The following statement from the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) can be attributed to Sara Kloek, Vice President, Education and Youth Policy.
The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) thanks the U.S. Department of Education for its guidance on education technology and screen time in schools. The Department gets a crucial distinction right: recreational technology and education technology should not be viewed as synonymous. Excessive recreational screen use raises real concerns that deserve attention, but education technology—when aligned with clear instructional goals and implemented effectively—can strengthen teaching, deepen learning, and expand educational opportunity. We appreciate the Department’s leadership in drawing that line clearly and in keeping the focus where it belongs: on educational value, student outcomes, and sound policy decisions.
We especially welcome the Department’s recognition that education technology should not be evaluated solely by the amount of time students spend using it. As the guidance observes, the same technology that can distract a student during recreational use can also connect a student in a rural community to advanced coursework, enable a student with dyslexia to access complex text through assistive technology, or allow a homebound student to remain engaged in classroom learning. Measured by screen time alone, those experiences can look identical; measured by what they make possible for students, they could not be more different. Evaluating technology by its instructional value and its impact on learning is exactly the right standard.
SIIA appreciates that this is an ongoing conversation—one that involves students, educators, families, districts, states, and providers alike—and that the best decisions are made close to the classroom. Education technology companies stand ready to be partners in that work: publishing evidence, supporting effective implementation, being transparent about what their products do and where they can improve, and keeping student outcomes at the center. Our members share the Department’s conviction that technology should remain, in its words, “a tool in service of learning”—and look forward to continuing to work with the Department, states, and educators to ensure it fulfills that purpose for every student. We thank the Department for its leadership on educational technology and look forward to continued collaboration to keep educational value and student outcomes at the center.