San Diego Unified School District News Releases: SAN DIEGO UNIFIED PARTNERS WITH INDEPENDENT RESEARCH INSTITUTE TO GUIDE LEARNER-CENTERED TECHNOLOGY USE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact:
James Canning, 313-580-2845, Jcanning@sandi.net

SAN DIEGO UNIFIED PARTNERS WITH INDEPENDENT RESEARCH INSTITUTE TO GUIDE LEARNER-CENTERED TECHNOLOGY USE

Board-Approved Partnership Brings Scientific Expertise and Evidence-Based Practices to District’s Continued Work to Support Student Learning, Safety and Wellness

SAN DIEGO (Aug. 25, 2026) – The San Diego Unified Board of Education approved a contract with Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, an independent, nonpartisan organization that will provide scientific expertise and objective, evidence-based guidance as the district continues implementing its Learner-Centered Technology Use initiative.

The Institute will review San Diego Unified’s existing policies, practices, administrative guidance, instructional practices, and technology-related processes to help ensure they reflect current research on digital media and child development and align with the goals of the district’s Learner-Centered Technology Use Resolution.

The partnership marks the next phase of a year-long district effort to ensure technology is used purposefully to support diverse learning needs while reducing unnecessary digital media consumption and creating more opportunities for meaningful human interaction, creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.

“We have been clear from the beginning that our decisions about technology must be centered on what is best for students and based on what the research tells us about how children learn and develop," said Dr. Fabi Bagula, Superintendent of San Diego Unified School District.“This partnership gives us access to independent scientific expertise as we take a thoughtful look at how technology is being used across our schools. Technology will continue to be an important educational tool, but we want to make sure it is used with purpose, in ways that strengthen learning, relationships, student wellness, and healthy development.”

Under the agreement, Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development will serve as an independent, nonpartisan scientific advisor to San Diego

Unified and provide:

Scientific and technical expertise to support implementation of the district’s Learner-Centered Technology Use Resolution.
Research translation to help district leaders understand and apply current scientific evidence related to digital media, technology use, learning, and child development.
Review of existing district policies, practices, and guidance related to technology use to assess alignment with current research and the goals of the resolution.
Technical consultation as the district develops developmentally appropriate, learner-centered technology guidance.
Stakeholder engagement support as the district collaborates with students, educators, families, advisory groups, and community partners.
Implementation assistance to help translate recommendations and research into practical guidance for schools and classrooms.

“Schools around the country are grappling with how to ensure children learn, create, connect, and thrive in today’s digital world,” said Kris Perry, Executive Director of Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development. “We are proud to partner with the San Diego Unified School District to put evidence and child development at the center of those decisions, while also developing practical approaches that work for students, educators, and families.”

The partnership builds upon changes San Diego Unified implemented at the start of the 2026–27 school year as part of the first phase of its learner-centered approach to technology.

Beginning August 10, the district:

Prohibited video-streaming platforms, such as YouTube, on district-issued 1:1 devices unless enabled by educators to support specific instructional activities.
Prohibited non-instructional gaming platforms on district-issued devices.
Removed computer carts from Transitional Kindergarten classrooms, while continuing to ensure appropriate technology access for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Section 504 Plans, and/or linguistic needs.

These changes follow the district’s implementation of its Phone-Free School Day policy and are part of a broader effort to reduce unnecessary distractions and excessive digital media use while ensuring technology remains available when it meaningfully supports teaching and learning.

The Learner-Centered Technology initiative supports San Diego Unified’s four Goals for Student Achievement: improving student wellness, increasing communication skills and literacy achievement, increasing problem-solving skills and mathematics achievement, and increasing college and career readiness, by ensuring technology enhances, rather than distracts from, the student learning experience.

As a next step in this work, San Diego Unified is forming a Learning-Centered Technology Use Committee that will bring together educators, families, students, researchers, and community partners to help develop recommendations and developmentally appropriate guidance for technology use across grade levels.

Visit www.SanDiegoUnified.org/LearnerCenteredTechnology to learn more.

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