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Ed Tech Reform Priorities

Colorado’s schools have rapidly adopted 1:1 device programs and edtech platforms, often without meaningful parental input, teacher autonomy, or clear safety standards for children. As districts increasingly mandate these devices to access core curriculum, parents, educators, and childhood development experts are raising concerns about distraction, attention fragmentation, dysregulation, loss of handwriting and deep-reading skills, privacy risks, and the erosion of essential human-to-human learning. â€‹

SAFE SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY MODEL BILLS PACKAGE

 

PURPOSE
The bill seeks to ensure that Colorado schools remain focused on effective, developmentally appropriate instruction, grounded in evidence-based practices and respectful of student well-being and privacy.

 

SECTION 1: FINDINGS

The Colorado Legislature finds that online and digital products marketed to schools often provide unsafe, ineffective, and inappropriate experiences, and also collect and share student data without appropriate consent.

 

A lack of regulation has led to:

  • Technology companies marketing commercial products as “educational” with no accountability.

  • Children being given devices without proof of developmental appropriateness.

  • Collection and monetization of student data for non-educational purposes.

  • Platforms with advertising, gamification, AI, chat features, and addictive design in classrooms.

  • Parents being excluded from decisions about their child’s digital exposure.

  • Insufficient privacy and safety protections in school technology.

  • Significant increase in screen time, which research associates with elevated risks of psychological disorders, and other health risks.

Online and digital products do not prioritize student privacy or safety.

 

Online and digital products used at school increase student screen time at the risk of students’ physical and mental health.

 

Online and digital products are ineffective in producing positive learning outcomes.

  •  Research suggests that, on average, students using tablets in “all or most of all” of their classes have reading scores that are the equivalent of a full grade lower on assessments than students who never use tablets in their classrooms.

  • Fourth-grade students “who used tablets in all or almost all their classes had, on average, reading scores 14 points lower than those who never used them – a differential equivalent to an entire grade level.”

  • When replication studies conducted by independent researchers were compared to research conducted by app developers, the developer studies tended to yield 80% higher academic gains.

  • National assessment scores have declined in recent years, with mounting evidence suggesting a correlation between technology saturation and poor student outcomes, especially in early education.

 

Districts that have implemented a regulation to reduce screen use have seen positive results:

  • Texas (Frisco ISD): Certain elementary campuses replaced Chromebooks with hands-on, print-first instruction in K–4 and saw stronger engagement from struggling readers.

  • Florida (Hillsborough County): Adopted a tiered tech access model where only grades 6–12 received devices, and K–5 classrooms used paper-based curriculum, citing screen fatigue and disciplinary issues.

  • Private/Charter Schools: Some use no classroom screens in K–6 and limit device use in 7–12. These schools consistently outperform peers in academic measures.
     

 

 

AGE APPROPRIATE SCHOOL DEVICE ACT

 

DEFINITIONS

(a) “Caregiver” means a parent or guardian of a student who is authorized to make education decisions for the student.

 

(b) “Digital device” means any electronic hardware used for instructional purposes that can access, process, store, or transmit data, including laptops, tablets, Chromebooks, smartphones, and similar internet-capable devices.

 

(c) “One to one” means each student has their own dedicated digital device, such as a laptop or tablet, issued by the school for educational purposes.

 

(d) “School technology” or “EdTech” means technology hardware and software that is marketed for use by students in schools and/or classrooms to facilitate learning.

 

(e) "School-issued device" means any technological hardware that a school provides to individual students for their personal use on school property, at home, or both. "School-issued device" includes any laptop, tablet, or other technological device.

 

(f) “Safety” means the absence of features likely to cause harm to students, including but not limited to addictive design elements, inappropriate content exposure, or predatory data collection.

 

(g) “Screen-free” means the condition in which students do not have access to or use of school-issued or personal screen-based devices (including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and smartwatches). 

 

(h) “Social media” means a web-based or mobile platform:

  1. That allows users to connect and interact socially with each other by creating a profile, sharing social connections, and posting content viewable by other users, and

  2. Where users can construct a public profile, populate a list of connections, and create content for others to see.

 

SECTION 1. DEVICE INTRODUCTION

(a) Schools shall implement the following tiered introduction to technology:

  1. Grades K-5:

A. Screen-free classrooms;

B. All instruction is hands-on and print-based. Assessments are pencil-and-paper   to support foundational skills and developmental readiness;

C. Standardized testing shall be done with pencil and paper;

 

  1. Grades 6-8:

A. Digital devices may be shared between students/classrooms (on a cart or designated computer room);

B. Digital device use must be:

     i. Teacher-led and actively supervised;

    ii. Only for defined academic purposes.

C. Device and platform settings shall restrict student access to all non-instructional content, including content accessible within a shared platform, such as unrelated videos or media;

D. The use of online textbooks shall be prohibited;

E. Screen time shall not exceed one hour per day and shall be for instructional purposes only;

F. Digital devices shall remain on school property;

G. Age-appropriate media literacy instruction shall be required. Instruction shall:

     i. Include the various health-related harms associated with social media and   with excessive digital use;

     ii. Be delivered without the use of digital devices.

 

  1. Grades 9–12:

A. One-to-one digital devices may be introduced;

B. One-to-one digital devices may be taken home with parental permission;

C. Screen time shall not exceed one hour and 30 minutes per day and shall be for instructional purposes only;

D. Screen time homework assignments shall not exceed one hour per day;

E. The use of online textbooks shall only be permitted if there is no other option to teach a specific subject;

F. Age-appropriate media literacy instruction shall be required. 

 

(b) Nothing in this act shall be construed to limit or alter obligations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Schools must provide reasonable modifications and necessary assistive technology to ensure FAPE and equal access.

 

SECTION 2. SAFETY

(a) Digital Device Set-Up: A school shall ensure the following set-up and safety standards prior to the provision of a school-issued digital device to a student:

  1. Enable screen time settings so caregivers may track and support healthy screen time practices;

  2. Disable the camera to decrease cyberbullying opportunities and the sharing of sensitive imagery;

  3. Block access to social media apps;

  4. Configure all default privacy and safety settings to the highest level of privacy and safety;

  5. Any school-issued digital device returned at the end of the school year shall have all personal information deleted prior to the subsequent provision of the device to another student.

 

SECTION 3. CAREGIVER RIGHTS

(a) A school must provide equivalent non-digital resources in the case that an emancipated student, or caregiver of a non-emancipated student, chooses to:  

  1. Opt-out of school-issued devices;

  2. Opt-out of school-issued devices being sent home;

  3. Opt-out of online standardized testing.

 

(b) A student who is opted out shall not be subject to retaliation or discrimination.

 

SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect [...]


 

ENSURING SAFE, EFFECTIVE AND COMPLIANT TECH ACT

 

SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS

(a) “Addictive design feature'' means any feature or component of a digital or online product that encourages or increases a students’ frequency, time spent, or activity on the covered platform. Addictive design features include, but are not limited to:

  1. Infinite scroll or autoplay;

  2. Points, badges and other rewards for time spent on the product, gamification;

  3. Notifications;

  4. Push alerts that urge a user to spend more time engaged with the product when they are not actively using it.

 

(b) “Caregiver” means a parent or guardian of a student who is authorized to make education decisions for the student.

 

(c) “Compliance with existing laws” means the product complies with all state and federal regulatory, privacy and any other applicable laws.

 

(d) "Education technology provider" means an entity that provides: 

  1. Devices or digital technologies used by a school pursuant to a contract with a school district or school board, with the intent to facilitate learning, or

  2. Free devices or online and digital products to the school district.

 

(e) “Effectiveness” means a product is independently verified to provide superior learning, knowledge and skill acquisition above and beyond the non-digital and not-online method.  

 

(f) "Independently verified" means a product has been checked for its safety, effectiveness, and compliance by an impartial, separate third party who is not involved with its creation or management, ensuring objectivity and trust by removing potential bias from the original source.

 

(g) “Instructional technology tool” means any student-facing software, application, or platform used in classrooms for teaching and learning purposes, which may collect, process, or transmit student data.

 

(h) “School technology” or “EdTech” means technology hardware and software that is marketed for use by students in schools and/or classrooms to facilitate learning.

  

(i) “Safety” means the absence of features likely to cause harm to students, including but not limited to addictive design elements, inappropriate content exposure, or predatory data collection.

 

(j) “Social media” means a web-based or mobile platform:

  1. That allows users to connect and interact socially with each other by creating a profile, sharing social connections, and posting content viewable by other users, and

  2. Where users can construct a public profile, populate a list of connections, and create content for others to see.

 

(k) "Student personal information" means any personally identifiable information collected through online or digital technology about a current or formerly enrolled individual student.

 

(l) "Targeted advertising" means advertising that is presented to a student on the basis of information acquired, obtained or inferred over time from such student's online behavior, use of applications, or sharing of student personal information.

 

SECTION 2. EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS

(a) The [state] Attorney General in collaboration with the state education authority shall set, and annually review, standards for safety, effectiveness and legal compliance needed for certification of an allowable instructional technology tool. These standards and the list of certified technology tools shall be easily accessible on the Attorney General’s website. 

 

(b) Safety. A certified instructional technology tool shall: 

  1. Be explicitly designed for instructional use and employed intentionally to enhance student learning outcomes;

  2. Be compliant with [State] curriculum standards;

  3. Prohibit the following design features:

  1. Geolocation;

  2. Generative or conversational artificial intelligence;

  3. Targeted advertisements;

  4. Personalized recommendation systems;

  5. Access to adult strangers;

  6. Addictive design features as defined in SECTION 1(a). 

 

(c) Effectiveness. To be certified, an instructional technology tool shall be independently verified to provide instructional benefits that equal or exceed what is achievable through non-digital methods.

 

(d) Compliance. To be certified, an instructional technology tool shall be fully compliant with state and federal privacy laws and shall guarantee, in a legally binding manner, the following;

  1. COPPA Safe Harbor Certification;

  2. Clear and easy-to-understand product information, in a manner such that a person at a seventh grade reading level can reasonably understand;

  3. Caregiver notification of all personal information collected through the use of the product and how the provider maintains, uses, and shares the personal information;

  4. Facilitated access to, and correction of, student personal information by a student or a caregiver;

  5. Upon the request of the school, school district, or caregiver, a student’s personal information shall be deleted, not just anonymized, within seven days of such request;

  6. To provide, directly to the student, caregiver, or through the school, access to an electronic copy of the student's personal information;

  7. Assurance that a successor entity or third party with whom a provider may contract shall abide by the district contract;

  8. An agreement regarding recourse to the school and caregivers in the case of a data breach or a breach of contract;

  9. Assurance that the provider shall not: 

  1. Make changes to privacy policy without caregiver and district consent;

  2. Transfer a student’s data to a successor entity without caregiver and district consent.

 

(e) Data minimization. A contracted school technology provider shall not: 

  1. Collect data that is not essential for the tool to function effectively for the purpose for which it is contracted;

  2. Collect the following data for any purpose:

A. Demographic data aside from the name and grade of the student;

B. Behavioral or interactional data;

C. Sensitive health information.

      3.  Use collected data for any of the following purposes:

A. To sell, share or rent data to third parties;

B. To create student profiles for non-educational uses such as targeted advertising, disciplinary actions or discrimination.

 

(f) Nothing in this act shall be construed to limit or alter obligations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Schools must provide reasonable modifications and necessary assistive technology to ensure FAPE and equal access.

 

OPTIONAL: Tech vetting procedures suggestion

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SECTION 3. FOR ANNUAL REGISTRATION

(a) Annually, a provider of an instructional technology tool shall: 

  1. Register with the [state] Attorney General’s Office;

  2. Pay a registration fee of $100.00; 

  3. Provide the following information during registration: 

  1. The privacy policy and terms and conditions in use by the instructional technology tool;

  2. A guarantee that the product safety, efficacy and privacy standards are compliant with the guidelines set forth by the Attorney General;

  3. A proper age category for use of the instructional technology tool;

  4. Acknowledgement that;

i.  Instructional technology tools certified for use by the [state] schools are subject to random independent compliance audits hired by either the Attorney General’s Office or the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. ;

ii. Providers found to not be in compliance, whether by audit or other report, are subject to legal liability as unfair or deceptive act or practices under Section 5 of the FTC Act.

iii. The Attorney General may maintain an action in the Civil Division of the Superior Court to seek appropriate injunctive relief.

(b) The Attorney General’s Office, in collaboration with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, shall create and make publicly available guidelines for acceptable student-facing instructional technology. 

(c) A list of certified instructional technologies shall be listed on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website. 

 

SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect [...]

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