is good for all students.

4. Improving Digital Literacy and AI Literacy

Preparing students for an AI-infused workforce means ensuring they have the digital literacy skills necessary to use this technology in an appropriate and efficient manner. These skills are developed starting in K–12 classes, but schools aren’t always sure how to manage AI.

In response, more than 28 states have released AI guidance. The guidance doesn’t mandate schools’ use of AI, but it offers guardrails and suggestions.

Additionally, the White House recently released America’s AI Action Plan. When there is money or grant funding associated with a federal initiative, states may adopt and add on to that.

The Value of a Comprehensive Tech Partner

To navigate the dynamic nature of the guidance, trends, policies and legislation affecting schools today, K–12 leaders can turn to a comprehensive tech partner. At CDW, for example, we have experts who understand all of the elements of modern school systems, from classrooms to operations.

Schools need solutions that save time, optimize spending, improve employee efficiency and keep classrooms safe and secure. On top of that, technology investments have to meet certain criteria, which means K–12 IT leaders need to have engagement and performance data to show ROI. They don’t have to do it on their own, though; they can turn to the experts for help.

A partner is a problem-solver that helps schools prioritize short- and long-term investments based on state guidance, available funding and a school’s current resources. This allows the school to keep up with changes while continuing to meet students’ needs.

This article is part of the ConnectIT: Bridging the Gap Between Education and Technology series.