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Richardson ISD previews instructional-technology handbook, tightens passive screen-time use
Summary
District staff demonstrated classroom technology activities, said adaptive platforms will have no required weekly minutes next year, and previewed a 'facilitating learning with technology' handbook that will set grade-band guardrails and expectations for teachers and parents.
The Richardson ISD Board of Trustees on May 14 heard a detailed instructional-technology update that previewed a district handbook and new guardrails aimed at limiting passive screen time while expanding purposeful, student-centered uses of devices.
District instructional-technology leaders showed trustees a second-grade activity that used manipulatives, Keynote, Apple Classroom and Seesaw to have students build, photograph and record a three-digit number so teachers could assess learning later. "The goal is to learn with technology, not from it," Morgan Cave, Director of Instructional Technology, said, describing the district's guiding principle.
Why it matters: The presentation responds to parent concerns about screen time while preserving tools staff say help differentiate instruction and support students with special needs. Staff emphasized that the purpose and context of technology use, not raw minutes, drives instructional value.
What the district will do: Presenters said the handbook, "Facilitating Learning with Technology," will be published before the next school year and will clarify grade-band expectations. Changes highlighted at the meeting include extending YouTube restrictions into secondary grades, stating that devices "will not be used as a behavior incentive," and removing required weekly minutes for adaptive platforms such as iReady. Robin Gunner, Executive Director of Instructional Technology, told trustees the district logged 907 one-on-one teacher coaching sessions, 532 PLC engagements and 431 professional-learning sessions through mid-April as part of the support structure.
Staff also described monitoring and safety systems: teachers can view student screens in real time, launch or lock students into approved apps or websites, and district resources that share student data must pass a data-privacy review and legal approval before vendor access is granted. "Every teacher in the district has access to a monitoring tool no matter the student device," Gunner said.
Board discussion and concerns: Trustees pressed staff on how teachers will track student benchmarks and what happens when many students struggle with a skill. "If you see many errors, you know you need to reteach it," Lisa Stewart, Director of Elementary Reading and Language Arts, said, explaining how recorded audio and instructional artifacts let teachers identify reteach needs and deliver small-group instruction. Trustees also asked about substitutes; staff said substitutes will prioritize paper-and-pencil lessons and that long-term substitutes attend district professional learning.
AI and student tools: The district said AI supports are being rolled out first for teachers and administrators to reduce administrative tasks. For students, RISD uses a controlled tool, SchoolAI, where teachers enable access, load lesson context and monitor student interactions through a dashboard. "Students have access only when the teacher sets it up and gives them access to it with a very clear purpose," Morgan Cave said.
Next steps: The handbook will be reviewed this summer and published before the school year; principals and teachers will receive targeted training and campus leaders will be accountable for classroom implementation.
The board paused the meeting for a short break and reconvened for other agenda items.
