KATY, TX (Covering Katy News) – With the start of the 2024-2025 school year about a month away, two new Katy ISD technology policies will shift how teachers and students utilize devices like mobile phones, tablets, smartwatches, and laptops in the classroom.
Two new rules
- Mobile phones will be banned during instructional time.
- Students will be required to use a school-issued Chromebook rather than their personal devices for schoolwork.
Voter approval of the 2023 Bond provided funding for Katy ISD to buy Chromebooks for each third-to-12th-grade student for classroom and home use. Chromebooks are a line of laptops and tablets developed by Google that run on the Chrome operating system. They are less expensive than traditional devices because all software and storage are cloud-based. They don’t have software loaded on each individual machine.
While at Katy ISD, students will be required to use Chromebooks for school assignments. There may be other hands-on activities that don’t require an electronic device.
In the past, the district has operated a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative and provided devices to students lacking access at home. The BYOD approach, however, presented challenges, as any device could be brought to class, leading teachers to spend considerable time troubleshooting issues related to various brands and models. Katy ISD says standardizing devices allows more instructional time to be dedicated to teaching.
Katy ISD School Board President Victor Perez said that because students will have Chromebooks, they won’t need or be allowed to use personal devices. For class work, the district now has a one-device-per-student policy.
Perez said he has heard from parents who are concerned about being able to reach their child in an emergency situation. He said students will still have their phones with them if a parent needs to contact them, but they must put them away during instructional time.
“The focus needs to be on learning,” Perez said.
Junior high students are prohibited from using their own devices even when they are between classes, but Perez said whether or not they are allowed to use them during lunch will be left up to individual campus principals. High school students will be allowed to use their personal devices between classes and at lunch at the discretion of each campus. According to Perez, the new policies were approved after the board reviewed the negative impacts of unfettered access to personal devices.
“Smartphone use and the rise of social media really kind of coincide over the last couple of decades with concerns related to poor adolescent mental health,” Perez said. “I think that it's not only tied to improved learning and just having the kids be more social, but there's some negative things related to smartphones.”
Perez said that computer use for testing, such as the STAAR and the SAT, influenced the board’s decision on these policies. He also said that despite the increasing digital format of classrooms, he thinks teachers will still use paper and pen and hands-on activities.
“I do hope that in the instruction and in the classroom, there is a good balance between using good old paper and pencil and using the computers,” Perez said.
The new device policy was approved on a 6-0 vote with Dawn Champagne abstaining.
For more information about the Class 1:1 policy, check out Katy ISD’s website and their frequently asked questions page.
All students issued a Chromebook will also be enrolled in a Canvas course where they can learn more about how to care for their device. Among the best practices, students are encouraged to keep their Chromebooks closed when not in use and to charge them overnight.
Families may also purchase insurance for their student’s device through PowerSchool. The cost is $20 per student device per school year and covers the cost of two repairs or one replacement device. Lost chargers and broken Chromebook cases are not covered by insurance.