LAUSD’s Screen Time Policy Signals a Shift Schools Should Notice

This spring, LAUSD’s Board of Education voted to limit screen time across the district and partially eliminate devices for its youngest learners. It also voted to evaluate its instructional technology.

Many in the edtech world reacted with hand wringing and existential panic. I see something else. Having worked closely with the district to study implementation models, analyze data, review trends, time spent, and feedback, I recognize the intention in their decision.

This isn’t a rejection of technology. It’s an evolution in how we think about it. For years, the conversation centered on access and time: devices, connectivity, minutes, usage, and scale. The work mattered. But access and time as a measure of success was never the goal—it was the starting point.

LAUSD is helping lead the conversation forward. We know from research and experience that young children learn best through language-rich, hands-on, and teacher-guided experiences. They build foundational skills through interaction—talking, reading, writing, and engaging directly with ideas and with each other.

Technology has a role to play. But for our youngest learners, that role must be targeted and intentional in its instructional purpose and always in service of human interaction, not in place of it.

What We’ve Believed All Along

At Curriculum Associates, this isn’t a pivot—it’s a principle we’ve held from the beginning. We are, first and always, a curriculum and instruction company (yes, it’s in our name). For more than 50 years, we’ve focused on strong curriculum, skilled teaching, formative assessment, and meaningful student engagement, whether through print materials, discussion, or guided practice. In developing i-Ready Assessment and Personalized Instruction, we did so with a deliberate, research-informed implementation model recommending 30–49 minutes per subject per week. This guidance reflects what we’ve seen consistently in classrooms: technology works best when it is used in focused, purposeful ways that complement instruction. Think minutes a day, never hours.

We designed the program to include rich print materials as an integral part of the experience. Tools for Instruction and Tools for Scaffolding Comprehension are great examples. Some of the most powerful learning happens when students are writing, problem solving, and engaging directly with a teacher who can respond in real time.

What the Results in LAUSD Show

LAUSD has seen academic growth that outpaces the state overall, with gains across student groups. This progress reflects a broader commitment by the district: strong instruction, thoughtful use of data, and targeted support for students.

We’re proud to play a small part in that work. For the past three years, the district has used i-Ready Personalized Instruction, and the results are encouraging.

Just as importantly, LAUSD has been clear-eyed about the role of technology. The district has echoed what we’ve long recommended in avoiding overuse and focusing on intentional implementation. 

This is what effective implementation looks like: students spending most of their day in rich, teacher-led learning, with digital tools reinforcing and not replacing that experience.

For District Leaders Watching This Moment

To me, there are a few important takeaways for leaders across the country.

1. Not all screen time is the same. What matters is purpose. Technology that is aligned with instruction and thoughtfully overseen by educators is fundamentally different from passive or disconnected use.
2. Clear guidance is a strength. Developmentally appropriate expectations and intentional scheduling help ensure technology is used where it adds value and not where it detracts from learning.
3. Younger students require a different approach. Early learners, especially those learning to read, benefit most from direct interaction, explicit instruction, and meaningful practice.
4. Strong partners should welcome accountability. Educators make thoughtful decisions every year about the tools they use, and they should. That’s why we’ve supported and leaned into outcomes-based contracting and continue to encourage districts to evaluate all vendors against results.

Where We Stand

We are proud to partner with LAUSD—not just in implementation, but in shared values.

That means supporting their leadership on screen time. It means being transparent about what our tools are designed to do and not do. And it means standing behind the outcomes we help deliver.

California has always led through its commitment to education and its willingness to ask hard questions.

LAUSD is doing that now.

And it’s a conversation worth paying attention to.

Learn more about responsible use of technology in the classroom.