Are high school grades becoming meaningless in the age of AI and endless screen time?

A new nationally representative study from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute reveals that three-quarters of high school students admit to off-task device use every day in class—from social media to online gambling—while AI is increasingly used to skip learning entirely. Even worse, permissive grading policies like unlimited test retakes and partial credit for missing work are driving widespread grade inflation. Dr. Brian Fitzpatrick, Fordham’s National Research Manager and author of the new report High Tech, Low Standards, joins Newell to dissect how rampant digital distraction and lax academic standards are reshaping the American high school experience.