Screen Time and Technology Use in CA Schools

A survey for parents & caregivers

Section 1 of 6

Welcome!

The team at Distraction Free Schools CA designed this survey (with the help of PA Unplugged) to understand how parents and caregivers across California feel about technology and screen time in schools.

Every community is different, and families bring a wide range of experiences and perspectives. This survey is designed to capture that diversity. Your responses will help us build a public dashboard where you can explore and compare feedback across school districts throughout the state. The goal is to give families, educators, and policymakers a clearer picture of how communities are thinking about these important issues.

The survey takes about 5 minutes. If you have any questions, reach out to us at jodilcarreon@gmail.com. Thank you for your time.

Section 1: About Your School

What kind of school is your child enrolled in?

For families with children at different schools, please complete one response per school/district.

What county is the school in?
Please select a county.
What is your school district?
Please select a school district.
Please specify your school district:
What is the name of your school?
What grade level(s) are your children currently in? (Check all that apply)
Does your school use a 1:1 device model?

1:1 means each student has their own dedicated device (e.g., a Chromebook or iPad) rather than sharing with other students. This includes both school-issued devices and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies.

Where are shared devices stored?
Please specify:
What type of devices? (Check all that apply)
Please specify:
Are students required or allowed to bring devices home overnight?
What grade do students start bringing devices home?

Section 2: Current Experience

Thinking about your child(ren) in grades K–2:

How do you feel about the amount of screen time in school?

Thinking about your child(ren) in grades 3–5:

How do you feel about the amount of screen time in school?

Thinking about your child(ren) in grades 6–8:

How do you feel about the amount of screen time in school?

Thinking about your child(ren) in grades 9–12:

How do you feel about the amount of screen time in school?
How well does your school communicate its technology and screen time policies to families?
If the current technology policies or screen time levels at your child's school are working well for your family, please share what aspects you appreciate and why they are successful. (Optional)

Section 3: Concerns

Do you have any concerns about how school-issued devices and technology are being used?
Which of the following concern you? (Check all that apply)
Please describe your other concern:
Is there anything else you'd like to share about your concerns? (Optional)

Section 4: Policy Preferences

Which of the following requests would you support? (Check all that apply)
Please specify:

Section 5: Share Your Story (Optional)

Has your child or family experienced any specific harm or negative impact related to school technology or screen time?
Please share your experience. Your response will remain confidential unless you give permission below.
May we anonymously share your story with the EdTech Law Center to support advocacy efforts? No identifying details will be included.

Section 6: For Educators & Healthcare Providers

Are you a K-12 educator or healthcare provider?
Would you be interested in participating in a focus group to share your perspective on school technology practices?
Please provide your email so we can follow up:

Thank You!

Your response has been recorded.

Want to be the first to hear when we publish the survey dashboard? Join our mailing list.

If you'd like to see changes in how technology is used at your child's school — or want to learn more about what's possible — check out our EdTech Reform Priorities.

Distraction Free Schools CA is a coalition of parents, caregivers, and educators working to shift the culture around phone and technology use in homes, schools, and communities.