Schools Beyond Screens — Shaker Heights

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Resources

What we're asking for in Shaker Heights, and the wider body of research and reporting behind it.

Our proposals

Reform proposals

The twelve specific changes we're asking the Shaker Heights schools to consider, from eliminating device use in Pre-K–2 to clear, published screen time guidelines, each with the evidence behind it.

Read the proposals

More reading

Schools Beyond Screens resource library

The national organization's collection of research, reporting, and practical guides on screens in schools — the evidence base our local asks are built on.

schoolsbeyondscreens.com

The research behind our proposals

  1. Furenes, May I., Natalia Kucirkova, and Adriana G. Bus. “A Comparison of Children’s Reading on Paper Versus Screen: A Meta-Analysis.” Review of Educational Research (2021). doi.org/10.3102/0034654321998074Supports proposal 1
  2. Pablo Delgado et al., “Don’t Throw Away Your Printed Books: A Meta-Analysis on the Effects of Reading Media on Reading Comprehension,” Educational Research Review 25 (2018): 23–38. doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2018.09.003Supports proposal 1
  3. Pam A. Mueller and Daniel M. Oppenheimer, “The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking,” Psychological Science 25, no. 6 (2014): 1159–68. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797614524581Supports proposal 1
  4. Jared Cooney Horvath, The Digital Delusion: How Classroom Technology Harms Our Kids’ Learning—and How to Help Them Thrive Again (New York: Penguin, 2026). Supports proposals 1 and 10
  5. Faria Sana, Tina Weston, and Nicholas J. Cepeda, “Laptop Multitasking Hinders Classroom Learning for Both Users and Nearby Peers,” Computers & Education 62 (2013): 24–31. doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.10.003Supports proposal 1
  6. Elizabeth Laird et al., “Hidden Harms: The Misleading Promise of Monitoring Students Online” (Washington, DC: Center for Democracy & Technology, August 3, 2022). cdt.org/insights/report-hidden-harms-the-misleading-promise-of-monitoring-students-online/Supports proposal 2
  7. Jenny Radesky et al., “Prevalence and Characteristics of Manipulative Design in Mobile Applications Used by Children,” JAMA Network Open 5, no. 6 (2022): e2217641. doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.17641Supports proposal 3
  8. Stanford SCALE Initiative, The Evidence Base on AI in K-12: A 2026 Review (Stanford, CA: Stanford Graduate School of Education, 2026). scale.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/The%20Evidence%20Base%20on%20AI%20in%20K-12%20Report.pdfSupports proposal 5
  9. Michael Yogman et al., “The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children,” Pediatrics 142, no. 3 (2018): e20182058. doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-2058Supports proposal 6
  10. “Ed Tech Is Profitable. It Is Also Mostly Useless,” The Economist, January 22, 2026. www.economist.com/united-states/2026/01/22/ed-tech-is-profitable-it-is-also-mostly-uselessSupports proposal 10
  11. Mallory Kropman, “Kids and Playtime—Why It Is So Important,” Brown University Health, December 18, 2024. www.brownhealth.org/be-well/kids-and-playtime-why-it-so-importantSupports proposal 12
  12. Ying Dai and Na Ouyang, “Excessive Screen Time Is Associated with Mental Health Problems in US Children and Adolescents: Physical Activity and Sleep as Parallel Mediators,” Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 13, no. 256 (2026). doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-06609-1Supports proposal 12
  13. Ran An et al., “Digital Fatigue and Academic Resilience Among University Students with Grit and Flexibility as Mediators,” Scientific Reports 15, no. 45407 (2025). doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-29313-7Supports proposal 12
More coming soon. We're gathering local research, personal stories, and a guide for talking with the district. Add your name to our list and we'll let you know as we publish. Have something we should include? Send it our way.