Northwest ISD announces new technology safeguards for upcoming school year

Northwest ISD will employ new technology safeguards and restrictions to limit student distractions while in the classroom, according to a district news release.

What’s happening?

NISD officials will implement new structures, effective immediately, on how technology is used across all campus levels. The safeguards were put together after the district asked for community feedback on technology use in the classroom during the spring 2025-26 semester, the release states.

The collective feedback focused on restricting technology when it distracts from learning and deeming when it is appropriate to use technology as a supplemental tool.

"Technology should support instruction, not compete with it," Northwest ISD Chief Technology Officer Cara Carter said. "Our teachers are the most important part of the learning experience, and we listened when teachers and families asked for additional safeguards around classroom technology use. These changes help create classrooms where distractions are reduced, and technology is used intentionally."

At the elementary level, grades pre-kindergarten through second won’t have email access. Third through fifth graders will have limited email access and cannot email other students, just parents and teachers. Elementary students will also not have YouTube access.

Middle schoolers also won’t be able to email each other, only parents and teachers. Middle school students will have limited access to YouTube and will only be able to access the site through a direct, educational video link.

High school students will still have full access to email but will only have access to educational YouTube videos. All grades will have limited access to educational online games.

There will be additional safeguards across different grades, according to the release. Those updates include:

• Increased transparency for parents to view their student’s browsing history; parents will also be able to control student devices outside of school hours
• Pre-K-first grade: only 20 minutes per day of student device use
• Technology will not be a reward or for free play
• Continued blocking of social media platforms, games and Wikipedia
• No required times on learning apps, and no grades or incentives for using learning apps