Smart Devices

The school board of a large district in Maryland voted 7-1 to keep personal devices silenced and stowed away between the first and last bells of the school day, with exceptions for emergencies.

Days after Gov. Phil Murphy’s call for statewide restrictions on cellphone use in schools, many districts have adopted policies that seem to steer clear of what might be considered an absolute ban.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell recommends that schools issue “bell-to-bell” bans on personal electronic devices during the school day and develop curriculum guidelines for teaching digital media literacy.

The New York Daily News Editorial Board supports a proposed ban on smartphones in New York schools from bell to bell, given exemptions for special circumstances, because it will refocus students on what's important.

Proposed legislation would ban phones, tablets, smartwatches and any other Internet-connected devices from school grounds during the day, from bell to bell, including both instructional and non-instructional time.

Since cellphone rules went into effect at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year, some Connecticut school districts said they have seen improvements in academic achievement, attendance and discipline.

Local districts can either adopt the South Carolina Board of Education's model policy prohibiting the use of personal devices during the school day, or create their own. Many districts have already done so.

Anyone who had a Walkman or Game Boy could attest that schools have been confiscating distracting devices for decades. It's common sense to do the same with smartphones, which are engineered to hold the user's attention.

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.