Smart Devices

Jay Martin, director of School Safety & Security for the Nebraska Department of Education, warns that kids are learning cultural norms from social media instead of parents or their peers.

Education officials say Missouri's statewide cellphone ban at public and charter schools has brought consistency, focus and more social interaction. Some students agree, while others say they feel bored or limited.

Given the relative frequency of school shootings nationwide, Connecticut schools are fielding concerns from parents about whether and how they can reach their kids in an emergency.

Following New York City's partnership with T-Mobile last year, the city is working with T-Mobile and Dell to address the digital divide by giving more students access to personal computers.

Since state legislation started requiring Iowa schools to adopt policies on cellphones, administrators have reported a "great response," with teachers seeing a positive change and most students following directions.

A combination of capital budget reductions, a cut in federal funds, inventory control and loss-prevention issues caused a laptop shortage affecting middle and high schools in Richland County School District One.

With a localized approach to cellphone restrictions comes a varied set of obstacles — many students don't use lockers anymore, they rely on phones for communicating with parents, and unlocking Yondr pouches takes time.

Alabama's FOCUS Act bars students from using most personal devices at school. Some teachers say it was the best educational change in years or decades, and some parents say the change was easier than they anticipated.

In Washington, where state leaders have left it up to local school districts to enact cellphone restrictions, 75 percent of districts have updated policies, half of which prohibit phones only during class time.

School IT leaders are experimenting with different methods to improve the life cycle of student devices. Without targeted federal funding, 1:1 programs will need other sustainable revenue streams to survive.

A project to analyze flooding in south Chicago will eventually consist of about 50 sensors transmitting data in real time for analysts and emergency responders.

Some students say being disconnected from cellphones at school deprives them of an academic and socializing tool, while school officials have noticed improvements in academics and student behavior.

Competing bills in the state House and Senate failed to get sufficient bipartisan support, with Democrats favoring a requirement that local districts craft their own policies while Republicans pushed for a statewide ban.

Cambridge Central School District leaders say their limited cellphone restrictions resulted in a marked improvement in student discipline issues, including bullying and distractions.

At least 80 percent of Massachusetts school districts already have some type of cellphone restrictions in place, and local school committees of governing boards would be required to approve the new restrictions.

To ensure more consistent and responsive communication with student families, Kanawha County Schools in West Virginia redesigned its website and worked with the ed-tech company Apptegy on a bespoke mobile app.

Some Texas parents are in an uproar at the idea their child wouldn’t have cellphone access at school, but the editorial board of the Weatherford Texas Democrat argues that their anger is misplaced, and unwarranted.

Smartphones and the COVID-19 pandemic certainly didn't help, but when students receive their primary learning through apps and websites, they risk shortened attention spans and cognitive and behavioral declines.