Smart Devices

Developing policies to establish phone-free schools and a playbook for artificial intelligence, including curriculum, rules and professional learning, are among Connecticut's legislative priorities for 2026.

Proposed bills in the Kansas House and Senate share a common goal, but they differ in ways that could affect how districts implement the rules, including how the school day is defined and how devices would be stored.

Now headed to the state Senate for consideration, House Bill 4141 would require all of Michigan's public and charter schools to adopt policies forbidding students from using cellphones during instructional time.

After launching a fiber-optic broadband network, Chattanooga, Tenn., has seen robust economic development and better Internet service for residents. Chico, Calif., recently broke ground on its own fiber project.

Under a state grant program announced in October, 86 New Jersey school districts are receiving a cumulative $980,000 to implement secure storage systems such as lockers, locked pouch systems or check-in cabinets.

Even students who resented phone bans at first have begrudgingly told administrators that they've benefited from the restrictions.

For districts facing tighter budgets and device sustainability challenges, a new turnkey curriculum from the technology vendor CTL aims to train and certify students as Chromebook repair technicians.

New York state's policy banning students from having personal devices during the school day have led to improved concentration among students, though some parents have expressed concerns.

Following an investigation, the Texas Education Agency found that North East Independent School District was not complying with state law requiring school districts to ban cellphone use during the school day.

A poll of about 900 parents of students in grades 6-12 in Massachusetts, conducted by the nonprofit MassINC, found that 66 percent either strongly or somewhat supported a bell-to-bell cellphone ban in public schools.

A recent survey of school administrators found that 92 percent reported a “smooth transition” during the first few months of the state's new phone policy, and 83 percent reported a more positive and engaged environment.

A growing number of college professors are choosing to bar laptop and phone use in class, citing studies that show students who take notes by hand often perform better on tests.

Some education officials say building trust with parents and students has been key to the success of California's Phone-Free School Act, and will be essential in the conversations to come.

Three months into Texas' statewide ban on cellphones in school, officials are observing noticeable differences on campuses, but some say students need opportunities to learn what appropriate use of technology looks like.

A petition signed by more than 400 K-12 parents is calling for Ann Arbor Public Schools to do more than just restrict cellphone use while class is in session. They want phones out of the way throughout the school day.

After an initial period of suspensions and conflict around enforcement, Western Pennsylvania school district leaders are saying that phone bans have led to students talking more, fighting less and doing better on tests.

In response to a parent's concerns about what her child could access online through school-issued devices, the school board at Lexington-Richland School District 5 decided that online learning tools were still necessary.

A recent report by RAND Corp found that three quarters of school principals feel phone bans have improved school climate and reduced behavior problems, and only one in 20 said they placed new burdens on administrators.