September 9, 2026
Contributing Author: Allyson Apsey
Brian R. Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., Fordham’s national research manager, went right to the source when studying the impact of technology on high school students. His new report shares findings from a nationally representative survey of 1,011 current high school students and 1,013 recent graduates. The findings are enlightening, although perhaps not surprising to anyone who has spent time in a high school classroom lately.
Finding 1: Illicit tech use is rampant.
Seventy-six percent of respondents reported engaging daily in at least one form of unauthorized or nonacademic technology use during high school. Fifty percent reported using social media, 49% messaging friends, and about one-third watching unassigned YouTube videos or playing recreational games. Twenty-two percent reported using AI without teacher permission. Importantly, the survey did not distinguish whether all of this use occurred during instructional time or during lunch, passing periods, or other parts of the school day.
Finding 2: Students are frequently using AI to bypass the learning process.
The research demonstrates both the promise and the problem of AI. Half of respondents reported using AI to explain difficult concepts and 47% to brainstorm ideas. However, 48% used it to solve math problems, 36% to summarize texts to avoid reading them, 29% to draft essays or reports, and 26% during quizzes or tests. Even more concerning, 58% agreed that homework has become meaningless because nearly everyone is using AI.
Finding 3: Students spend a significant amount of class time on school-issued devices.
Sixty-two percent of respondents reported spending more than half of their class time on school-issued devices. The more time students spend on screens, the more difficult it becomes for teachers to distinguish between productive learning and distraction. Interestingly, students with the highest device use were also more likely to believe they could miss school without it affecting their grades.
Finding 4: The report raises concerns about grading practices and academic expectations.
Fifty-seven percent of respondents reported earning all or mostly A’s, including many whose SAT or ACT scores fell in the lower half of the national distribution. The report also raises concerns about partial credit for missing work, late-work policies, and retakes, arguing that these practices can make it easier to earn high grades without demonstrating mastery.
My biggest takeaway from this research is that we need to be really clear about what we want students to get from their time with us. What is the purpose of class time? Of homework? Of an assessment? If the goal is deep learning and skills students can use long after they leave our classrooms, we need to make sure our practices are helping us get there.
This doesn’t mean technology or AI is the enemy. Both can be incredible tools for learning. And we certainly cannot bury our heads in the sand and hope AI goes away. Instead, we need to work together to figure out when technology supports student thinking and when it starts doing the thinking for them.
I also don’t think the answer is simply to eliminate retakes or make grading policies more punitive. The report itself acknowledges that it does not provide conclusive evidence for a no-retake policy. If a student hasn’t learned something yet, we want them to keep learning until they do. A thoughtful reassessment process can actually hold students to a higher expectation: you eventually must demonstrate that you learned it.
And we should take a close look at what we are grading. If students are earning points for completing a product rather than demonstrating learning, we shouldn’t be surprised when they find the fastest way to produce that product, including using AI to do it for them.
Maybe that is the question this research should leave us with:
Are our practices helping students do the thinking, engage in the learning, and ultimately demonstrate that they learned it?
Source:
Thomas B. Fordham Institute, High Tech, Low Standards: High School-Age Distraction
Read the full research from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute
| To learn more, contact Allyson Apsey, Associate for Creative Leadership Solutions |