EducationWednesday, November 11
Alabama parents and teachers want limits on classroom screens, a new state survey finds
The Daily Montgomery team
If you've got a kid in an Alabama classroom, here's what your neighbors told the state. Preliminary results of a statewide survey went to Gov. Kay Ivey's Commission on Screen-Based Instruction Tuesday in Montgomery. More than 6,700 people responded, and most see value in screens but want limits.
A majority of parents said their own child's screen time at school is too much. Commission Chair Rep. Jeana Ross called the results preliminary and raw data, and researchers say the survey measures perceptions, not student learning outcomes.
Most parents say school screen time is too much, especially in grades 6-8
Source: WBRC
View as table
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Grades K-5 | 63.1% |
| Grades 6-8 | 76.8% |
| Grades 9-12 | 71.2% |
Alabama already bans cell phones in public K-12 classrooms under the FOCUS Act, but WSFA reports there's no set state policy on how much teaching can run on laptops.
- Easily distracted: 88% of teachers and 91% of parents agree
- Screen-free time: 85% of parents strongly agree it helps students
- Top policy pick: require printed books and evaluate screen platforms
- Final report due: Dec. 1