Smart Devices

At Lincoln Public Schools in Nebraska, these policies work in tandem to cut down on phone-induced distractions, limit the time students spend outside the classroom, and prevent student conflicts and fighting.

While the district already has policies limiting student screen time, USD 383 in Kansas is considering enforcing further limits on which grades can take iPads home.

If it passes, a bill making its way through the Senate would task the state education commissioner with developing a model policy for New Jersey's more than 600 districts, while affording them flexibility with specifics.

A teacher and student at Deering High School in Portland, Maine, created a translation website to help teachers reach non-English families. It's now in use in 40 Maine school districts, nine states and one international school.

Students from Gustavus Adolphus College and St. Peter High School in Minnesota hosted a program through Project 4 Teens in which they talked to middle schoolers about social media, phone usage and other topics.

A former public school teacher filed a proposal last week for the upcoming 2025 session that would require public school districts and charters to adopt policies that largely prohibit use of smartphones during class.

The U.S. Department of Education issued guidance Tuesday that says all schools should have their own cellphone policies, ideally built by a team of students, teachers and parents to boost buy-in and suit local needs.

Successfully weaning students off their phones will require a massive cultural shift. Some have argued that schools are the ideal places to attempt one, and California will be the nation's largest test case.

A bill introduced by Rep. Patrick Sellers, D-Jefferson County, would require the Alabama Department of Education and local districts to adopt a policy for the 2026-27 school year restricting cellphone use during the day.

Set to take effect Feb. 18, Los Angeles Unified School District's ban on Internet-enabled devices will allow students to use them before and after school but not during the day, including lunch.

In a recent presentation to the Alaska Board of Education, the state education commissioner inadvertently demonstrated the importance of AI literacy by relying on an AI chatbot that fabricated citations.

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt last week advised the North Carolina Board of Education against a statewide approach to restricting student cellphone use, arguing it would be divisive and better left up to local leaders.

Three months after Broward County Public Schools implemented a policy against most cellphone use during school hours, staff and parents are largely positive about it while students are ambivalent to negative.

The editorial board of The Columbian makes the case for school districts following guidance from state officials and implementing restrictions on student use of cellphones in class.

The nonprofit EdTech Leaders Alliance started a list of Scary Apps last year to raise awareness of ed-tech tools with “privacy policies that should give K-12 educators a fright.” A new one is posted each day of October.

School cellphone bans are key to combating skyrocketing rates of adolescent anxiety and depression, author Jonathan Haidt said in a webinar. Performance increases follow, California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond said.

Staff at Sutter Middle School in Folsom found that Yondr pouches created extra headaches when it came to monitoring them, but a policy of requiring phones to be powered off during school hours has been a success.

Students at George Washington Carver High School developed a free app that estimates cost of individual colleges, financial aid eligibility, loan options, repayment plans and future earnings.