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Dive Brief:
- At a time when schools face growing questions about instructional screen time in classrooms, a national survey of district ed tech leaders released last week by the Consortium for School Networking found that a majority of districts had implemented 1:1 device programs as of 2026.
- Specifically, 78% of districts provide devices or permit K-2 students to bring their own to school, while 84% permit 1:1 device policies in grades 3-5, according to CoSN’s 2026 U.S. State of Ed Tech report. Such programs are even more likely at the middle school (90%) and high school (88%) levels.
- As 38% of districts said they expect there to be reduced funding for devices in 2026, CoSN said it’s possible that refresh cycles for new devices would be lengthened and impact student-to-device ratios.
Dive Insight:
CoSN’s findings also highlight the big jump in district participation in 1:1 device programs since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020 and forced schools to switch to remote instruction.
CoSN reported last year that just 43% of students in elementary schools, 69% of middle schools and 66% of high schools had 1:1 programs in 2020.
CoSN’s 2026 survey results showed that 99% of districts report requiring policies or initiatives to help students “make healthy technology choices” in regard to screen time and devices. For example, 77% of districts said they banned social media access on school-issued devices, and 72% have age-appropriate responsible use programs.
Still, some districts are requiring personal device limits: 33% of district ed tech leaders reported that students can only use their own devices for instructional purposes, while 58% of districts had complete bans on personal devices during the school day or instructional periods. Over a third — 43% — limit screen time during school hours by instructional design, CoSN found.
Almost a quarter of districts also said they included family training about online safety in school communications and events.
Those district initiatives come as momentum has grown this year to limit ed tech and screen time in schools. More recently, legislators in several states have proposed bans or restrictions on technology use in schools, and Los Angeles Unified School District’s board approved a plan to establish a policy limiting student screen time for students districtwide by the 2026-27 school year.
Last year, CoSN released a toolkit to help educators navigate parents’ concerns about screen time in schools.
In CoSN’s 2026 survey, 53% of district ed tech leaders reported a significant amount of community concern around students’ personal device use in schools. However, only 23% said similar levels of community concern were seen around ed tech use in schools.
The annual survey report also said that many districts have established baseline purchasing practices for ed tech procurement, especially around product safety.
Some 56% of districts, for example, said they require vendors to provide safety information about their products. But, CoSN added, fewer districts “require information on the other key education technology quality indicators — such as evidence-based design, inclusivity, usability, and interoperability — pointing to an opportunity to further strengthen and standardize procurement practices.”
At the same time, cybersecurity remains the No. 1 priority for ed tech leaders in 2026 — and 65% reported having insufficient staffing and unmet budget needs to address these challenges. The latest CoSN findings come as ed tech company Instructure confirmed two cybersecurity incidents this month that impacted its Canvas learning management system, ultimately leading to significant disruptions for many schools and colleges nationwide last week.
The 2026 CoSN survey “shows that districts are approaching technology with greater intention and maturity,” said Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN, in a May 5 statement. “Education technology leaders are focused on using technology in safe and effective ways to support learning and operations while also being candid about where districts need more capacity, staffing, and investment to keep pace with evolving demands.”
CoSN surveyed over 600 district ed tech leaders between January and March for its 2026 State of Ed Tech report.
