Update on Technology Use in Classrooms: Prioritizing Connection and High-Quality Learning

Dear Cambridge Public Schools Families,

We are eager to welcome your children back with grades 1st through 12th and Post Grad reporting tomorrow, Tuesday, September 1st and preschool and Kindergarten students joining us on Thursday, September 3rd.

The start and end times for all schools are linked here.

Last week I had the privilege to address an estimated 2,000 Cambridge Public Schools employees at our annual district colloquium, the focus of which was on building stronger trust and partnerships with the families we serve. Building trust requires clear communication about the opportunities and challenges we face. For CPS, like all school systems, that includes determining how to most effectively incorporate new technologies into our students’ education.

On this final day of summer vacation for our students, I wanted to share with you some brief details and thoughts on how we are approaching these challenges as a school system:

Foundational Beliefs:

Learning is fundamentally a human endeavor, and the core of any strong school community are the relationships that exist between educators and students and among students with their peers. When technology is appropriate for a specific instructional purpose, the Cambridge Public Schools is committed to ensuring it is used in intentional and developmentally appropriate ways to enhance students’ educational experiences.

Technology can neither substitute for nor supersede the critical elements of social development students enjoy in their schools. CPS will continue to value play, independent exploration, physical movement, peer to peer and student to educator engaging conversations, reading, writing, creative work, and the interpersonal interactions which should make up a part of every one of the 180 school days that begin tomorrow.

Screen Time Usage:

Last spring the Cambridge Public Schools completed a comprehensive analysis of technology use by CPS students. That analysis indicated that the majority of screen time to which students are exposed is guided by specific and meaningful educational goals. This year, across all CPS schools, the district has instituted explicit grade level guidance to ensure technology use is always grounded in intentional instructional strategies to deepen learning and foster high-quality educational experiences. These guidelines prioritize hands-on learning and human connection, ensuring digital tools enhance rather than replace the face-to-face experiences essential for student growth.

Healthy Habits and Tech Limits:

School is about developing the abilities, skills and knowledge necessary to operate in the world. This certainly includes navigating modern day technologies, but there are also times when the absence of specific types of technology results in more impactful educational experiences. One example of a technology limitation is the strict prohibition on cell phone access during the school day. During a school day that is typically only six hours and thirty minutes, educators are charged with creating an environment of engagement, in-depth learning and meaningful connections between students. Prohibiting access to cell phones is intended to help students stay present and to ensure educators’ focus is on providing substantive instruction.

Additional grade and age-specific guidelines and practices are in place to support these goals. Each of which is designed to ensure age-appropriate and developmentally sound practices that affirm the human-centered core of high-quality elementary and secondary education.

At Home Habits and Family Support:

During the 2026 - 2027 school year, students and caregivers will have the chance to participate in programs focused on developing boundaries and at-home practices to establish a healthy relationship between children and technology, including information about the inherent dangers of social media. The impact of technology on children’s development extends well beyond the school day. We are eager to partner with families to support you in navigating both the opportunities and the challenges of the rapidly-changing environment.

To that end, CPS has made modifications to our practice around distributing take-home technology devices, specifically Chromebooks. At the elementary level, schools will provide devices only upon a specific request by a family based on particular needs of that child’s household. For secondary students (6th grade) families may opt-in to having their child’s Chromebook travel to and from school. From 7th through 12th grade, families who prefer their child’s Chromebook remain at school must opt-out of the take-home designation.

Establishing Boundaries on Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Currently CPS operates under AI guidance developed in part through the work of an AI working group composed of educators, staff and district leaders. Revised guidance related to generative AI will be published in October.

Both the current and developing AI guidance represent proactive efforts to safeguard academic integrity and authentic learning:

• PreK through Grade 5: Generative AI is generally prohibited and blocked through district filtering. Exceptions are very limited with direct supervision by educators and with ongoing communication to caregivers.
• Grade 6 through Grade 8: Generative AI use by students will continue to be significantly restricted to a limited number of applications with specific educational purposes. As is true at the elementary level, schools will communicate with the families how and when students are given the opportunity to use this technology as well as the instructional objectives underlying those opportunities.
• Grades 9 through 12: High school students may only use specific, district-approved AI applications (e.g., Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Canva) for explicit educational purposes consistent with their teacher’s expectations. When permitted, students must fully disclose AI assistance, verify the accuracy of the output, and remain entirely responsible for the integrity of the work they submit.

CPS will also be providing additional opportunities for professional learning for educators to build greater AI understanding so that we may better support the development of students’ media literacy. As these resources are made available, we will be sure to communicate them clearly with families so we can partner together to meet the challenges and maximize any potential benefits for our students.

Preserving the Integrity of the Learning Process:

For every assignment students are asked to complete in school, the objective is to help them to develop an ability, a skill set or a knowledge base that will be useful later in their academic careers and post-secondary lives. This is true from the social and emotional foundation and literacy fluency we focus on at the elementary level, to the most sophisticated and complex tasks in the later stages of high school. When technology enhances this learning, it can be a great tool. But in instances in which a form of technology would diminish the impact or depth of a student’s educational experience, its use will be restricted.

As an organization, the Cambridge Public Schools is committed to continuous learning and improvement. We will continue to strive to support our educators and engage with the families of our students, all in service of creating the most optimal learning environments possible for all students.

Thank you for your partnership in this work. We are looking forward to a great school year.

Sincerely,

 

 

David Murphy

Superintendent of Schools