Shawnee Mission officials pick PICRAT framework, urge limits on passive device use

The Shawnee Mission School Board on an evening workshop heard action teams recommend adopting the PICRAT instructional-technology framework as a district foundation and roll out a developmental guide for age-appropriate device use.

Chris Lowe, the district's director of elementary services, said Action Team 4.13 has met seven times and produced guidance organized by grade bands (Pre-K–K, K–2, 3–6, middle and high school) that emphasizes purposeful uses of technology: replacing, amplifying or transforming instruction. "Technology should be used to transform student learning, complement hands-on experiences, and is best paired with high-quality instruction from teachers," Lowe said.

Ginny (Jenny) Collier, the district's instructional technology coordinator, described a review of eight research-based frameworks and said cadre members favored PICRAT for clarity and teacher readiness. "We chose PICRAT because it shows student involvement and teacher planning, and it helps teachers reflect on how they are using technology," Collier said, adding the district intends to begin districtwide implementation in fall 2026 with phased professional learning.

Board members raised concerns about passive, noninstructional device use and whether technology might be treated as a reward. "The passive use is something that we need to try to avoid at all costs," Dr. Schumacher said during the discussion, and presenters clarified examples of noneducational uses (indoor recess screen time, reward-based gameplay) are to be discouraged in favor of interactive or instructional uses.

Members also asked how artificial intelligence will be handled. Collier said a framework is a necessary first step: "Without an instructional tech framework you can't really start to have that conversation around AI," she said, urging that AI tools be adopted only when they serve clear instructional goals rather than because they are new.

The team described implementation steps including principal briefings, quarterly professional learning for instructional coaches and cadre members, and embedding the framework in new teacher onboarding. Staff said they will also discuss device-home policies and practical issues such as charging logistics; the district is considering charging carts in elementary classrooms to limit the need to send devices home.

The board did not take any formal vote on the framework during the workshop; presenters said implementation charts and timelines are posted online for community review and that additional recommendations will return in future meetings.