Limiting the Possession and Use of Telecommunication Devices.
School district boards of directors are authorized to adopt policies that limit the possession of:
The Washington State School Directors' Association has a model policy on students and telecommunication devices that school districts may adopt. The model policy sets forth conditions for students to observe while on school property and while attending school-sponsored or school-related activities.
Compilation of Resources for Digital Citizenship, Media Literacy, and Internet Safety.
Legislation enacted in 2017 directed the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to create a web-based location with links to recommended successful practices and resources to support digital citizenship, media literacy, and internet safety. The web-based location was specified to be for use in the 2017-18 school year, but the legislation, for purposes of adding to the location, required the OSPI to continue identifying and developing open educational resources to support digital citizenship, media literacy, and internet safety in schools.
"Digital citizenship" is defined in statute to include the norms of appropriate, responsible, and healthy behavior related to current technology use, including digital and media literacy, ethics, etiquette, and security. The term also includes the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, develop, produce, and interpret media, as well as internet safety and cyberbullying prevention and response.
Reports to the Legislature.
By December 15, 2026, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) must submit an initial report to the appropriate committees of the Legislature that summarizes the policies and procedures adopted by public schools in Washington and in other states limiting student use of mobile devices during instructional hours. The report must also summarize the barriers that public schools have experienced when implementing the policies and procedures.
A final report by the OSPI is due to the same recipients by December 15, 2028. This report, in addition to providing updated summary information, must include evidence-based recommendations related to student mobile device use during instructional hours that support academic learning, healthy social relationships, and emotional well-being. The report must also include recommendations for incorporating student mobile device use in the statutory definition of "digital citizenship."
Additional Content for Web-Based Compilation of Resources.
The web-based location of the OSPI that includes links to recommended practices and resources for digital citizenship, media literacy, and internet safety, must also include:
The OSPI must distribute information to public schools on how to access the web-based location and its research and strategies related to student use of mobile devices. Provisions specifying that the web-based location is for use in the 2017-18 school year are removed.
Definitions.
"Mobile device" is defined to mean any personal mobile telephone or other portable electronic communication device with which a user engages in a call or writes or sends a message, or any device in which the user plays a game or watches a video. The term does not include school-issued devices.
The definition of "digital citizenship" is revised to specify that the term also includes the norms of appropriate, responsible, and healthy behavior related to the use of mobile devices.