Device access
88% of public schools
Reported a device for every student through a 1:1 computing program in 2024–25.
NCES school surveyExplore state and district policies by grade, compare requirements, and see what could change next.
88% of public schools
Reported a device for every student through a 1:1 computing program in 2024–25.
NCES school survey9 states with findings
Adopted limits on school-issued devices, instructional screen time or student AI. Personal-phone rules are separate.
School-issued devices: 5
Arizona, California, Iowa, Tennessee, Utah
Screen time: 6
Alabama, Connecticut, Iowa, Minnesota, Tennessee, Utah
Student AI: 1
Oklahoma
Topic counts overlap. Each state counts once in the total.
21 states with findings
Require instruction or demonstrated competency in computer science, AI or digital literacy for at least one grade or cohort.
Computer science: 16
Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia
AI literacy: 0
No matching reviewed finding.
Digital literacy: 11
Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia
Subjects overlap. Standards alone, course offerings and optional resources are excluded.
Where do limits and learning overlap? 3 of the 9 states with documented limits also have a documented learning requirement. For the other 6, this tracker has no matching statewide learning requirement recorded. Requirements may cover different grades and subjects.
The device figure measures schools in 2024–25. The policy figures count states in the research release of Oct 8, 2026, including adopted requirements starting later. They exclude proposals and D.C.
Device access does not measure classroom use. Required learning does not establish what students have learned, and computer science or digital literacy requirements do not automatically include AI literacy. These figures do not form a time series or establish that device adoption caused restrictions.
Limits and required learning: Alabama, Iowa, Tennessee.
Limits found; matching required learning not documented: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Utah. Missing findings are research gaps, not proof that schools do not teach these subjects.
The map compares limits on use with requirements to teach.
All K–12 · Published findings; coverage is partialSmall states & D.C.
1 Number of selected districts with matching evidence. State fill describes statewide evidence. District markers describe local findings separately.
Select a state for grades, dates and sources. Legend totals include D.C. A missing finding is a research gap, not proof that no policy exists. Learning means required CS, AI or digital-literacy instruction or demonstrated competency; standards and course offerings are separate. Coverage & method
State rules and learning policies are the focus. Device provision and approved AI tools are documented only where verified. Gray means an evidence gap, not no policy. Check coverage
A statewide action may cover a specific grade, school type or cohort. The overview includes all affected K–12 grades; details show the actual scope. A current action takes priority over an upcoming action. District evidence is a selected sample and is never treated as a statewide rule.
Counts include adopted future duties. “Upcoming only” means there is no current matching state requirement in the published findings; a state with both current and upcoming requirements counts once under current. The combined view adds personal-device rules to required student instruction. The school-technology view covers instructional screens, school-issued devices and student AI access conditions, including requirements for local policies. Required learning covers instruction or demonstrated competency in computer science, AI or digital literacy; it excludes course offerings, standards alone and optional resources.
Learning categories distinguish instruction, course availability, standards alignment and resources. “Varies by grade” means the personal-device rules differ across grade bands. Proposals appear separately from adopted requirements. Policy details distinguish documented funding from related support programs.
Map geometry: US Atlas / US Census. Attribution
Personal-device rules
43 states with findings
Statewide restrictions or duties to set local rules; includes adopted future starts.
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
50-state denominator; D.C. has its own profile. Reviewed findings in this collection, not a certification of exhaustive coverage. Categories overlap.
Instructional-tech limits
10 states with findings
School devices, instructional screens or student AI. Separate from ordinary phone rules.
Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah.
50-state denominator; D.C. has its own profile. Reviewed findings in this collection, not a certification of exhaustive coverage. Categories overlap.
Required learning
21 states with findings
CS, AI or digital-literacy instruction or demonstrated competency for a covered grade or cohort; includes future starts.
Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia.
50-state denominator; D.C. has its own profile. Reviewed findings in this collection, not a certification of exhaustive coverage. Categories overlap.
National, all-grade totals. Different questions, different counts. Phone restrictions do not automatically limit school-issued technology. Learning requirements can cover specific grades or cohorts. Definitions & counting method
What the detail reveals · selected district examples
These districts show why “allows AI” or “bans AI” cannot tell the whole story.
Fairfax County, VA
Elementary generative-AI use is prohibited on district devices; secondary exceptions need written authorization.
K–12: one digital-literacy lesson each quarter. Grade 2 examines how data affects AI responses; grade 8 evaluates bias in teacher-provided output. Students do not use AI tools in these lessons.
See grades, exceptions and sources →Sources checked 2026-10-05
New York City, NY
Student-facing generative AI is prohibited through grade 8. High-school access is limited to approved programs.
Grades 9–12: two required 45-minute modules cover how AI works, privacy, bias and school use.
See grades, exceptions and sources →Sources checked 2026-10-04
Jeffco, CO
Grades 6–12 have Gemini access, but teachers decide assignment use. Other named chatbots are blocked. Device access and digital-citizenship lessons have their own grade-specific rules.
See grades, exceptions and sources →Source checked 2026-10-05
Compare Fairfax and NYC side by side · Find another district
Examples, not national prevalence. Required teaching is not evidence of classroom delivery or student understanding.
Teaching requirements
Check whether schools must teach a subject, offer a course, or follow learning standards.
Grade view: All K–12. A grade-band finding may apply to only some grades; each source gives the precise scope.
Timing: adopted, including future starts. Counts show reviewed findings; a missing state may still have a requirement. Coverage & gaps.
Required learning includes instruction and graduation competency routes. A competency requirement specifies what students must demonstrate; it does not necessarily prescribe a separate course.
Required learning · All K–12 · Adopted, including future starts. National view; state policies only.
Gray means a research gap, not that a state has no requirement. A finding may cover only particular grades or cohorts. District examples remain separate in the table below.
Includes adopted future cohorts where selected. Requirements may allow proficiency routes or approved embedded instruction. Idaho is included because its digital-literacy credit explicitly requires algorithms and programming. This is broader than a count of courses titled computer science.
Law effective October 1, 2026; graduation provision begins with class of 2032. Detailed approved coursework and embedded-standards guidance is to follow. Requirement and source
Applies to students entering grade 9 in 2022–23 and later; the first standard graduating cohort is 2026. Requirement and source
Rule effective July 1, 2025; one-credit requirement applies to students graduating after January 1, 2028. Requirement and source
First graduating cohort: class of 2029. This does not apply to all current graduating students. Requirement and source
Ninth-grade entrants in 2027–28 and later. Requirement and source
Graduation requirement begins in academic year 2027–28. Requirement and source
Current half-credit graduation requirement. The 2023–24 guidance supersedes earlier versions; a qualifying high-school-level course may be completed in middle school. Requirement and source
Graduation requirement begins with grade 9 entrants in 2024–25. SL2026-41 §7.53 extends implementation-delay notifications for Wake/Johnston only through 2026–27; affected units must submit a course-offering plan by January 1, 2027. Older DPI pages stating no 2026–27 waiver do not reflect this later local exception. Requirement and source
Graduation rule: 2025–26, after July 31, 2025. Board-approved integration-plan alternative remains distinct. Requirement and source
Applies beginning with the graduating class of 2028. Requirement and source
Current policy; the cited source does not provide a confirmed start date. Requirement and source
Incoming freshmen from fall 2024; first graduating cohort is the class of 2028. Requirement and source
Beginning with grade 9 entrants in 2027–28, one full CS credit is required. May be completed in grades 8–12; approved courses and Policy 2510 implementation are governed by WVDE/WVBE guidance. Requirement and source
Show graduation requirements on the map
Cross-check: Code.org’s 2025 report reports 12 states using data finalized December 1, 2025. Our broader definition includes Idaho’s digital-literacy requirement. This difference is a classification correction, not an additional law passed in 2026. Nationwide amendment review remains open.
District counts reflect reviewed local requirements, not every district covered by state law. Course access duties include offering alternatives: Kansas permits an implementation plan, which does not prove that a course is available now.
Each state counts once per subject and requirement type. D.C. is displayed in its own profile, not counted as a state. Subjects overlap. Required instruction or demonstrated competency can apply to specific grades or graduation cohorts; it does not mean every child takes a separate course. A required offering does not mean every pupil takes it. Standards alone do not establish a must-take course or actual classroom delivery.
North Carolina’s AI-literacy standards and CS course alignment appear under standards, not as a separate AI course for all pupils.
Kansas · Learning opportunities required
Requires support for students and staff in developing AI literacy, including foundational concepts and when and how to use AI. Supports teachers in adapting instruction. It does not prescribe a separate course or graduation credit.
Read the commitment & sourceAlabama · Learning opportunities required
Directs teaching about AI limitations, bias, critical evaluation and citation, with subject-area integration and staff professional learning. This is a district commitment; classroom delivery has not been independently measured.
Read the commitment & sourceIllinois · Student instruction required
CPS requires one computer-science credit for high-school graduation. Grade 9 is the recommended placement, not the only permitted grade.
Read the commitment & sourceNew York · Optional support / resources
CS4All supports schools in expanding computer-science experiences and computational thinking. The program page does not establish that every student currently receives a specified course or number of hours.
Read the commitment & sourceRequiring every student to learn a subject is different from making a course available. Neither alone shows what happens in classrooms. State and district briefs identify which is documented.
Read about learning & student agencyUpcoming changes
See requirements that have passed but start later, followed by proposals that are still being considered.
Would fund state policies restricting student possession or use of personal electronic devices during school hours. Eligible policies would cover public elementary and secondary schools, include health and disability exceptions, and be developed with district and community input. School-authorized instructional laptops and tablets meeting specified safeguards are excluded.
What happens next: No next official date announced.
Status checked Oct 8, 2026
Status, scope & official sourceWould prohibit most K–5 classroom device use, limit daily device time in grades 6–12 and restrict individually assigned or take-home school devices by grade band.
What happens next: No next official date announced.
Status checked Oct 8, 2026
Status, scope & official sourceThe draft would require local technology plans to specify devices and shared/individual assignment, permitted activities, take-home conditions and AI use by grade or grade band. It would require publication and submission of plans by the end of 2026–27, with parental acknowledgment before individual device access from 2027–28.
What happens next: Regular board meeting; no item-specific vote verified: 2026-10-13
Status checked Oct 8, 2026
Status, scope & official sourceAlready adopted measures with future start dates are listed separately in the policy watch.
See what is already scheduledSupporting context / Over time
Follow dated decisions: tighter limits, wider access and new conditions on use. These examples do not measure national growth.
Before the pandemic → March 2021
| Grade level | Before* | March 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary | About 40% | 84% |
| Middle & high | About two-thirds | 90% |
*Leaders recalled pre-pandemic provision. These are survey respondent percentages, not percentages of all U.S. schools.
EdWeek Research Center · published May 17, 20222024–25 · Later national context
88%
U.S. public schools reporting a program that provides every pupil a school-issued device. This does not measure time on screens or require take-home use.
NCES · published February 19, 2025Public-school principals reported devices assigned to every student to take home at 23% before the pandemic (2019–20), rising to 45% in spring 2020. This narrower measure excludes other in-school access.
NCES technology-support comparisonDifferent surveys, populations and measures: these figures are not one continuous trend. Measures, access notes & data. They cannot establish when states adopted 1:1 policies or whether device access caused later restrictions.
Sep 21, 2026
Restriction / duty adoptedMoves K–2 from assigned one-to-one iPads to shared classroom devices, with a general daily screen-time range of zero to 30 minutes.
The district letter and FAQ give January 4, 2027 for shared classroom devices. A Key Takeaways bullet instead says January 1; confirm the precise start with the district. The change remains upcoming.
Read the original sourceSep 10, 2026
Restriction / duty adoptedMoratorium on student-facing GenAI in 2K–8; no routine 1:1 screen time in 2K–2; older-grade daily limits are recommendations.
2026–27 school year; September 10 school start is the implementation reference, not a verified board adoption date.
Read the original sourceJul 16, 2026
Restriction / duty adoptedEnds FCPS-issued tablets and laptops in pre-K and kindergarten, makes student generative AI unavailable in elementary school and requires principal authorization for secondary use pending policy.
Board action applies beginning in fall 2026.
Read the original sourceThese are selected decisions, not a measured national growth rate. Historical gaps prevent a reliable 2024–2026 total.
Explore the full timeline & earlier evidenceViews & experiences
Explore reported views on limits, use and learning. People can support boundaries and technology education at the same time.
These are selected studies, not a single measure of public opinion. Audience filters identify who was studied; each finding names whose response it reports. These studies do not follow your state or grade filters.
8 studies shown. Publication year and fieldwork year can differ. Mixed-audience studies may report different questions for different groups.
Survey · Parents · Published 2026-09-28
National Parents Union / Echelon Insights · Source checked 2026-10-05
Useful for: Pair age-specific limits with the separate question of teaching safe and informed use.
Read with care: Responses to separate questions cannot identify which individual parents support both. Different May wording prevents a simple trend. These are national views, not local district opinion or evidence of learning effects.
Survey · Teachers · Published 2026-09-16
Gallup / Walton Family Foundation / Joan Ganz Cooney Center · Source checked 2026-10-05
Useful for: Ask about purpose and classroom oversight alongside screen duration.
Read with care: Teacher perceptions and self-reported use do not establish causal effects. Learning devices are distinct from personal phones.
Survey · Students / Parents · Published 2026-02-24
Pew Research Center · Source checked 2026-10-05
Useful for: Distinguish homework assistance, information seeking and companionship.
Read with care: Fieldwork was in 2025 despite the 2026 publication. Comfort differs by use case. Neither statistic measures support for a school ban.
Original research · Questionnaire / methods source · Parent findings
Survey synthesis · Students / Parents / Teachers / Administrators · Published 2025-09-30
RAND · Source checked 2026-10-05
Useful for: Surface differences between leadership assumptions and family/student concerns.
Read with care: These are beliefs and reports, not measured cognitive harm or verified policy coverage. Different populations and dates are not a single matched trend.
Survey · Teachers · Published 2026-05-26
Gallup / Walton Family Foundation · Source checked 2026-10-05
Useful for: Check whether adopted rules reach the educators expected to use them.
Read with care: A teacher reporting no guidance does not prove the district has no policy. These figures concern staff work, not student AI permission.
Survey · Students · Published 2026-03-17
RAND · Source checked 2026-10-05
Useful for: Discuss when AI supports thinking and when it replaces students’ work.
Read with care: Not a K–12-only estimate and not a measured learning effect. Do not attach this percentage to all schoolchildren.
Survey · Parents / Students / Teachers / Administrators · Published 2020-09-29
Gallup / Google · Source checked 2026-10-05
Useful for: Ask whether learners see the same purpose in CS that adults do.
Read with care: Historical, pre-pandemic evidence—not current 2026 sentiment. Different respondent groups and recruitment routes need care.
Provider implementation report · Teachers / Administrators · Published 2024-06
Common Sense Media · Source checked 2026-10-05
Useful for: Check whether a curriculum listing translates into a complete learning sequence.
Read with care: Provider research and self-selected users. This statistic measures reported coverage, not causal effectiveness or national teaching prevalence.
Using this research
Start with your state, check the affected grades and dates, then follow the evidence to the original policy.
Documented rules, learning requirements, selected local approaches and proposed changes. Every policy brief links to its source and explains the type of requirement.
Compare states · Search & export policiesSome topics, district histories and superseding policies remain incomplete. A missing finding is a research gap. Published requirements do not establish delivery in every classroom.
See scope and limitations · Suggest a correctionPolicy baseline: Oct 4, 2026. Latest release: Oct 8, 2026. Each published finding shows its official source and review date.
How changes are labelled · Download published dataA small starting list, not a curriculum ranking or a guarantee of compliance. Check grade fit, accessibility, privacy and the actual learning goals.
This tracker brings limits and learning duties into one comparison. It does not replace these organisations’ research or claim to contain every finding they publish.