In 2026, the share of US states with a strict statewide ban on mobile phones in schools rose from 22 to 57 percent — the sharpest jump in five years of observations.
The fifth annual State EdTech Trends Report, prepared by the SETDA association together with Whiteboard Advisors, draws on responses from 73 education technology leaders from 45 states and one territory. The document records how states are responding to growing public skepticism: from formalizing policy in the field of artificial intelligence to tightening procurement standards.
The mechanism looks like this: a state publishes official recommendations for procuring AI tools, includes in them a requirement for independent evidence of effectiveness, and then tracks whether districts comply with these rules when purchasing. In parallel, a phone ban is introduced, backed by digital literacy programs — 76 percent of states already support such courses. In a real school, this means that a teacher does not simply hand out tablets, but works according to an approved plan in which every tool has a documented purpose and outcome metrics.
According to the survey data, 79 percent of leaders named AI the top priority (up from 68 percent in 2025), and 83 percent of states have already launched initiatives in this area. At the same time, 52 percent of states do not collect data on the effectiveness of the tools being used at all, and 68 percent acknowledge the difficulty of independently verifying vendors' claims. The limitation is obvious: the survey is self-reported, and budgets and staffing remain modest — 74 percent lack sufficient funding, 76 percent work in teams of five people or fewer.
A key tension is emerging: investment in devices and software outpaces investment in the evidence base and in educators' professional development. Sixty-two percent of respondents named teacher training as the fastest-growing unmet need. Without systematic work with data and personnel, even the strictest rules risk remaining a formality.
What will happen if states continue to tighten evidence requirements but do not find the resources to collect and analyze it?
