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Lincoln County board to scale back daily device use for kindergarten through second grade
Summary
The Lincoln County Board of Education approved superintendent-recommended changes to move K–2 classrooms away from one-to-one devices starting this school year; devices will remain available for assessments and planned lessons and the district will review outcomes after one year.
The Lincoln County Board of Education on June 30 approved a superintendent recommendation to move kindergarten through second-grade classrooms away from one-to-one electronic devices beginning this school year, the superintendent said.
The superintendent told the board that early elementary students learn best through "direct instruction, direct interaction with teachers and hands-on learning," and cited research raising concerns about excessive screen time for young children. "Starting with this school year, kindergarten through second grade classrooms in Lincoln County will be moving away from one-to-one electronic devices," the superintendent said, adding that devices will still be available for assessments and specific lessons.
Under the plan described to the board, classrooms will use grade-level sets of devices for station-based instruction rather than issuing devices to each child daily. The superintendent described a classroom rotation in which a small set of devices is stored by teacher and students move through stations so that teachers can prioritize teacher-led instruction and hands-on activities. The district expects to evaluate the approach after one year.
Board members sought clarification about assessment access and app approvals. The superintendent said the policies approved that evening define acceptable classroom apps (for example, class pages and band or athletics apps) and require an application and vetting process for new apps, including review of safety protocols. The superintendent also said the district will restrict use of teachers' personal cell phones for texting students, directing communication to approved platforms.
The board approved the related policy package during the meeting by voice vote; recorded 'yay' responses were given by the four members present.
The superintendent said the move responds in part to declining writing scores and concerns that overreliance on devices can reduce face-to-face interaction and opportunities for handwriting and social-emotional development. The district indicated devices will still be used when pedagogically appropriate and for assessments.
