FCPS EdTech: Policies, Tools & Costs 

I move that the School Board direct the Superintendent to review the feasibility, equity, and educational efficacy of the following, and develop recommendations for each, in consultation with the Educational Technology Review Committee:

• Opt-out options, inclusive of budgetary implications and equity concerns, for parents and/or guardians for any electronic device to go home with students.

• Restrictions on electronic devices for instruction for students from Pre-K to 2nd grade.

• Options for students in higher grades in Elementary School to have electronic devices stored away when not intentionally in use for instruction during the school day.

• Enhancements to digital literacy instruction, with sufficient professional development for staff directly instructing students. This content will be publicly accessible.

These recommendations must take into account students with Individualized Education Plans and 504 Plans whose accommodations include access to a device, and must align with the FCPS Inclusive Education guidelines and the FCPS Educational Equity Policy. The Division Superintendent will provide these recommendations to the School Board for approval no later than November 12, 2026. All recommendations approved by the School Board shall be implemented as soon as practicable, and no later than the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year.

Direct the Superintendent to create opt-out options to be made available for Preschool and Elementary students for parents and/or guardians for any electronic device to go home with students by August 2026. 

I move that the Fairfax County School Board to direct the Superintendent to prohibit the use of FCPS-issued laptops and tablets for students enrolled in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten commencing in SY 2026-2027, except for students who require access to and use of such devices for Individualized Education Programs, 504 plans, translation purposes, or multilingual education support. This prohibition shall remain in effect pending the Educational Technology Review Committee's recommendation to the Superintendent and any resulting Board action, including the adoption of policy.

I move the Fairfax County School Board to direct the Superintendent to deliver a plan no later than November 12, 2026 for the storage of FCPS-issued laptops and tablets in the classroom (or other areas) when they are not in use by students for instructional purposes, except for students who require access to and use of such devices for Individualized Education Plans, 504 plans, translation purposes, or multilingual education support. The plan shall include a proposed timeline for division-wide implementation.

I move that the Fairfax County School Board direct the Superintendent to provide a comprehensive inventory of Generative Artificial Intelligence tools and solutions (AS DEFINED BY FCPS) provided by or through FCPS on FCPS-issued laptops and tablets by January 14, 2027, and to prohibit the use of such Generative AI tools and solutions by elementary school students, and will only be permissible for secondary students unless specifically authorized in writing by a School Principal or the Superintendent (or their designee) for specialized student projects or particular uses, until a formal policy is adopted by the School Board to govern such usage.

I move the Fairfax County School Board to direct the Superintendent to develop a pilot program to implement a tiered, positive-list (whitelist-only) firewall architecture for FCPS-issued electronic devices at two elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools and provide this plan to the School Board for approval no later than December 10, 2026, with implementation planned no later than the beginning of the third quarter of the 2026-2027 school year. The development of the pilot program should consider access to apps, extensions, and websites by grade levels, as well as how such an architecture would provide additional protection for students from cyberbullying, inappropriate content, and predatory behavior. I further move to direct the Superintendent to report to the Board on the results of the pilot by June 10, 2027 to guide possible division-wide expansion for the 2027-2028 school year.

I move the Fairfax County School Board to direct the Superintendent to deliver a report by December 10, 2026 on the technical and operational feasibility of allowing elementary, middle, and high school students with a documented medical or developmental need to opt out of the use of FCPS-issued laptops and tablets for instructional purposes.

I move that the Fairfax County School Board direct the Superintendent to amend all student device regulations, including Regulations 2601 (Student Rights and Responsibilities Booklet) and 2602P (Acts for Which Students May be Disciplined, Disciplinary Procedures, and Interventions), to prohibit student use of personal electronic communication and computing devices (including but not limited to personal laptops, tablets, smart watches, and smartphones) during the instructional day, requiring the exclusive use of FCPS-issued devices for school-related digital activities.

This prohibition shall not be applicable to students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan that explicitly mandates or permits the use of a non-FCPS issued personal device as a necessary accommodation. Additionally, school principals (or their designee) shall retain the authority to grant limited, course-specific exemptions for students enrolled in specialized classes in which the curriculum requires technology tools or software not available on standard FCPS-issued devices.

I move that the Fairfax County School Board direct the Superintendent to direct the Education Technology Review Committee to prioritize evaluating a plan to implement network-level filters to block direct student access to the YouTube platform (including the YouTube website and mobile application) for all students in PreK through 8th Grade while utilizing school networks or FCPS-issued devices; while providing instructional YouTube content that is directly embedded by a teacher within an approved educational platform, presentation tool, or learning management system.

Superintendent's Recommendation for PreK/K Tech Device Use:  After reviewing the ETRC recommendations, the Superintendent modified and recommends allowing the limited use of Lexia during the kindergarten reading/intervention block, (up to a maximum of 75 minutes per week) only for kindergarten students who require additional reading support. This limited exception for kindergarten students who require additional reading support recognizes the important role of targeted literacy intervention while maintaining the School Board’s broader direction regarding limiting kindergarten device use.

This approach maintains the School Board’s broader direction to limit device use in kindergarten while ensuring that students who require targeted literacy intervention continue to have access to the supports identified as necessary for their reading development in alignment with their reading plans. Further, there will be an allowable opt out for families of kindergarten students who do not wish to use Lexia as their additional reading support.

This recommendation affirms and maintains the existing Board approved exceptions for kindergarten students who require access to and use of such technology devices for Individualized Education Programs, 504 plans, translation purposes, or multilingual education support 

I move that the Fairfax County School Board direct the Superintendent to develop a process for parent or guardian opt-outs from ST Math and Lexia in elementary school, including instructional alternatives to these specific digital learning tools.

I move that the Fairfax County School Board direct the Superintendent to conduct an expedited review of the cost and instructional efficacy of Lexia reading tools currently used by Fairfax County Public Schools, to include (i) independent research, not funded by the vendor, of their instructional efficacy and (ii) a comparison with the instructional efficacy of alternative methods of instruction to meet EIRI requirements. The Superintendent shall identify alternate reading resources approved by the Virginia Department of Education or otherwise available for use by the school division that are supported by independent research. 

I move the Fairfax County School Board to direct the Superintendent to evaluate the cost and instructional efficacy of centrally provided, core instructional applications and software for elementary schools (excluding Microsoft Office, Google Suite (Google Workspace), and similar apps and software) that are widely employed in the classroom, to include, to the maximum extent practicable, (i) independent research, not funded by the vendor, of their instructional efficacy and (ii) alternative instructional methods.