Alabama’s Commission on Screen-Based Instruction plans to recommend the state further define screen time and work toward “fostering digital literacy” as it develops best practices for screen use in public school classrooms. The commission, established by Governor Kay Ivey, is scheduled to send its final report to the governor by December 1.
The recommendations aim to guide screen use for students in kindergarten through 12th grade across Alabama, including Dothan and Houston County public schools. Nashedra Barry, a child psychologist with Children’s Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham and a member of the commission, highlighted the importance of these efforts. Barry stated that the commission should consider "digital citizenship and digital literacy curriculums, parent training materials, professional development for teachers," because digital literacy has been shown to "mitigate some of the negative impacts of the increased screen use."
Laren Hammonds, a middle school teacher from Tuscaloosa and a commission member, added that the commission should also consider “the learning activity that screen use enables, replaces, or interrupts.” Rep. Jeana Ross, a Republican from Guntersville who chairs the commission, said the recommendations discussed were reasonable and would be easily implementable by teachers and school officials. Ross emphasized the committee’s concern with ensuring screen time is quality, and that certain types should be limited or avoided altogether. Ross noted she would await the final recommendations before considering further legislation.
Commissioners recently discussed how other states have approached screen time legislation. Tennessee’s legislation, signed into law in April, requires local boards and public charter schools to establish policies for appropriate screen usage for kindergarten through fifth-grade students. This policy mandates prioritizing teacher-led instruction that does not use screens, prohibiting students from accessing social media through school internet servers, requiring developmentally appropriate digital tests and tools, limiting the use of school-issued devices in classrooms, and providing parents with transparency on classroom device types.
Houston County Superintendent Brandy White commented positively on Tennessee's approach, stating that the model was "very concise" and allowed for local control while identifying key areas of focus for technology use. Rep. Ross believes Alabama’s final recommendations will build upon Tennessee’s model, stating, "We have more evidence, we have more research, and it may be that we build upon this, but I see it as being a little more comprehensive."
Governor Ivey established the Commission on Screen-Based Instruction in July to study the risks, usage, and benefits of screen-based instruction in K-12 classrooms across the state. This followed earlier legislative efforts regarding screen time. Earlier this year, Governor Ivey signed HB 78, sponsored by Rep. Ross, into law. That bill set screen time limits for children up to five years old in licensed child-care facilities. Rep. Ross also filed HB 584, which would have expanded these limits for all public school students, but the bill did not pass before the Legislature adjourned in April. The commission's final report is expected to provide a comprehensive framework for future screen time policies in Alabama's public schools.
