In response to the growing cybersecurity threats facing America’s public schools, the Institute for Security and Technology (IST) has launched the K–12 Cyber Defense Coalition (K12 CDC) – a new national partnership made up of 13 education organizations working to protect schools from cyberattacks and improve response strategies.
The District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) announced that it will ban the use of personal cellphones in the classroom beginning in the fall to help refocus student attention on “academic excellence.”
The Missouri state Senate voted on May 13 to approve a bill that will require public school districts and charter schools in the state to adopt formal policies restricting K-12 student use of electronic personal communication devices during the school day.
The state of New York is mandating “bell-to-bell” restrictions on K-12 student use of smartphones beginning in the 2025–2026 school year.
The U.S. Senate voted on May 8 to nullify a rule issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2024 that allows schools and libraries to use the government’s E-Rate program to buy discounted Wi-Fi hot spots and related mobile connectivity services for off-premises use by students, school staff, and library patrons.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law on April 30 that will restrict access by public school K-12 students to smartphones and other electronic devices during school instructional hours.
K-12 teachers are adopting generative AI (GenAI) technologies in the classroom at a greater rate than their higher education counterparts, according to new national survey data from the global edtech firm Cengage Group.
The number of U.S. school districts providing training for teachers on artificial intelligence technologies has more than doubled in the span of a year, with 48 percent of districts offering at least some AI training by fall 2024 – up from just 23 percent the year before.
Calhan School District (CSD), a school district in Colorado, announced it has adopted ZeroEyes’ artificial intelligence-powered gun detection platform to bolster safety across all of its schools.
Eleven high schools in Massachusetts have signed up to introduce Advanced Placement (AP) cybersecurity coursework as part of a new national pilot program, Mass. Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll said on March 20.
